Battenburg

The allure of Bake Off has always been the illusion that it is a quaint little show, when actually it is an anxiety-driven thrill ride watching people lose it while trying to add a marzipan layer to their Battenburg.

With nearly as much period detail as an episode of “Downton,” this delightful romp satisfies like a cup of strong nursery tea accompanied by a Battenburg cake.

At about 6pm, once we’d all downed at least 20 cups of squash, popped and sniffed the party poppers, and stuffed our faces with as much sliced battenburg as we could manage, a tinkling of tiny bells would begin outside.

Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born on Corfu on June 10, 1921, to Princess Alice of Battenburg and Prince Andrew of Greece.

In the dining room, I caught a glimpse of silver and Battenburg lace.