WHO better to turn to when getting someone to make you a 120th anniversary cake than a woman who came close to appearing on The Great British Bake Off?

Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association turned to Sue Lewis when they needed a cake making to mark its 120th anniversary this year.

Sue, who lives in one of the association’s homes in Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, was the logical choice after narrowly missing out (she was first reserve) on The Great British Bake Off 2017.

She jumped at the chance and, after being given a brief which involved celebrating the past and looking forward to the future, she produced a large sponge cake resembling one of the association’s new bungalows complete with mine shaft, edible coal, a coal truck and a pickaxe.

Producing the cake involved 50 eggs, 18 blocks of butter, 3,175 grams of flour, 3,175 grams of caster sugar, 3,200 grams of icing sugar and six jars of jam.

Sue, who took up baking as a hobby about five years ago, said: “It was difficult because I had to make it big enough so there was enough for all to have a piece.”