10 things we've learnt from Bake Off 2013 winner Frances

Congratulations to Frances who was officially crowned The Great British Bake Off queen for 2013. It's been a tough competition this year but we just knew that Frances had it in her!

We've loved every minute of this series and have learnt a lot from our fellow constestants especially from this year's winner. Here are 10 things we've learnt from 2013 Bake Off winner Frances.

Never give up

Time and time again Frances was told that her flavours were just not meeting the judges expectations. Her bakes looked good, but they didn't taste quite right. This didn't put Frances off, she never gave up and always tried to improve her bakes every round. Even when she was faced with the daunting truth that her biscuit tower was not going to stay upright, she put on a brave face and did all she could.

Nothing beats a tear and share

We were wowed by Frances' 'Chelsea Flour Show' bun bouquet during the unconventional flours episode. She proved (see what we did there?) that a tear and share is the way to go. Not only does it look good, but it's the perfect excuse to get the friends over to have a feast!

Don't make it too complicated

With Frances focusing mostly on making her bake really creative, flavour sometimes took a back seat. We were sad to see her hidden carrot cake fail to impress Paul and Mary. It looked the part but the carrot cake just got lost under all the display - the moral of the story, don't overcomplicate things.

Think outside of the box

Planning on making a Victoria sponge? Well don't just make any old Victoria sponge, put it in a fondant bag and get your friends and family to rip it open to reveal the inside. Frances always thought outside of the box and was full of creative ideas and this obviously paid off for her in the long run.

Theme it

We think 'theme' might be Frances' middle name! From breadstick matchsticks to garden pots, Frances always impressed judges with a different theme running throughout her bakes each week and it worked.

Keep your fingers crossed

When it comes to the judging, Frances always kept her fingers crossed! Her extra wishing for luck certainly paid off in the end.

Get on Paul's good side

When it comes to baking bread - just do what Paul Hollywood says. If you want to get on his good side, that's the only advice Frances would give. Listen to the bread master and you'll get good results over time - we know we wouldn't mess with Paul!

Don't think about what could go wrong

If you think about what could go wrong, you're doomed from the start. Frances made sure she always focused on the positive aspects of her baking and didn't think about what could actually go wrong - no soggy bottom or sinking middle was going to put Frances off!

Make it look good

Presentation was one of Frances' high points for some of her bakes. Making sure her bakes looked delicious and were cleanly presented on a nice wooden board or plate - if it looks good and you've got the taste perfected too, you can't go wrong!

Originality beats all

Mary Berry loves originality and that's exactly what Frances had! From bake to bake, Frances was the queen of originality which was perfect as that was exactly what Mary was looking for!

Where to next?

Missing the Bake Off already? It's time to bring the Bake Off to your own kitchen with these recipes...

The Great British Bake Off recipes

Mary Berry recipes

Paul Hollywood recipes

Jo Wheatley recipes