ONE of Victoria's most decorated scone bakers was shocked and embarrassed by the MasterChef Australia contestants' lack of basic baking skills.

Janet Macdonald, who has won countless awards for her scones, jams and cakes at the Royal Melbourne Show, is a huge fan of the reality cooking show and has regularly used its recipes, the Herald Sun reports.

But the self-taught cook says she will not be taking any tips from Wednesday night's debacle of a bake-off in which the nation's top 10 amateur chefs produced flat scones, runny jam, raw fruit cakes and misshapen lamingtons from simple Country Women's Association recipes.

Ms Macdonald takes great pride in her baking -never buying pre-made cakes, biscuits, jams or mustards, preferring to make her own -and has even considered entering MasterChef to showcase her skills.

Though it is an often under-appreciated skill, Ms Macdonald says basic baking can be the foundation for making many restaurant-quality desserts.