Jasmine Mitchell with her specially designed cake. (Photo: Lambeth Palace)
The Archbishop of Canterbury has been presented with a commemorative cake by a recent winner of The Great British Bake Off.
Jasmine Mitchell, who won the Channel 4 baking competition in November, visited Lambeth Palace over the weekend to present a specially designed fig, honey and almond cake to Archbishop Sarah Mullally ahead of her installation at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25.
According to Lambeth Palace, the cake was created using honey sourced from the palace garden’s beehives while figs were chosen to represent the historic fig tree rooted in the Lambeth estate since 1556.
Olive branches were used in the decoration to signify peace and healing, finished with a scallop shell delicately iced along the edge – a traditional emblem of pilgrimage routes and a reference to Archbishop Mullally’s passion for walking and pilgrim journeys.
During the visit, the pair discussed their common Christian faith and backgrounds in the NHS – Ms Mitchell is currently training to become a doctor.
The cake was donated to The Passage, a London charity whose objective is to eliminate homelessness, and to healthcare professionals working in Evelina London’s paediatric intensive care unit, Lambeth Palace reported.
Archbishop Sarah thanked Mitchell for what she described as a “thoughtful” and creative gift, noting the Church of England’s fondness for “tea and cake”.
The gift comes at a significant moment for Archbishop Mullally, who recently became the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to hold the office in its history.
She was formally confirmed in the role at a legal ceremony known as the Confirmation of Election, held at St Paul’s Cathedral on 28 January.
The service, which made her legally Archbishop of Canterbury, included the taking up of the Primatial Cross, symbolising both Christ and the Primate’s authority.
The Archbishop has described her appointment as “an extraordinary and humbling privilege” and pledged to guide the Church with “calmness, consistency and compassion.” She has also spoken of her commitment to safeguarding and justice.
Her appointment follows a prolonged vacancy in the See of Canterbury after her predecessor, Justin Welby, stepped down in the wake of the John Smyth scandal.
She takes up the role amid ongoing debate within the Anglican Communion over theology and safeguarding, and has already drawn examination scrutiny over her handling of previous safeguarding matters from her tenure as Bishop of London, although ultimately it was decided that no further action needed to be taken.
Speaking to the BBC alongside her confirmation, she acknowledged that it was proper for her record to be reviewed and reiterated her commitment to independent safeguarding processes.
The next milestone will be her installation at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25 – the Feast of the Annunciation – which marks the official beginning of her public ministry both nationally in the Church England and internationally within the wider Anglican Communion.
During the ceremony, she will be seated on the Cathedral Chair, also known as Cathedra, as Bishop of the See of Canterbury – the most ancient diocese in the Church of England – and on the Chair of St Augustine as Primate of All England.
