Skip advert
Advertisement

Skoda Bake Off: our tribute to the iconic Fabia cake advert

We joined Bake Off star Candice Brown to build a tribute to the iconic Skoda Fabia cake advert

The best marketing campaigns are the ones you still remember years after they aired. From the Coca-Cola Christmas truck to Honda’s Cog; the most memorable are those with timeless appeal.

Another of those evergreen adverts is Skoda’s Fabia Cake Bake. Back in 2007, the Czech firm commissioned a super-size sponge to commemorate the launch of its second-generation supermini. The four-metre-long fondant-covered car took four days to create at a cost of around £500,000.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Best superminis 2018/2019

The result was a 60-second promotion that won plaudits from the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and BAFTA. A racier version was also produced to celebrate the hotter Fabia vRS.

Over four million Fabias have been built since 1999, and a little over 11 years since that iconic ad first graced our screens, the facelifted version of Skoda’s small car has arrived in UK dealers. To mark the milestone, we met with 2016 Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown for a feature with a difference.

The champion of this year’s competition was recently crowned on Channel 4, but despite spanning 10 episodes and 30 challenges, there wasn’t a sports car showstopper in sight. In an attempt to rectify this disastrous disregard for the motor industry, we joined Skoda at the Good Housekeeping Institute in London to create a  scale replica of that original gluttonous gateau.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

On entry, we were handed an apron and a recipe card, before finding our workstation and a list of ingredients. The task is seemingly simple, but we’ve never made a car out of cake before. Until now, a batch of burnt biscuits was as good as it got.

To give us an idea of what’s in store, Candice had pre-baked a red Fabia in 1:12 scale. Many of the techniques were the same as those employed by the 16-strong team who crafted the full-size Skoda all those years ago. Our sponge would be glued together with icing – just like it was on the original – while the fondant wheels are recreated in small scale.

Advertisement - Article continues below

It’s clear Candice’s first love is baking, not cars. She learnt to drive in a Nissan Micra and while she can appreciate the style of modern sports cars, it’s chunky SUVs that push her buttons these days. Her penchant for pick-ups (she now drives a Nissan Navara) translates neatly to the design of her sugar-coated Fabia, whose slab lines sit proud on the front bench.

It’s not as easy as it looks. If you’ve ever tried to trim four layers of sponge with an eight-inch carving knife, you’ll know what we’re talking about.

Once the shape has been formed we have to roll the icing before folding it over the top of the butter-creamed cake. It’s a two-person job, and Candice obligingly offers to help us lay the fondant in place. While it still looks nothing like the new Fabia, it’s starting to appear more car-like in its proportions.

Of course, being a facelift model, emphasis was placed on the sleeker headlights and larger grille. But in true Bake Off-style, time is our biggest pressure; we’ve no choice but to leave out some of the finer details – like the miniature badges, door handles and wheel spokes. But we’ve just enough time to add the contrast black roof and dinky windscreen wipers.

Our attempt was part of a bigger social media campaign which ran in early November. Skoda searched for the best home bakers – encouraging aspiring Paul Hollywoods to post pictures online with the #FABIACake hashtag. The prize? A baking masterclass with Candice.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Deputy editor

Richard has been part of the team for over a decade. During this time he has covered a huge amount of news and reviews for Auto Express, as well as being the face of Carbuyer and DrivingElectric on Youtube. In his current role as deputy editor, he is now responsible for keeping our content flowing and managing our team of talented writers.

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best superminis to buy 2025
Best superminis - header image

Best superminis to buy 2025

It's a hard-fought class, but these are the 10 best superminis on sale right now
Best cars & vans
23 May 2025
Used Skoda Fabia (Mk4, 2021-date) buyer’s guide: great value, comfy and spacious
Used Skoda Fabia - front

Used Skoda Fabia (Mk4, 2021-date) buyer’s guide: great value, comfy and spacious

A full used buyer’s guide on the Skoda Fabia covering the Mk4 that’s been on sale since 2021
Used car tests
22 May 2025
Best small cars to buy 2025 - our favourite little low-cost runabouts
Best small cars - header image

Best small cars to buy 2025 - our favourite little low-cost runabouts

Small cars come in all shapes, if not sizes. Here we highlight the best ones to buy
Best cars & vans
8 May 2025
Best first cars for new drivers 2025
Best first cars - header image

Best first cars for new drivers 2025

These are the best cars for first time drivers, all of which are cheap, easy to drive and safe
Best cars & vans
8 Apr 2025

Most Popular

Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch is on the way to the UK
Toyota GR Corolla - front cornering

Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch is on the way to the UK

The success of the GR Yaris has persuaded Toyota that there’s room in its UK range for the high performance Corolla
News
19 Jun 2025
Citroen recall sees owners told to stop driving “immediately”
Citroen C3 Mk2 - front tracking

Citroen recall sees owners told to stop driving “immediately”

A ‘Stop-drive’ order has been issued by Citroen following a fatality that may have been caused by a faulty Takata airbag
News
20 Jun 2025
Car Deal of the Day: a potent 335bhp Volkswagen ID.7 GTX for a rock bottom price
Volkswagen ID.7 GTX - front static

Car Deal of the Day: a potent 335bhp Volkswagen ID.7 GTX for a rock bottom price

GTX Plus gives some extra punch to an already excellent electric saloon. It’s our Deal of the Day for 20 June.
News
20 Jun 2025