BAKERS are being urged to don their aprons to support Dorset disability charity Diverse Abilities Plus.

The charity is holding its third annual Great Dorset Bake Sale from Monday, May 5 to Sunday, May 11.

The initiative is being sponsored by social enterprise Supply Shack and encourages local people to support adults and children with physical and learning disabilities in the county by cooking up a storm.

Diverse Abilities wants individuals, companies, clubs and schools to take part and help raise as much money as possible to ensure it continues to provide its vital services.

Corporate and community fundraiser for the charity Beccy Payne said: “Over the past two years the Great Dorset Bake Sale initiative has raised over £8,000 and we are hoping that the 2014 event with beat this.

“We are aiming to get over one hundred bake sales taking place in Dorset and hope the local community get on board for a very worthy cause.”

Everyone that signs up will receive a fundraising pack with bake sale tips, cake recipes and all the information you need to make the event a success.

Anyone who takes part will also be in with a chance to win two tickets to the Great British Bake Off’s star Paul Hollywood’s Get Your Bake on Tour when it visits Bournemouth, thanks to Supply Shack.

The event will see Paul take the audience on a journey through his life in baking.

Caroline Pope, from Supply Shack, said: “Supply Shack is a social enterprise offering business supplies with the aim of feeding profits back into the community.

“As part of this we’ve been working with Diverse Abilities Plus and are now more than happy to support the Great Dorset Bake Sale in May.

“Having visited some of the services run by the charity it’s clear that they offer a vital resource for families but desperately need continued input and this event seems a great way of cooking up some help.”

To sign up for the bake sale call Beccy on 01202 718266 or email beccy.payne@divers eabilitiesplus.org.uk More details on the charity’s Facebook page at facebook.co m/diverseabilitiesplus or at diverseabilitiesplus.org.uk

Ingredients for the cake:
2 large eggs
110g margarine
175g self raising flour
175g caster sugar
4 tablespoons milk
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Topping:
3 tablespoons of icing sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Pre heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/gas 4. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Place all cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat well until smooth.
Pour into the prepared tin.
Cook for 50 mins until the top is springy when pressed with fingertips.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins then place on a wire rack.
Gently heat the icing sugar and lemon juice until completely dissolved and becomes like syrup.
Prick the top of the cake with a fork.
Drizzle lemon syrup over the cake and leave to cool. Once cool dust with icing sugar.