Excitement is running high at a Lower Earley care home as residents bake a cake fit for the Queen.

To celebrate her upcoming Platinum Jubilee, residents at the Austen House care home have been taking part in the Queen’s pudding competition.

Announced in January, Fortnem and Masons asked the nation to come up with a celebration cake that can be baked by the British public to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee in June.

The best recipes will make it through to a live bake off judged by Dame Mary Berry and Masterchef’s Monica Galetti in March.

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Staff and residents put their heads together and donned their aprons to come up with a pudding that they think encapsulates the Queen’s reign and what it has meant to the nation.

Their pudding is called ‘Austentatious’ and consists of delicious ingredients including a traditional vanilla sponge flan base, with strawberry cream and fresh fruits, like jewels on a crown, which will be in season in June.

General Manager at Austen House, Charles Sadler, said: “We’ve all had such a brilliant time taking part in this competition, it has been such fun. 

“Our staff and residents love the Queen and they love to bake so when they heard about the competition, they were all so excited to take part.

“It has been a real collaborative process - thinking about ingredients from all over the world and coming up with a pudding that reflects the Queen’s years of service to this country.

“Not to mention all the delicious different versions we have had to taste over the last few weeks, it really has been no hardship!”

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Austen House resident, Peter, added: “The Queen is an amazing lady, we all wanted to get involved in the pudding competition – it would just be wonderful if our recipe was selected.

“We had such a giggle coming up with the pudding, deciding what ingredients should go in and then coming up with the name. 

“I definitely think we’ve got a winning recipe!  We can’t wait to find out what the judges think of our entry!”