A BAKING star from Sussex revealed the heartbreaking inspiration behind one of her show-stopping cakes.

Linda from Bexhill dedicated her “English rose cake” to her daughter, who died when she was just 18.

The 61-year-old said: “This really means a lot to me, this cake.

“It’s a tribute to my daughter actually- Melissa had special needs.

“She’s no longer with us, she passed away when she was 18, but this is just a celebration of her life really.

“She was just a sweet, little English rose.”

The Argus:

Linda crafted a red rose from chocolate to sit atop her three-tiered sponge cake

And the bake, her last of the show’s chocolate week, impressed judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood with its flavours.

Paul said: “I really like it; buttery, white chocolate, a bit of zest in there.”

Meanwhile Prue later described the cake as “really delicious”.

The pair criticised the piping work around the outside, but the overall positive review was enough to see Linda safely through to week five of the competition - pastry week.

Linda is fast-becoming a dark horse to win the cooking competition, securing her second technical challenge victory in a row with her perfect babka - a sweet yeast dough filled with chocolate and wound into layers before baking.

During the blind judging process, customary for technical bakes, Paul said: “This is a nice one, the colour is good, the stripes are good, there’s a nice bake all the way around and there’s a good height as well.”

 

“All it has to do now is taste good,” Prue added.

She took a bite before letting out an enthusiastic, “mmmm”.

“Excellent,” she proclaimed.

Linda’s first-placed babka followed her impressive rainbow-coloured bagels from the week before, Bread Week, which also wowed the judges.

But it is not just Paul and Prue she has won over.

The Argus:

Linda is also a firm fan favourite, already renowned for her beaming smiles in the Bake Off tent.

A video montage of her being “deliriously happy” has been watched more than 20,000 times on Twitter.

She credits regular gardening for helping her “positive wellbeing” and also enjoys fishing from Bexhill beach - casting her line out in the hope of reeling in mackerel and mullet for her barbecue.

She also enjoys a refreshing pint in her and husband’s private bar, built into the pair’s garden shed.