BUDDING bakers went back to basics to produce cakes from a bygone era as part of a special World War 1 community project.

History buffs delved into dough, as well as the past, to make Victoria sponge, Empire Biscuits and fruit loaf as they marked the centenary of the start of the Great War.

Staff from Stepwell In’s cook school ran the sessions, which were also aimed to teaching traditional recipes and methods.

Norma Norris of Stepwell In said: “Now we have more equipment to help us.

“Here we’re using more traditional methods such as mixing bowls and wooden spoons but we also have electric mixers. Today we expect lots of icing and chocolate, sweet cakes.

“Back then you would have had your cake as part of your meal to fill you up — and you would have burned it off as well.” Norma also had some help from her own family’s history, thanks to a notebook which belonged to her great-grandmother Mary Brown and dates back to 1893.

It contained recipes for gingerbread cake, plus a newspaper cutting on how to make war-time doughnuts.

The cook school session is part of a wider Working the War project which is being run out of Greenock’s historic Dutch Gable House. Kay Clark, co-ordinator for the project, which is supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “This has been good for older and younger people to learn traditional baking skills.

“Victoria sponge and Empire biscuits, which were called German Biscuits before we went to war, are still on the shelves today.

“I think there should be more traditional cookery lessons.

“The volunteers have loved it — it’s a good thing to do as part of a week of activities to mark the centenary.

“Heritage Lottery aims to raise awareness about all the traditional skills that are being lost.” Volunteer Alex Hardie, 71, who took his granddaughters along to the cake making session, said: “It’s a different way to mark the centenary — I was at the Wellpark Mid Kirk service on Monday night too and that was excellent.” In keeping with the wartime theme, the cakes were served in a vintage tearoom set up in the Dutch Gable House.

See today's Tele for full pictures.