IF you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Those were the words running through my mind as I marched out of the Cooks cookery school at Carlton Towers, near Selby, with three cake tins – desperately seeking an oven.

In TV's Great British Bake Off, contestants fret about soggy bottoms, but my worry was where on earth was I going to bake my three-tiers of lemon sponge?

There were eight of us taking part in a Bake Off challenge to promote Marie Curie's national summer fundraising challenge, The Blooming Great Tea Party. Since the campaign started in 2008, tea parties across the UK have raised more than £5.4 million.

This year, the aim is for as many people as possible to hold a tea party over the weekend of June 23-25 to raise funds for the charity which supports people and their families with terminal illnesses.

In the York area, Marie Curie provides an overnight nursing service for patients as well as an information and support telephone line. Elsewhere in the country, it also runs hospices.

The charity is one I have long supported, ever since nurses came to care for my mother-in-law at home when she was dying from a brain tumour. Their dedication allowed my father-in-law and the rest of the family some much-needed respite – and sleep – at an incredibly emotionally and physically draining time.

Just last August, my father John spent the last week of his life in a Marie Curie hospice in Edinburgh. As much as you can say this, he had a good death: peaceful, pain free and surrounded by close friends and family. The care and dedication from hospice staff was so appreciated by all of us, including my lovely, thankful, father.

Marie Curie's services are for anyone facing a terminal illness – not just cancer – and funds are needed not just for the services it offers, but for research and campaigning too.

Which brings us back to cakes.

York Press:

AGAINST THE CLOCK: Bakers in action at the Marie Curie Bake Off challenge at Carlton Towers's cookery school Cooks

There were some simple rules to follow for the Bake Off. We each had 90 minutes to bake something from scratch – although anything that took longer than 90 minutes to make (such as home-made jam) could be brought along on the day.

As our invigilator called out: "Ready, steady, cook!" it was a bit like an Easter egg hunt as we began tearing around the kitchen trying to find the implements and equipment we needed. Clutching a cookery shop's worth of bowls, spoons, spatulas, I then tracked down a grater (for my lemon rind) and a squeezer (for the juice). Given that we were against the clock, we queued up rather patiently to weigh out our ingredients on the electronic scales.

I learned to cook as a child and still follow the old-fashioned method of mixing everything by hand. Most of the others used an electric mixer and beat me to the ovens (there were just six!). Luckily, Carlton Towers has a professional kitchen upstairs and its oven was not in use. No sooner than you could say "Bake Off won't be the same now it is on Channel 4", my tins were in and I dashed downstairs to make lemon buttercream for the topping.

York Press:

TASTY: Some of the final creations from the Bake Off competition

However, in true Bake Off tradition, it wasn't all plain sailing. I had been warned the professional oven might cook my cakes in a faster time, and also that I should switch the trays around after ten minutes to ensure an even bake. It meant that I was running between the two kitchens every five minutes to attend to my sponges.

Happily, they turned out OK – well risen and with a nice colour. My main problem now was that I was a good ten minutes behind everyone else. The upstairs kitchen had a chiller, so I placed my sponges in there, hoping they would cool in time for decorating.

There was a near disaster when one of my sponges almost tore in half as I turned it out of the tin. I decided to place this one in the middle of my three tiers, sticking the pieces all together with the lemon curd (which I had made the day before), and hoping the six judges would not be as eagle-eyed as Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood. As a finishing touch, I scattered some candied lemon rind on the top (again, which I had made earlier that week).

We enjoyed a tour of the house as judging commenced. Lemon proved a popular choice for cakes, with six of the eight bakers choosing this flavour. There was also a coffee and walnut cake and some strawberry and cream cupcakes, with home-made strawberry jam.

There were four prizes in total – and I was speechless, and rather embarrassed – when my name was called out as the winner of the first prize (a lovely hamper of goodies from Ringtons, a partner in the event). The judges, apparently, liked its dramatic design and said "the homemade crystalised peel and lemon curd added to the overall look").

Other winners were Michelle Deller, whose lemon drizzle with fresh fruit was praised highly "for the light texture and simplicity" while Menna Bennett's cupcakes were selected for the "excellent homemade strawberry jam and pretty appearance". Denise Rose's lemon drizzle was singled out for its texture which was "unbelievably light".

But the best bit was yet to come – when we all got to tuck into each other's creations.

Not sure they do that on the real Bake Off, but I'd thoroughly recommend it.

For further information visit mariecurie.org.uk/teaparty where you will find top tips and be able to register a tea party – or call 0800 716 146.

York Press:

READY, STEADY, BAKE: Maxine and her prize-winning sponge

Maxine's Marie Curie Bake Off Triple Lemon Cake

(makes three sponges, serves 12)

350g/12oz Stork or butter

350g/12oz caster sugar

350g/12oz self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

6 eggs

4 lemons (juice of two/zest of four)

Method

Grease and line three cake tins. Heat oven until 180C.

Cream butter and sugar together. Taking it in turns, add beaten egg and fold in flour and baking powder. Mix in lemon juice and rind. Split evenly between three tins. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Buttercream

110g unsalted butter

500g of icing sugar (sieved)

30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

1tsp rind

Method

Beat the butter and icing sugar together until a smooth, thick paste, then mix in lemon juice and rind.

Lemon curd

3 lemons juice and zest

220g caster sugar

6 large eggs

150g butter, cut into small pieces

Method

You can make this the day before or while the cakes are cooking and cooling. Place the grated lemon zest and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the lemon juice together with the eggs, then pour over the sugar. Next add the butter cubes and place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (making sure the bowl does not touch the water). Whisk every now and then until thickened, which should take about 20 minutes.Then leave it on one side to cool.

Candied lemon peel

1 unwaxed lemon

200g/7oz granulated sugar

100g/3½oz caster sugar

Method

Peel the lemon rind and cut each strip finely into strands. Pour 300ml/10floz of water into a small pan, add the granulated sugar and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon zest and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes, until the lemon peel is soft and translucent. Drain and dry off. Spread the peel out on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprinkle with caster sugar. Place in the oven on the lowest setting (approximately 110C/90C Fan/Gas ¼) for one hour until dry.