If food is the new rock and roll, cakes are the new Elvis. Since the roaring success of the Great British Bake Off (now on Season Three and over 4.5m viewers), the baking star is on the rise, evident by the much-loved book ‘Saved By Cake’ by national treasure Marian Keyes, news of cupcake vending machines hitting UK shores and even Odlums Cake Club, a smart advertising campaign designed to capitalise on our new-found baking hobby.
So, not to be outdone, TV3 is launching the Great Irish Bake Off and is putting out the call for Ireland’s great bakers. Presented by former Big Brother star Anna Nolan and with expert judges such as cookery writer and baker Biddy White Lennon, the series will take place over eight weeks, culminating in the crowning of Ireland’s best amateur baker.
The first stage of the recruitment process is a ‘short’ form (well they say it’s short, but to me it reads like a cheat-sheet for a culinary autobiography!), followed by face to face auditions.
There are eligibility criteria, but they’re not overly restrictive, the main requirement being that you can’t be a professional pastry / baking chef and you must be available for filming from November 2012 to April 2013 (might be time to start currying favour with your boss!).
The closing date is Monday October 15th 2012, which is a little more than two weeks, so if, unlike me, you have a natural gift with flour and eggs, you’d better get, well….cracking! 
Images pinched from their Facebook Page