A PAIR of talented Basingstoke cake makers will showcase their skills in a Christmas-themed baking competition – set to be aired on ITVbe.

Laura Miller, who runs Sugar Spice Cakes, and Sarah Carr of Sarah Carr's Speciality Cakes, will star on The Big Bake, a baking competition filmed in Canada for The Food Network.

In the programme, three teams compete to create a huge cake with moving and dynamic elements to win a $10,000 top prize.

Laura said: “We were headhunted through social media and contacted by a production company about the show. We had to do a video interview and put together a team of three.”

Sarah and Laura joined forces with Scotland-based Lynne Davidson of Lynne’s Cake Emporium, who Laura has followed on social media for many years.

The team were flown out to Canada in February but weren’t allowed to tell anyone about the show until now - as it is set to be aired in the coming weeks.

Sarah said: “It is Christmas themed and were given five hours to complete a cake that was four foot tall with two moving components.”

Before heading the competition, the team were given the opportunity to sketch out a design which was then sent to the production team.

Laura said the team’s initial design was elves on the loose with a reindeer on its back and lights around his legs, but the producers asked them to change their design, which still involved the two creatures.

“The main bulk of the design is cake, but the elves were made out of fondant and edible paste,” Laura said.

She said the production day was “really intense” with the teams arriving at the studio at 5am and leaving at midnight.

When asked how the team got on in the competition – Laura said that audiences will have to watch the show to find out.

“It is really exciting, as much as we might get some media work in England, it is nice to build up a following in other parts of the world.”

The team are excited for her friends, family and customers to watch the show when it is aired.