Baking for Dame Judi Dench (and Faking It Till I Made It)

There are moments in a baker’s life when the pressure really hits. Not because the cake is particularly difficult, not because there’s a massive order to fulfill, but because the person on the receiving end of the cake is, well... a little bit famous.

I remember the day the order came in at Williams Kitchen. “One Sacher torte for Dame Judi Dench.” Simple enough, right? I can make a cake. I’ve made millions of cakes. But for some reason, when it’s for someone famous, the stakes suddenly feel astronomically higher. What if she hated it? What if she took one bite and declared it dreadful in that beautifully clipped, theatrical way that only she could?

One small problem—I had never made a Sacher torte in my life.

The Art of Keeping Cool (and Googling Recipes)

Now, let’s be honest. Baking is a skill, but it’s also about confidence. And when you don’t have confidence? Well, that’s where faking it till you make it comes in handy. I knew the basics—a Sacher torte is a rich chocolate cake, dense but not dry, with apricot jam and a silky chocolate glaze. Classic, elegant, a bit of a showstopper. But knowing and executing are two different things.

With no time to panic, I did what any seasoned professional would do—I kept my head down, worked quickly, and absolutely did not let on that this was my first rodeo.

The Final Moment

Cake baked? Check. Apricot jam? Spread and looking glossy. The chocolate glaze? Poured on with a steady hand, not a shaky one (even though my insides were doing cartwheels). Then came the finishing touch: the classic “Sacher” script on top. I piped it with as much confidence as I could muster, channeling my inner Austrian pastry chef.

Then, off it went to Dame Judi Dench.

So... Did She Like It?

Here’s the thing. I never actually saw her eat it. But what I do know is that she came back and ordered another one. That, my friends, is what we call a win.

More Famous Faces and Baking Shenanigans

Baking for Dame Judi wasn’t the only brush with fame I had in my career. Williams Kitchen was a magnet for well-known faces, and let’s just say, I have more stories where this one came from. There was the time Liam Gallagher told me how much he loved my cakes (I’ll take that compliment to the grave), and the day Jamie Dornan and his wife came in for lunch, and I somehow managed to serve their meal without completely losing my cool.

And, of course, there was that time I baked a chocolate cake for an order placed by the Highgrove estate in Tetbury. I can’t prove it was for the Queen, but let’s just say, there’s a decent chance Her Majesty enjoyed a slice of my cake with her afternoon tea.

So, if you’ve enjoyed this little glimpse behind the scenes, stay tuned—because I’ve got plenty more stories to tell. From kitchen chaos to celebrity cake moments, this baker has seen it all!