[announcer] First an important message.
You know, I’ve talked about this...
You know, I don’t know... The printer is upside down again and I...
Oh, no! Well, how... Maybe I... Ah, yes, well, that works.
Actually I can... I can read that... Read that fine.
Erm, right. Let’s, er... Yeah.
Good evening. Erm, let’s get straight to it.
We are now approaching phase 46.
Erm, which means that, er, from Tuesday morning
or... Or... Or Wednesday evening, depending on your height,
erm, we are... We are... We are saying with regards to baking,
erm, if... If you must bake in a tent, bake in a tent.
But please don’t bake in a tent.
And... And... And we are asking people to use common sense
with regards to the distribution of hundreds and thousands.
Erm, now I believe... I believe we have a...
A question from the lady in the funky dress. Er, Noelle, yes.
-Hello, Prime Minister. -Yes.
Er, just one quick question. Is it scone or scone?
Right, well, I'm... I'm gonna hand over to the experts on this.
-Erm, er, er, Prue Witty? -Scone.
Right, erm, Professor Paul Hollywood.
Scone.
Right, well, I hope that clears things up for you.
Erm, all that remains is for me to say...
Welcome to The Great British Baking Show.
[Sura] My husband said to me, "Why don't you apply?"
I was like, "I'm not gonna get in. I'm not gonna get in".
I didn't give it a lot of thought, I'll be honest with you. [chuckles]
I thought, "Oh, I'd love to go on there."
[Noel] This year's bakers will be part of something very special.
[Rowan] Something about the year 2020 felt as if it was kind of momentous,
possibly not in the way it's turned out to be,
so, erm, I gave it a go.
[Noel] Like everyone up and down the country,
the Bake Off has had to make some changes.
It's unbelievable that I'm living in a wee Bake Off village,
a wee Bake Off town.
[Matt] To save this year's competition,
the bakers have volunteered to leave their loved ones
and live in our very own Bake Off bubble.
[Laura] Harder than I thought leaving home,
so, the night before, my husband cooked us fajitas,
or "fajeetas" as he calls them, it just hit me,
"I could not see you for seven weeks", and then I was crying into my dinner.
I come from a very loving family. I miss them, but it has spurred me on.
[Matt] And despite everything that this year has thrown at all of us...
Once we all walk into the tent, I think it'll get back
to something very familiar.
[Matt] ...we've made it.
It really is exciting and familiar, comforting, lovely.
Would you like to dance with me?
[Noel] Twelve new bakers...
[exclaims and laughs]
[Noel] ...thirty brand-new spectacular challenges...
Oh, go on, say you like it.
-Actually, I love it, yeah. -Yes!
[Noel] ...and in this unique year...
-Have you done this before, Rowan? -Yes.
-And did it work? -Yes.
[Noel laughs]
[Noel] ...we begin the competition with a Cake Week...
It's given me quite a few sleepless nights, this one.
[Noel] ...unlike anything the Baking Show has ever seen.
I don't know if I've ever fancied a cake before, but I slightly do now.
[Laura] Come on, Freddie, please stay together.
Some of Freddie Mercury's head is not there.
-[gasps] -It's all gone wrong.
[whispers] Oh, don't cry. It's all right.
It's so stressful, Paul. Why on earth did I get into this competition?
-You chose to come. -[Marc] I know I did.
[Sura] Ugh! [gasps]
Solid start.
[opening theme music playing]
[Matt] We've taken a little detour and pitched our tent
in the beautiful grounds of Down Hall.
And our fresh batch of bakers
are about to tackle three cake-based challenges.
After which, we'll crown one of them the first Star Baker of 2020
and ask another to leave the tent.
Hello, bakers, welcome to the tent.
And it's time for your first ever signature challenge.
The judges would like you to make that fan favourite, the Battenberg,
rectangular in shape and wrapped in marzipan.
It can be any sponge you want, any flavour, but when you cut inside it,
it needs to reveal a pattern or a design.
You have just two hours.
-You ready for those magic words? -Yes. Yes, I am.
-[Noel] Okay, I'll set you up. -Okay.
-[Noel] You say it. -All right. Okay.
-On your mark-- -Bake!
[all laugh]
-A little early. Maybe leave a bigger... -Bit early.
-[Noel] Little bit of a gap. -Bigger gap, okay.
All right, yeah. Okay.
On your marks, get set...
-Bake! -[chuckling]
-[Noel] Maybe split the difference. -Split the difference.
I've been so excited. I couldn't wait for it to begin.
Just raring to go.
♪ This is it ♪
[chuckling]
Very nice to get started. I'm just, erm... Hopefully, I'm organised.
My stomach's going like a washing machine.
It's felt like I've sat around waiting to get going all morning, erm, and...
Do not know what happened to that. I broke something already. [chuckles]
Battenberg is a lovely signature to kick off with.
Every marzipan lover's favourite cake. Mine, too.
What I'm looking for is a beautiful, smooth marzipan.
Inside, stark differences in colour of sponge.
I would keep it basic if I was them, but make sure I'm punching with flavours
and punching with colours.
It's a real treat. It's very rich 'cause of the marzipan.
And it should be wonderful. I'm looking forward to it.
[Paul] Good morning.
-Good morning. -Hello, Loriea.
So, tell us about your Battenberg.
I'm making bubble gum and cream soda flavoured-Battenberg.
-Bubble gum? -Yeah.
How are you gonna flavour it bubble gum?
Erm, from a bottle. [laughs]
[Prue] What's the other flavour?
-It's a combination of cream soda syrup... -Oh, my God!
[Loriea] ...and cream soda flavouring.
[Matt] Loriea works as a radiographer for the NHS
and gets all her new recipes tested by her neighbours in Durham.
-Should've asked if you wanted more... -Thank you very much.
[Matt] Her bubble gum and cream soda sponges
will be wrapped in a bright blue marzipan.
What I love about this is you've gone for everything that is artificial.
Yes!
What I love about this is absolutely everything.
[all laughing]
[Noel] Loriea's not the only baker rediscovering her childhood.
-[Matt] Hello, Laura. -Hello. How are you?
-I'm all right, thanks. How are you doing? -I'm good.
-[Matt] What is it? -A raspberry ripple Battenberg.
The flavours are raspberry ripple and coconut.
Oh, lovely! And are you a big Battenberg fan?
-Not really, mate. -No.
No. I'm not a massive fan of the marzipan. [chuckles]
Yeah. I don't think this will go in the show.
-It's good to tell people who you are. -It's good to laugh, right?
[Noel] Laura is a Samaritans volunteer from Halling, Kent...
[Laura] Come on, Boris.
[Noel] ...and takes huge pride in the garden she's created
with her husband, Matt.
She plans to pipe buttercream roses
on her coconut and raspberry ripple Battenberg.
-[Laura] You gonna try some? -[Matt] I will, but I won't judge it.
I have the eating age of a nine-year-old.
-What do you mean? -I'll just eat anything.
I'll eat Super Noodles and things like that.
Nothing wrong with good Super Noodles.
-They're good, aren't they? -Yeah.
You know they're called Batchelors Super Noodles?
-Yeah. -'Cause I'm homosexual,
I call them Confirmed Batchelor Super Noodles.
-You're homosexual? I never knew that. -Well, I help them out at weekends.
[Noel] And there's one more baker who's rolling back the years...
I'm doing rhubarb and custard Battenberg.
So, there's a custard sponge and then the rhubarb jam will go between,
which I'm hoping will be quite tart.
Are you doing a classic four square design?
I don't want to show you, because I haven't got it right yet.
I'm trying to get a bit of a funky star-shaped pattern.
[Matt] Lottie lives in Littlehampton
and unwinds from her job as a pantomime producer
by listening to Viking metal whilst baking and doing yoga with her friend, Naomi.
-Do you want to lift your arms up? -No.
[Matt] For her take on the old-fashioned sweet,
she'll attempt a striped marzipan to surround her star-shaped sponge,
which there could already be an issue with.
Why is it curdling?
The sponge has got lumps of butter in. I prefer it like that, to be honest.
It's because the butter is too cold.
-You think I should redo my batter? -Why?
-It's got lumps of butter in it. See? -Show me.
-Yeah, redo it. Yeah. -Redo it?
-Oh, mate. -Solid start.
Just got to weigh out half of this.
[Matt] The judges have demanded Battenbergs
featuring at least two complementary flavours.
Just adding cream soda into half of the mixture.
I'm now running about 20 minutes behind.
[Matt] Whilst Lottie has had to start her trip to the sweet shop all over again...
Nothing gradual about that.
[Matt] ...Dave's headed straight for the off-licence.
The flavours today, I'm choosing to do espresso martini.
[Matt] Dave is an armoured security guard from Hampshire
and he and his partner, Stacey,
are getting ready for the arrival of their first baby.
One of his sponges will feature chocolate and coffee liqueur
and the other will be flavoured with vodka.
-Do you go off-piste a lot? -Yes.
You read a recipe and go, "Not doing that"?
[Dave] Gonna have to wing it.
Just see a recipe as a sort of loose satchel of ideas.
Yeah, it's a guide.
-Rules are meant to be broken. -Exactly.
They can't contain you. You're a maverick.
[chuckles]
[Matt] But bold flavour combinations aren't quite enough.
Need to get a good, deep red.
[Matt] Key to Battenberg success are contrasting colours.
Some blue food colouring, it just works.
-[Noel] But unlike Loriea... -I'm just making raspberry jam.
[Noel] ...some bakers are colouring their cakes
with something a little less artificial.
I'm doing a sour cherry and chocolate and walnut Battenberg.
These are sour cherries. It helps colour it and give it flavour.
[Noel] Marc lives in Cornwall and is a part-time carer
and full-time single dad to his daughters, Jasmine and Rosie.
-[Marc] Hey! -[Jasmine] Rose!
[Noel] His sour cherry and chocolate and walnut sponges will be wrapped
in a highly-decorated rose water marzipan.
[Matt] Hello, Marc. I've got a question for you.
We have two Marks on the show. There's you and Mark.
Are you willing to surrender your name?
I'll call myself after my dog, Hamish.
-Hamish? -Yeah.
[Matt] What would you normally be doing?
-I work with a young lad. -Will he be watching this?
-He will be, yeah. -What's his name?
-His name is Josh. -Josh.
Hello, Josh. How are you doing? All right? You should be very proud of Hamish.
[laughs]
[Loriea] Going into the oven.
[Noel] The sooner the sponges begin baking...
One on each shelf.
[Noel] ...the sooner they can be cooled.
Stressful.
[Noel] A Battenberg requires precise cutting and shaping.
Well, it's with the oven gods now.
[Noel] Any attempt to trim a warm sponge could see it fall apart.
Aah, scary.
If I could stop shaking, it would help.
[Noel] Now, Matt, this is your first ever time call.
I know. Can you do it?
-[chuckles] I can't. You do it. -All right, I'll do it.
I'll do it. No, you do it.
You do it.
Bakers! [laughing]
You have one hour left.
And then Paul Hollywood's coming.
Get it in the oven. Please be good to me.
[Matt] Deciding when to stop baking is a crucial decision.
[Laura] We're good to go.
[Matt] The judges are expecting a sharp geometric design...
Sponges done.
[Matt] ...which demands sponges baked just enough
to hold their form when cut.
I'll give that another five minutes.
[Matt] But baked a fraction too long, a Battenberg's soft texture will be lost.
Another two minutes.
[Matt] And Peter is timing sponges unlike anyone else's.
[Peter] It's a gluten-free sponge.
I'm actually more used to making gluten-free than I am regular.
[Noel] Twenty-year-old Peter
is a badminton-mad accountancy student from Edinburgh.
He began wheat-free baking for his older brother, Andrew,
who's gluten intolerant.
High-quality back garden badminton.
[Noel] His gluten-free dark chocolate and orange sponges
will be wrapped in a polka dot marzipan,
and he'll check them with a trick he learnt when he was just ten years old.
John Whaite on series three of Bake Off said his mum taught him to listen to it.
If it's still wet, it'll sound like it's boiling away,
but if it's just a nice, moist cake,
it's got a gentle, gentle sound to it, so...
That was a good tip from Bake Off. [chuckles]
[Matt] Sura probably won't need to bake with her ears.
[Sura] The cake is overflowing.
I didn't use this tin in practise 'cause it took three weeks to arrive.
[Matt] Sura is a hospital pharmacist
and lives in West London with her husband, Chad, and their cat, Ghost.
[Sura] What's that?
[Matt] She'll have to transform her overflowing sponges
into a lemon and orange Battenberg complete with mini marzipan fruits.
[Sura] I feel sorry for whoever's gonna clean up after me.
[Matt] Hello, Sura.
You were a bit nervous earlier, weren't you?
-Yeah. -You wanted to start again.
-[Sura] I wouldn't have had time. -You wouldn't. Are you a Battenberg fan?
Will you be trying your own cake or are you just like,
-"I'm not doing it"? -I'm over cake.
I've been tasting it and trying it out.
-Really? [chuckles] -Yeah.
I don't want to eat any more cake ever again.
You might be on the wrong show, Sura.
Yeah, I know. [blows]
-[Laura] How long have we got left? -About 40 minutes?
[Noel] Now, the battle for Battenberg gets even harder.
[Loriea] Very blue.
What's life without taking a little bit of risk, so...
[Lottie] They look overcooked, but feel relatively soft,
so I can work with that.
[Noel] This afternoon tea classic is famous
for its flawless marzipan wrapping.
[Sura] I've never eaten marzipan.
They were like, "You've got to try it". I was like, "Mmm-hmm".
[Noel] Paul and Prue have insisted that the bakers make their own.
[Mark] So I'm going for a dark green marzipan.
I'm doing a Turkish bazaar-inspired Battenberg.
Me and my wife both love Istanbul.
It's actually my wedding anniversary today, so I thought it was a good...
It's actually a good time to do the Battenberg, yeah.
[Matt] Mark is a project manager
and lives in Liverpool with his wife, Laura.
-[dog barks] -[Mark laughing]
[Matt] Beneath his green marzipan will be Turkish flavours
of orange, pistachio, cardamom and pomegranate.
You spoke to your wife yet? Anniversary?
[Mark] I sent her a message earlier but not since.
-No. Really? Playing it cool? -Yeah...
-Yeah... [laughs] -[Noel chuckles]
-Not text her till... -Can't play it cool once you're married.
-It's a done deal. -You can't... No, no...
[Noel] At least you didn't forget. It's quite a busy day for you, to be fair.
-First day, and your anniversary. -Exactly.
-It's all stacked up against you. [laughs] -It is.
-You did really well. -It is.
[both laugh]
[Matt] And Mark isn't alone in using colour
to elevate the humble marzipan.
Well, I'm making my night-sky marzipan.
My great hero in music is Mozart.
His opera The Magic Flute
is all about the forces of darkness and the forces of enlightenment.
So, the outside of the cake is the night sky...
[Noel chuckles]
...which represents the forces of darkness,
and then inside is the temple of enlightenment.
-This sounds genius. -[Prue] So... No...
How are you going to represent a temple inside a Battenberg?
With a very complicated lot of cutting.
[Matt] Rowan is a music teacher
and lives in Pershore, Worcestershire with his partner, Paul.
Beneath his marzipan night sky,
his temple will be built from 13 separate sections of sponge.
And have you done this before, Rowan?
-Yes. -And did it work?
-Yes. -[Noel laughs]
[Matt] And if you thought a marzipan night sky
and Battenberg temple were unusual...
My Battenberg is gonna be shaped as an ambulance.
[chuckling]
[Noel] Linda works in supported housing
and lives in Bexhill-on-Sea with her partner, Richard.
[Linda] Aww, it's lovely.
[Noel] Her Battenberg ambulance will be dedicated
to a very special family member.
[Linda] It's going to be a tribute to my cousin.
He was a paramedic.
He sadly passed away. He was a fantastic guy.
So, this is a really special one. Gonna make me cry, this one.
[chuckling]
[Matt] A classic marzipan is a carefully kneaded mix
of eggs, sugar and ground almonds.
A traditional recipe that Mak has decided to ignore.
I think I'm the only baker doing pistachio.
I've always felt... blergh,
a yuckiness about almond marzipan.
[Noel] Mak is a management accountant for a housing association
and keeps bees with his eldest son, Zafar, on their allotment in Bolton.
[Mak] Ooh! This looks a bit full.
[Noel] His pistachio marzipan will wrap orange and spiced stem ginger sponges.
[Mak] My kids, they're the same as me. They don't really like almond marzipan.
So, I thought, "Hey, let's do pistachios".
I'm measuring some orange liqueur to add to my marzipan.
Good boy. Well done!
[Matt] Hermine is a trainee accountant
and lives in West London with her son, Stephen.
What are you doing?
[Matt] In the marzipan for her chocolate-orange Battenberg,
orange liqueur won't be the only surprising ingredient.
I'm making it with some marmalade.
-Marmalade in the marzipan? -Yes, instead of, er, eggs.
Interesting.
-I've never made a Battenberg before. -That's handy.
-You've practised it, though? -[Hermine] I did.
It's not my area of, er...
-Expertise. -Expertise.
What is your area of expertise?
My French patisserie.
We look forward to great decoration on this, then.
-Hopefully. [laughs nervously] -[judges laugh]
[Noel] Bakers, you've only got half an hour left.
We don't mean half an hour to live,
we just mean half an hour till the end of the challenge, so don't panic too much.
One of you's got half an hour to live.
[chuckles]
[Noel] A Battenberg must have a sharp symmetrical design...
Voilà!
[Noel] ...which can only be achieved with patient and precise cutting.
Lovely. A crispy cake.
We'll cut it off, we'll cut it off. No one saw apart from the cameras.
Just measuring it with a ruler and going with the flow.
[Mark] It's all about precision, this one.
[Mak] If you get the measurements wrong, when you put them together,
they might be oddly out of shape and the Battenberg wouldn't sit right.
Okay.
[Noel] But to erect his temple...
[Rowan] Three point three.
[Noel] ...Rowan has more cutting to do than anyone else.
[exhales] Here we go.
I've made this box out of a CD storage thing with various cuts
that slots in at different levels to give me the right size bits of cake.
There are 13 different pieces so hopefully it'll work.
So warm.
[Matt] But Lottie isn't ready to begin cutting.
[Lottie] I'm making the marzipan.
It's not a skill I need, I don't think, moving forward.
[Matt] And now, she's not the only baker...
[Sura] I'm praying that it cools down.
[Matt] ...fretting about time.
[Laura] Oh, I'm really worried that that's not cooked enough.
-How long have we got left? -Twenty-four minutes.
[Rowan] Oh, for goodness sake.
[Noel] The larger sponges for Rowan's temple are raw in the middle.
I think I'm going to put a cake in the microwave
'cause they cook from the middle.
Try and cook the centre that way. Is this just gonna be a disaster?
You've got to roll out the meringue, er, the marzipan.
That goes to show how much I like that.
[Noel] Roll too thick and the marzipan
will overwhelm the flavours of the cakes and fillings...
[Laura] Oh, please taste nice.
[Noel] ...but too thin and it will crack as they wrap it around their Battenberg.
[Marc] I've added a bit of rosewater in there.
[Peter] Rolling out balls of chocolate marzipan
and that's gonna make a polka dot effect on the outside of the cake.
[Matt] Bakers, you have 15 minutes.
Moment of truth.
Just spreading on some buttercream.
[Matt] Whilst the delicate process of construction can begin for some...
[Peter] The aim is to get the edges sharp.
They're gonna be looking for a clean cross-section.
[Laura] No pressure.
[Rowan] I don't think it's great. I might have to simplify my design.
The temple might have to go. [laughs]
[Matt] As Rowan's plans get less ambitious...
[Lottie] Okay, what am I doing?
[Matt] ...despite being behind, Lottie's rhubarb and custard Battenberg
seems to be getting more and more complicated.
[Lottie] Everything that is so easy at home
suddenly becomes an absolute nightmare when you're in the tent.
[Rowan] How many minutes? Seven. Seven.
Gosh.
Right, here goes nothing.
[Noel] Paul and Prue are expecting a flawless wrapping of marzipan.
[Peter] The marzipan is gonna join at the bottom
so the seam of the marzipan shouldn't be visible.
Maybe just a... A more blocky shape.
[inhales sharply] Ooh. I'm really sticky.
[Loriea] It's cracking in some areas.
[Sura] How long?
[Rowan] What are we, three minutes now? Come on, come on.
Can't complain.
Hey, Lottie, is this a critical moment?
-Yeah, it is. Thanks for coming round. -[chuckling]
[Lottie] Why did I put an intricate design
-with minutes to spare? -[Noel] Yeah.
-"Yeah"? -Looks good, though.
You're gonna wrap this around that when that's done?
You're nailing this.
One minute remaining.
Maybe take the cling film off.
Bit of stardust on there.
Bakers, your time is up!
[Rowan] I'm not displeased with that, actually.
[Lottie] We don't have to wash up.
-Oh, yes! -Yes!
[Noel] The bakers will now face Prue and Paul for the very first time.
[Paul] I like the overall look of it, it's neat.
[Prue] I love the polka dots.
Love the texture of the chocolate one.
It's both crumbly and moist which is quite difficult to get.
Nice thin marzipan.
The chocolate's got a lovely flavour to it. Decadent.
It's the same with the orange.
Gluten-free flour for sponges really does work.
-It's great. -[Prue] Delicious.
-Well done. -Thank you.
Well done.
[all laughing]
[Prue] It's very neat, isn't it?
Good orange flavour.
I just question the ginger with the orange and then on the outside, the pistachio.
It's too complicated.
The almond marzipan would have been better than the pistachio.
-[Prue] That looks striking. -[Paul] The decoration's neat.
The marmalade brings bitterness to the marzipan.
It blends the orange and the chocolate together,
-so it's never gonna be too sweet. -It really is a pleasure to eat it.
-Aw, that means a lot. Thank you. -[Paul] Good job.
The one thing you expect from a Battenberg is incredible neatness.
You've got no distinction in the colours of the sponge.
But your flowers look sweet.
I'm getting a plain sponge and the raspberry.
-Okay. -And that's pretty much it.
[Prue] Really nice square edges.
The coffee overpowers the chocolate.
-It's delicious. -[Paul] You can't really get the booze.
It's a beautiful coffee and vanilla Battenberg.
I think you explained it wrong.
It's lacking identity.
-[chuckles] Yeah. -[Paul] He's just unfinished.
-[Linda] Yes. -[Paul] Oh, we have the St George flag.
-It's over-baked. It's bone dry. -Yeah.
[Prue] I wish we could give you marks
-for your handsome cousin. -[Linda] He's lovely.
-[Prue] Very striking. -[Paul] I can smell the bubble gum.
-[Matt] About to say... -So can I. [chuckles]
That's a good thing.
I'm rolling it round to try and blow a bubble.
I reckon if I did it long enough, I probably could. That's bone dry.
The flavours are intense. I love bubble gum, I like cream soda,
it just needed to be a little bit less heavy.
And it's really thick, the marzipan.
I do rather like it, I have to say.
When I have my ninth birthday party, can you cook for me?
I will try not to over bake the sponges. So, we've got a deal. [laughs]
[Prue] It's a nice light sponge.
It's a little thick, but I like the marzipan.
Pomegranates don't do anything flavour-wise.
There's pistachio in the green sponge,
-that brings a lovely texture to it. -Thank you.
[Paul] If Fanny Cradock was gonna do a Battenberg...
-[both] That would be it. -Is that a compliment?
-[Marc] I know... -[Prue] I think it's a bit too busy.
-Good strong sour cherry. Lovely. -[Paul] Fantastic.
-There's too much rose water. -Okay.
-Shall I open it for you? -[Paul] Please.
[Prue] I like it wrapped up. Oh, I love your stripes.
-[Paul] The starburst. -Yeah.
It's a little bit messy. Was it warm when you were doing it?
Yeah.
The colours are really wonderful.
I like the cake.
They both taste the same, is that meant to...
-Er, yes? -[Prue and Lottie laughing]
The yellow is supposed be a custard.
[Prue] They both taste delicious, and the same.
The rhubarb jam that you've made is nice and strong.
And there's enough acidity in it to cut the sweetness.
It's a good effort.
-I'm struggling not to eat more. -[Matt] Mmm.
-Do you want to finish? -I'll stay here
-and eat. -Please do.
They'll judge everyone else.
I had to change the design at the very last minute.
-So no temple, then? -It's a deconstructed temple.
[Paul] I think the night sky looks quite effective.
[Prue] Yes. And actually, it's quite neat.
I can tell by the way the knife goes through
that that's quite a heavy sponge.
-It's a bit hard work for cake. -[Rowan] Okay.
[chuckles]
There's moisture in there that still needs to get out.
Okay.
-That looks really pretty. -Thank you.
[Paul] I like the decoration. I like that you've glazed it, too,
'cause that, again, sets it off.
[Prue] The flavours are there.
The texture is very good. It's very neat.
I like the marzipan. Individual elements are good,
-including the buttercream. -It's a lovely piece of cake.
Thank you so much.
What's the stalk made from?
-[Sura] You're not meant to eat it. -I know that now.
[all laughing]
It's a clove. So your mouth's gonna be numb now.
It tastes of Christmas.
-Yeah, yeah. -Sorry.
It's fine 'cause the cake was delicious.
-I don't mind. -Thank you so much.
-Thank you. -[Paul] Thank you.
Half of the Battenberg is on the... the bottom of the oven.
Not great. Erm, it's like toast. It's horrible.
But it turned out okay.
Yay!
That couldn't have gone much better. I'm really pretty amped about that, yeah.
[exhales]
Breathe.
I was aiming for the middle of the road and got it.
Don't want to make a name for myself first... first bake.
It wasn't a resounding success. But I thought it was useful.
[Noel] Each week, the bakers' second challenge
will be a gingham-covered mystery.
It's time for your first technical challenge,
which comes courtesy of Paul Hollywood.
Paul, any words of wisdom?
This is a classic.
We're testing you on your timings and your consistency.
So read your recipes carefully.
[Noel] Very helpful.
Basically, read your recipes.
This challenge will be judged blind
so we're gonna have to ask these two lovelies to beat it.
Off you pop.
Paul Hollywood would like you to make six miniature pineapple upside-down cakes.
Each should be topped with a fresh pineapple ring
and soaked in caramel syrup.
[Noel] You have 90 minutes.
-On your marks... -Get set...
Bake!
[Laura] I love pineapple upside-down cake.
My dad and my husband love it. So, I've made it a few times.
[Peter] I've made pineapple upside-down cake in school.
[Matt] In each technical challenge, the bakers are given identical ingredients
and the same pared-down recipe.
I've actually never made this before. Funny enough.
Never even tried one.
I've heard of it. I've not eaten one, I don't think.
This is a classic bake. Pineapple upside-down cake is something
I used to have at school dinners.
[Prue] It does look lovely. Shall we taste it?
It's light, buttery, but also, you have the perfect caramel.
If it goes too dark, it's too bitter. But if you can't see the caramel,
you're not gonna be able to get that caramel flavour.
The worst thing is ripping the sponge when they're trying to get it out.
Getting it out of the tin is where most people come unstuck
because the caramel sticks to the edge and it's difficult.
[Paul] Gonna be interesting.
I don't want to eat this 'cause I've got 12 to come.
-I can't resist it. -Ah, ditto.
[Sura] The first step is for the syrup.
"Tip 30g of caster sugar into a pan."
[Peter] "Two tablespoons water."
"Place over low heat, stir until sugar dissolves."
"Increase the heat and cook to a golden caramel."
The caramel can crystallise very quickly.
I'm trying not to stir it, but I need it to hurry up
because I don't have all day.
I've not made many caramels, so...
Slightly nervous.
So, how's it going?
[Loriea] It's a case of multi-tasking and keeping my eyes on the syrup.
-[Noel] You pull this off, maybe... -I might just make it to next week.
...the dry blue cake might become a distant memory.
No, I think that'll be haunting me for a while.
[Linda] "Remove from heat and pour in boiling water,
stand back as the caramel will spit a bit."
And then, I'll reduce it and simmer until it is in syrup consistency.
You need to hurry up.
[Loriea] I'm fairly happy.
It's looking a bit blond so I need to take the syrup
that little bit further.
That's getting close. I'll turn it down a bit.
Looks like it could burn on me.
Might be a bit too dark, not sure.
It did smell like it was about to burn. But, erm...
Happy with it.
Now I'm on to the very instructional stage of making the sponge.
So that's butter and sugar. You beat it until it's light.
Next...
Add a little bit of flour as you go,
because it can just curdle a little bit.
I'm gonna try and not have a dry sponge.
Prepare the moulds. Prepare the moulds.
I've lined them with butter to make sure they'll get out.
"Divide the syrup and place a pineapple ring
and a maraschino cherry into each mould."
So syrup in first.
And then the pineapple.
I'm not quite sure what quantity I'm supposed to put in, though.
[Noel] The level of syrup has to be precise.
[Dave] I don't know if that can go on there.
That can't go on there.
[Noel] Too little, and the cake won't have a decadent caramel flavour
that Paul has demanded.
[Rowan] Try and get more even.
[Noel] But too much, and the liquid will prevent the sponge from rising.
[Linda] Oh! Possibly too much caramel.
Haven't read things very well, have I?
[Marc] Gone over a little bit.
Yikes. [chuckles]
[Rowan] I'll need to weigh to make sure I've got equal amounts of batter.
[Lottie] Can't be doing with the fiddly.
-You'd rather make one big massive one? -Like a traybake
-to feed-- -A huge one we could all sit around?
-Yeah, like a table. -And just tear chunks off.
-Exactly. -Like wild...
-Animals. Yeah. -...animals.
[Peter] I'm using a piping bag 'cause it's just faster and cleaner.
-Get ready to go into the oven. -So, in it goes.
-[Noel] Forty-five minutes remaining. -How long do they go into the oven for?
You just watch it. This is what I'm guessing. I don't know.
No. Well, don't look at me. I ain't got a clue.
-Okay. -Okay.
I'm gonna start with ten, give 'em a wee check.
About 15 minutes.
I made the rookie error. Didn't butter the moulds.
More than likely gonna stick.
[Noel] Bakers, you've got 15 minutes left.
They smell cooked.
[Linda] I think they're cooked but they're not up where they should be.
Yep, as far as I can tell, that's good.
They sound about right.
[Noel] They look good. Look at those!
-You got skills. -I hope so.
I wasn't sure earlier.
-[Sura laughs] -I'm joking.
What should I do with that?
-I'm gonna take-- -Take it away?
-You can't, it's hot. -Maybe just throw it behind you.
Throw it, someone will deal with it.
-You don't have to deal with that. -No.
You're a baking superstar.
[Linda] Well, they've just sunk. So they've not worked.
Oh, gosh. They're like toffee. There's too much syrup. That's what it was.
[Lottie] Shall I do that thing that people do on Bake Off?
Just do this for a little while.
Does this work? You think this works?
Everybody wafts.
Bit of waftage.
[blowing] How long left?
Bakers.
-[Noel] You... Five... Left! -[Matt] Have... Minutes...
[Marc] Still quite warm.
Oh, dear.
I think I should turn them out.
[Laura] Moment of truth.
That's one that's good, but the pineapple didn't come out,
-so we're on a rescue mission. -Er, ooh, er. [laughs]
[Sura] Spot on.
[laughing] They're not gonna come out, I don't think.
[Rowan] Better than it might have been. Put it that way.
[Marc] It would've been nice to have nice, clean sides,
but I didn't grease my moulds.
They would've been even if I managed to carve it out nicer.
[Linda] I could just shape that like that. Oh, they are a disaster, aren't they?
Bakers, you do be have one minute now.
[Laura] Gonna pipe the rosettes on, and I'll be good.
Put some cream, a cherry on top.
I don't think they'll be cool enough.
-[Mark] It's too hot. -[Loriea] Ooh, that one was not ready.
The cream's starting to fall off.
Bakers, your time is up.
[Loriea] Oh, my cream fell off.
Please place your pineapple upside-down cakes
on the gingham cloth in front of your pictures.
-[laughs] -[Loriea] What a hideous cake.
[sighs] Oh, I think I deserve a cherry.
-Look at this. -[Mark] Oh, no.
[Sura] Oh! Go away. Ugh!
-Ooh. [gasps] -[Rowan] No!
I'm so sorry.
Oh, my God.
I'm so sorry. There was a fly. I went to shoo it away,
-and knocked... Look. -Don't worry about it. It's fine.
I'm... I'm sure they can go by
what they looked like before I brought them over.
-[Sura] Let's tidy it up. -[Matt] The good news
is the front two are absolutely fine. And we'll tell Paul what happened.
[whispers] Oh, don't cry. It's all right.
-It's okay. -[Sura] Such a horrible thing...
Yeah, I know. You know what? He's okay.
[Mark] Total accident.
It happens. Accidents happen.
-I blame Matt, really. -[Matt] It was actually my fault,
because I was looking at you at the time it happened.
And you were probably hypnotised by my beauty.
[laughing]
-[Matt] That's what happened. -Maybe.
[Noel] Paul and Prue are expecting six identical pineapple upside-down cakes
topped with caramel, cream and crowned with a cherry.
And they'll have no idea whose is whose.
[Sura sighs]
Shall we start over here?
-It's got a nice height to it. -[Prue] It's about the right colour.
The cream went on when they were still hot.
[Paul] Let's have a look.
-Nice and light, it's well-balanced. -Very light.
[Paul] Again, it's the heat.
You can see where the cream melted and it slid off the top.
Good flavour, that cake. It just doesn't look great.
[Paul] These do look neat. Colour looks good.
And it's pretty uniform as well, across all six.
The balance between the sponge, the cream...
-It's good. -...and syrup together,
-the balance is good. -[Prue] Lovely.
[Paul] Moving on to number four. Again, problems with the heat.
Coming out the tins, just needs to be higher,
-just a little bit more open. -[Prue] It's a bit doughy.
[Paul] These look quite neat. Cherry sits well on the top.
-[Prue] Nice colour. -[Paul] They're pretty uniform.
-[Prue] Lovely cake. -[Paul] It is a nice cake.
Moving on. Now, looks quite dark in places.
That caramel is a bit dominant because it's a little darker.
This, on the other hand, is a bit too pale.
[Paul] It's pale. They were rushing, brought it out early.
Put the cream when it was piping hot, and it just poured off side.
-Yeah. It does not look a pretty thing. -[chuckling] It doesn't.
[Prue] If you get it a little browner, it takes away from some of the sweetness
because the caramel has that just tiny little bit of bitterness.
-Anyway... -We're going from pale to very dark.
This one got stuck in the tin.
-But also, that's too dark. -[Prue] Yeah.
It's a bit too dark.
-It's quite bitter. -Mmm. And there's a lot of caramel.
[Paul] It's burnt.
We move on to one that's just in the middle.
[Prue] And looks really nice. I mean, the piping's good,
caramel colour is good. They're even, they're all risen.
[Paul] The caramel's just the right level, so it brings in the colour, the flavour.
-No problem with that at all. -Mmm.
Moving on to this one. Piping's good.
[Prue] Excellent.
[Paul] It's been put on when it's relatively cool.
It's well-balanced. You have caramel--
-It's lovely. -Almost toffee-like.
And it balances beautifully with the sponge.
Now, we move from the sublime to number 11.
Issues bringing it out, issues with the sponge.
[Prue] Didn't rise enough.
-[Paul] Getting it out. -Hot when the cream went on.
Too hot when the cream went on. What has happened to this?
[Prue] I don't think it's properly cooked, is it?
[Paul] Looks like it's been pushed together into the tin.
Moving on to the last one.
We heard there was an issue where it was dropped,
so this one being the neatest one, we'll take that as a template.
-[Noel] Yeah. -[Paul] They look dark
down the side there, almost burnt.
That's not because it was dropped.
-[Prue laughs] -[Paul] It's been over-caramelised.
But they've got a nice height to them.
Mmm. Delicious.
[Noel] Paul and Prue will now rank the cakes from worst to best.
In 12th place is this one.
Oh, Linda.
Well, you know what, there's only one way now.
It's up from here, isn't it?
Eleventh spot is this one.
Very bitter. That caramel had gone way over the top.
-You had a problem with it sticking. -Then, number ten is this one.
Loriea. This is the opposite of that one. It's just a little too pale.
[Matt] Dave is ninth, Mak eighth, Mark is seventh, Laura six,
Hermine is fifth and Lottie is fourth.
In third spot, we have this one.
Good consistency across the board and the sponge was very, very good.
And then, in second place...
we have this one. Who is that?
Peter. It is pretty well faultless.
But a smidgen below the winner.
Which leaves first place.
Well done, Sura. They're very, very good.
The pipe work was beautiful and smooth, the sponge, the caramel. Well done.
It was bittersweet because I feel so sad for Dave.
I know you hate that but you did really well.
I wish it... I wish it didn't happen, to be honest.
It is a bit of a crackerjack of a day. I'm, er... I'm pretty pleased.
Don't like making big mistakes. That was a big mistake.
They asked for a pineapple upside-down cake
and I gave them a pineapple fritter, didn't I, really?
[Matt] There's one cake challenge remaining
before we crown this year's first Star Baker,
and reveal who will be leaving the tent.
We're filming in a bubble.
I tell you what, I'm quite anxious about being locked up
-for weeks on end with you three guys. -[laughs]
There's not a grown-up among you.
I was looking forward to spending time with you, Prue.
-You really were? -Yeah.
I love how you two pretend we don't all live together in real life.
[laughing]
[Paul] We've got some real talent in the tent.
Sura was a deserving winner in the technical.
You got Pete, Hermine. I think she's in line for Star Baker as well.
So who do you think is in the bottom?
[Paul] I think Loriea. She had that bubble gum idea.
I think Marc E and certainly, Linda.
There's a lot in the middle that could go either way.
It's very tough, isn't it? Somebody's gone through lockdown,
and they've come here, and they've quarantined,
and they're just in the competition for two days.
I think that's always the worst, is to go home right at the beginning.
We'll have one big camera, they'll just walk off into the distance,
socially distancing, with that music from The Hulk at the end.
-[Paul] Yeah. -[both vocalising]
Bakers, welcome back.
And I hope you're ready for your very first showstopper challenge.
Paul and Prue would like you to make a cake bust
depicting your personal celebrity hero.
Your 3D cake bust must have a head.
And it must be made... [laughs]
[Matt laughing]
And it must be made mainly from cake.
Although you can use some other edible details.
Okay, you've got four hours. On your marks.
-Get set... -[in deep voice] Bake.
-Right, let's go. -[exhales] Okay.
Roll my sleeves up. I am petrified, but this showstopper,
it's just got so many things happening.
It's given me quite a few sleepless nights, this one.
To make a cake bust, head and shoulders of a person,
we're asking them to be engineers, decorators and bakers.
The big risk with a challenge like this
is ending up with too much icing, too much buttercream,
which will be too heavy, make it too sweet,
even if it makes it look fantastic.
For me, the secret with this challenge is
the structure they're gonna use to put the cake onto.
If there's no proper structure,
or if they don't bake the sponges correctly,
it will collapse.
-[Paul] Hello. -[Marc] Hi, Prue.
-Hello. -Hi, Matt.
Tell us about your bust. What are you gonna be doing?
I'm doing David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust.
Perfect.
Ziggy Stardust is going to be instantly recognisable
-just because of the colours. -Yeah.
[Matt] A fondant lightning strike will decorate Marc's chocolate sponge
and vanilla buttercream reimagining of the Thin White Duke.
[Prue] One of the wonderful things about David Bowie
-is the shape of his face. -Well, this is it.
-It's so beautiful and so slim. -His face is quite slender.
First time I made it, it looked more like Desperate Dan.
[Noel] And Bowie will be joined on stage by another musical legend.
My hero is Bob Marley.
I just love his ethos, not to worry about stuff.
Been singing it all morning.
[Matt] After a difficult first day,
Linda's hoping her lemon and orange sponge Bob
will be her "Redemption Song",
filled with lemon and orange curds and a coconut rum mascarpone cream.
Is the alcohol there for Prue?
Well, I thought it might cheer Paul up.
[laughing] Nothing cheers Paul up.
How much booze you got in there? A couple bottles?
-A bottle and a half. -Really? No.
And if that doesn't get the backstage party started...
♪ Hey, oh! ♪
♪ Hey-ey-ey, oh ♪
I love Freddie Mercury. You're a big Queen fan?
Yeah.
[Noel] Laura's lemon and elderflower Freddie Mercury
will take to the stage in a highly-detailed fondant icing replica
of his iconic yellow jacket.
[Matt] You've practised this?
Last time I did it, the head exploded and it went in the bin.
Right.
-Yeah. -Cut.
-[sneezes] -Bless you.
Too much chilli.
[Prue] Hello, Loriea.
Right, Loriea, who you gonna be doing for your bust?
I will be doing Miss Louise Bennett-Coverley.
She's a Jamaican poet.
And she's got a poem about identity, and I've got a mismatch of accents,
which I think works well for this.
[Matt] Loriea will celebrate her Durham and Jamaican roots
with a chocolate sponge,
with Scotch bonnet chilli and spiced ginger and mango jam.
I have practised this multiple times.
-[Prue chuckles] -And my first attempt,
it looked like I created Dobby.
-[laughs] -[Loriea] So you will get
hopefully a better version of something like that.
-Hi. -Hello. I hear you're doing David.
-Yeah. -'Cause you pushed his cakes over?
-[Sura] No! -[Noel] Sorry, I got mixed up.
-Who are you doing? -Sir David Attenborough.
-What a ledge. -He is a ledge.
-[Noel] Love him? -So much.
-[Noel] Ever met him? -No.
-Of course I've not-- -He's coming today.
-Of course he's not. -I texted him.
-Oh, sure. -Said, "Sura needs you".
I do need him. I need a life model.
[Matt] Sir David will be flavoured with coconut
and layered with raspberry Italian meringue buttercream.
People won't mind if you get it wrong, but the animal kingdom will be furious.
-Well, we can't have that. -There'll be voles, gerbils...
-[laughing] Coming for me? -...marmosets coming for you. [laughs]
-The odd pigeon. -[Sura laughing]
-Good luck. -[Sura] Stop it!
[Matt] But Sura's Sir David will have a rival.
Well, I'm doing a cake bust of Charles Darwin.
-Uh-huh. -[Mark] Studied zoology at university.
I thought the Bake Off tent is a bit like the survival of the fittest.
-So... -[all laughing]
[Noel] Mark will carve a spiced ginger sponge of coconut buttercream
into a simple stone-style bust of the pioneering naturalist.
[Mark] I'm not a really decorative baker.
I like the idea of doing someone who's not alive,
so I can't offend them. [laughing]
[Matt] Whilst Lottie's chosen hero is very much alive,
it doesn't look like it at the moment.
[Lottie] I have a skull mould which I'm just gonna build on top of.
Because that's what's underneath someone's head.
[Noel] Lottie's coconut and lime skull
will be transformed into a spectacle bust of Louis Theroux.
-[Paul] He was on last year. -Yeah.
So, with Louis having been on the show, you two will know how he tastes.
Yeah. He tastes a little bit coconut-y.
-I think it sounds delicious. -Thank you.
I hope so.
[singsong] Please cook and be nice, and don't be shit.
[Matt] Building a bust out of cake and several sponges...
More sponges than a Turkish bath.
-[Matt] ...of varying sizes and shapes... -[Linda] They're in.
[Matt] ...is creating a time-management nightmare for the bakers.
Got two timers on the go, one for the oven and one for... my task.
It's very complicated, isn't it?
[Matt] Rowan's hero demands something even more elaborate than multiple sponges.
I am making Queen Marie Antoinette.
Oh.
[Rowan] It'll be a chocolate cake with kirsch-soaked cherries.
And I'm making choux buns to make Her Majesty's hairdo.
[Noel] Whilst her choux hairdo might prove complicated,
things should be simpler with Marie Antoinette's face.
[Paul] Good idea with the mask in the mould.
That'll give you an instant image, so you've got something to work from.
-I hope to do it justice. -[Paul] Absolutely. Thanks.
Good luck.
I'm just laughing to myself. We must be completely mad. [chuckles]
It's a massive dash against the clock. [laughing]
Completely bonkers.
Who in their right mind? [chuckles]
[Noel] I fancy a cup of tea and I don't know why.
-Really? -Yeah, I don't know why.
Bakers, you are halfway through!
I just have so much to do,
I'm just really aware of so many different multiple elements.
Next, I've got to make coffee mascarpone cream
to go between the slices.
[Noel] As well as helping to hold their busts together...
[Sura] So, I'm going with raspberry Italian meringue buttercream.
[Noel] ...the bakers' fillings are another chance to deliver showstopping flavours.
This is my lemon and elderflower mascarpone cream filling.
I'm not having them say that my cake is bland.
[Loriea] This is ginger and mango jam. I'm using a lot of ginger.
[Matt] But Peter is taking a more subtle approach.
[Peter] Between the cakes, I'm just gonna have a nice simple strawberry jam
and some whipped double cream. Er, it's a family favourite.
[Noel] The simple theme will continue
between Peter's Victoria sandwich rendition
of his cycling hero, Sir Chris Hoy, sporting fondant goggles and helmet.
Clever way of getting around doing hair.
-Precisely why I wanted to do it. -[Prue] And goggles.
-[Peter] Yes. -So, no eyes.
I'm not great at sculpture and art, erm, so I thought I'd go
more simple and try and get something that presents well.
-Good luck, Peter. -Thanks very much.
Right, are you ready?
I think that is, like, just cooked.
[Linda] Yeah. Sorted.
-He's got a lot of sponge. -[Lottie] Hmm?
-Got a lot of sponge. -[Lottie] I know.
[Matt] The sponges might be out of the oven...
[Mak] This bit is so stressful. It's so hot.
These are hot cakes.
[Matt] ...but until they're cool enough to carve...
Pop them in the fridge 'cause I can't do anything
because they are still very warm.
[Matt] ...assembly will have to wait.
[Mark] Oh, no! Just lost a sponge. [clicks tongue]
[groans softly] Damn it! Just dropped a sponge.
It's fixable, I think.
I can use it for the top, so it's all right.
Think I'm doing okay for time.
I'm trying to roll out as much fondant as I can
before the cakes come out the freezer.
[Matt] Using fondant will allow the bakers to craft the skin,
hair, and clothing that will hopefully bring their heroes to life.
So, I'm making beads for her necklace.
-[Noel] Is this Prince Charles? -[Dave] No.
Shall I just keep guessing?
-Meant to be Tom DeLonge. -Farrah Fawcett?
-Who? -Tom DeLonge.
-Blink-182. -[Noel] I know who they are, yeah.
Are you a fan of that type of music, Noel?
Er... yeah.
-[mouths] -No.
[Dave laughs]
[Noel] Fondant ears and a highly detailed fondant face and cap
will cover a strawberry, chocolate and mint homage
to Dave's favourite punk icon.
Do you know what music Matt likes?
When I first met Matt, he was listening to Roger Whittaker.
Mmm-hmm. Actually true.
-[Dave] I don't... -[Noel laughs]
I love Roger Whittaker. Do you like him?
-No, weirdly. -Why not?
[both laughing]
-I like Black Sabbath. -Oh...
[Hermine] I'm just using the pasta roller to roll my dress.
-Wow. -I'm doing Lupita Nyong'o.
-She's a Hollywood actress. -Yes.
-Black Panther. -[Hermine] Yes!
-Yes. -[Prue] Very beautiful girl.
She is. I hope, er, I could replicate that.
[Noel] Hermine is aiming to capture Lupita's beauty
by decorating her chocolate and coffee sponges with fondant fabric
and very lifelike facial features.
[Hermine] I'm gonna make ice-mould eyes to give it a real eye look.
I hope it will look impressive. [chuckles]
[Matt] Also keen to do his hero justice...
Two eyeballs.
Some cheeky things.
[Matt] ...is Mak.
[Mak] My hero is Bill Bryson. He's an author I've admired for decades.
Been studying his face so much.
[chuckles] Honestly, I just know every wrinkle, every nook and cranny.
[Matt] His lemon Madeira sponges
will form the base for his anatomically thought-out bust,
and to recreate Bill's flowing locks, he has a special tool to hand.
[Mak] It's a press for making Bombay mix,
and what I'm trying to do is create strands of hair.
Very nice. Can you make me some, please?
-Just come over here and I'll just... -Yeah. Yes, please. Yes, thank you.
[Noel] But things aren't going quite so well at Rowan's hair salon.
[Rowan] Oh, come on, choux buns. Why?
Hoping that it'll rise. We'll see.
Bakers, you have one hour remaining.
[groaning]
-Have you seen my rolling pin? -No, not anywhere.
[both laughing]
I'm going for the assembly.
I'm dreading this bit because it's... [clicks tongue, shudders]
[Matt] With their sponges cooled, the build can begin.
I'm not running any risk of anything slipping off the mat.
Feeling nervous about time 'cause these need to be really frozen,
but I think they're cool enough to carve.
[Marc] Here we go.
[Noel] Stacking layers of delicate sponge and creamy fillings
is a precarious task.
Looks a bit like I'm performing some awful medieval torture,
but it is a necessity, and I'm sure Louis would understand.
Well, I've got some choux, very flat choux.
Only a matter of whether it's worth using or not.
Don't wanna be criticised for it when it's not necessary,
so I'll just, I'll wing it as usual.
[Matt] As the busts get taller...
[Dave] The head's starting to droop forward.
[Matt] ...and heavier, the strain on the sponges...
[Marc] It's all cracking.
[Matt] ...starts to take its toll.
[Laura] This is gonna collapse, I think. [sighs]
Ooh, there's a wobble.
No!
Oh, this is stressful.
Some of Freddie Mercury's head is not there.
That ain't meant to be happening, is it?
Oh, flipping heck.
Bakers, you have 30 minutes left!
Surprising how the time just flies, doesn't it?
When you're having fun.
Who just said they're having fun?
Okay, I'm just gonna have to go for it.
[Lottie] Have you ever been this stressed?
[Laura] I've never been this stressed, mate.
-[Matt] As the fondant goes on... -[Mak] Speak to me, Mr. Bryson.
[Matt] ...engineering makes way for artistry.
[Mark] Doing this to your heroes is horrendous.
[Dave] Mine doesn't look like him, it's scary.
[Marc] It's so stressful, Paul.
Why did I get into this competition?
-You chose to come here. -[Marc] I know.
[Paul and Marc laughing]
What the hell is that?
[Noel] It's like a death mask. Is it a grim reaper?
Erm, it's supposed to be Louis Theroux.
-[laughing] -Rude!
-[Noel] Have you seen Louis Theroux? -[both laughing]
[Peter] I have faith he's gonna stand up.
[Laura] He's got the shortest head in the world.
[sighs]
Embarrassing. Making boobs on national TV.
I don't know if I've ever fancied a cake before,
but I slightly do now.
[both laughing]
[Rowan] We've decided to go for rice paper.
Given the disaster with the choux buns, erm, this seems like the best option.
Bakers, ten minutes left.
[sighs] It's not enough.
It's all gone wrong.
[Loriea] Kind of a lot like a bandana I'm trying to put on there,
but it never seems to work as well as I need it to.
[Lottie] Gonna quickly paint his eyes in.
[Sura] Oh, man, he looks absolutely knackered. Poor David.
I like detail, it's calming.
Time factor-wise, I think it's just gonna have to be kind of silhouette-y, really.
-[Laura] I can't do it. -[Sura] You can.
-[Laura] I can't put the head on. -[Sura] I'll help.
[Laura] I'm too scared to put the head on.
Bakers, you have one minute left.
-Do it. -Oh!
-Just put it on. -Jesus Christ.
[Laura] Come on, Freddie, please stay together.
[Lottie] Louis, please don't hate me when you see this.
Rowan, can I be of any assistance for the last bit?
I'm kind of there, thank you.
I'll just do a bit more pinning of these things.
-[Laura] This needs to sit on top. -[Sura] It's not going on top.
-Oh! -You've put the wrong bit in.
-[Mak] Just need glasses on him. -Long as that holds up for a little bit.
[Laura] Oh, no, Freddie. [chuckling]
[Lottie] Gotta laugh, he's got a bloody hunchback.
[Laura] Quick.
-No... -[Laura] It's too big.
This bit, this bit. Go, go, go.
-It's gonna pierce through his head-- -I don't care.
Bakers, your time is up.
Thank you so much for your help.
Step away from your cake busts.
It wasn't quite what I had planned. But you know, what is?
[Laura] I'm going home.
-[Sura] No, you're not. -[Laura] I am.
-That was hard. -[chuckles] Tell me about it.
-[Laura] Oh, God, yours is about to fall. -[Rowan] No!
[Sura] I never run.
[indistinct chatter]
Sura, get something flat. It's not in balance. It'll fall again.
[Linda] That's it. Something heavy.
Stand it up the back.
That's it.
I had to put, like, a... The piping bags behind him.
So, it looks like a travel cushion.
[Matt] It's okay. They said you can use inedible supports.
[laughs]
[Noel] It's judgement time for the 12 cake busts.
Rowan, would you like to bring up your showstopper?
The choux buns were a bit of a disaster, so I had to improvise.
[Paul] There's a pattern here.
'Cause you promised us almost a Parthenon yesterday, we didn't get.
-Promised us choux buns, we haven't got. -No.
Say less and then do more.
-Yes. -[Paul] Having said that,
you instantly recognise who it is.
I think it's absolutely brilliant.
-[Rowan] Thank you. -I hope she tastes nice.
Well, so do I.
-Gonna go through her cheek. -Yeah.
No.
Oh, you brute.
[chuckles]
[Rowan] It's a chocolate cake with kirsch-soaked cherries.
Mmm! Cherry flavour's lovely.
Would've been nice to have the choux buns, but overall I think you made a tasty cake.
-Thank you. -[Prue] Well done, Rowan.
[Prue] Well, I have to say, he is recognisable.
-Definitely. -Thank you.
That sort of slightly anxious look is very Louis Theroux.
It is a coconut and lime sponge with a chocolate orange buttercream.
[Paul] You get all the flavours, the orange, lime, coconut.
But it's over-baked, bone dry.
[Prue] It's obviously Bill Bryson.
It's good. I love the detail on it.
-Thank you. -[Prue] And what's inside it?
It's a lemon Madeira with red currant jam.
-Lovely flavour, but it's very dry. -[Paul] And that's a real shame.
I'd like to have seen a mouth on it.
'Cause Marley was known for his voice and he hasn't got a mouth.
-[all laugh] -I know.
-I think it's delicious. -[Prue] It is.
[Paul] It's got all elements of a good sponge.
You can't go wrong with citrus flavours and a lemon curd.
It's very dramatic. He's got wonderful athlete's shoulders.
He really looks as if he's puffing. And I love the helmet.
[Paul] It's clever, and a good get out,
because, wearing a helmet and a mask, you know who it is.
I mean, Sir Chris has got many, many Olympic medals.
That's what he wore when he did it.
-It's excellent. -Let me just...
Sorry, Chris.
[Prue] I was worried about this. I thought Victoria sandwich
and fresh cream is all quite light and easily squashed,
and you'd end up with a pudding inside.
But you haven't. It looks lovely.
The Italian meringue buttercream is delicious.
The strawberries, the cream, the sponge is spot on.
It feels really fresh. Light.
It's delicious. The concept is great.
And it's witty.
-[Prue and Paul] Well done, Peter. -Thank you so much.
[Prue] I think it's like a caricature. So it's really good.
-[Dave] Thank you. -[Prue] Would you tell us what's inside?
Mint and strawberry with a cocoa buttercream.
Bit toothpaste-y.
The mint is so strong.
And it has that very chemical taste.
[Paul] It's a shame.
Let yourself down on the texture and flavour.
Yeah, okay.
Erm, that's about as far away from David Bowie as you could get.
-I'd agree with you. -[Prue] Yes, he's lost his neck.
Yeah, more Jabba the Hutt.
[judges laugh]
[Marc] It's a chocolate sponge with vanilla buttercream.
[Prue] It's quite dense.
[Paul] Slightly over-baked.
Okay.
-But it's a great flavour. Good effort. -Thank you.
The fact that you put "Guess who?" on this
must mean you don't think it looks like her.
-That's right. -[Prue chuckles]
Your work with the fondant is absolutely exquisite.
[Paul] I thought it was real.
[Prue] So let's hope it's as good inside as it is outside.
I hope so.
It's really lovely.
It's such a rich chocolate cake. It's delicious.
I'll sit down and have a slice of that anytime.
[Paul] You can see who it is.
-[Prue] It looks great. -[Mark] Thank you.
It is a ginger spice sponge with a coconut buttercream.
Lovely, very good flavour.
[Paul] It's nice to see you haven't overdone it with spices.
You've got spices you can identify.
But it marries beautifully with the ginger.
It's a well-baked cake.
-[Prue] Well done. -Thank you.
We've got a picture of her in front of us now.
Head scarf, tick.
[Prue and Paul] Necklace, tick.
-Resemblance to her, doesn't exist. -Resemblance, not so much.
[Paul chuckles]
Erm, it has got a chilli chocolate sponge flavoured with Scotch bonnet chilli powder
and ginger and mango jam.
Chilli's a bit overwhelming.
[Prue] I agree that you could lower chilli a little.
-Wow. -[Matt chuckles]
It's coming in waves.
But when you've got a wave of ginger as well,
it's really, really strong.
Now, this is lining up with what happened yesterday, as well.
Consistency is the word.
You are consistent. Absolutely.
He's reclining.
He's having a nap.
[Matt chuckles]
[Paul] Very neat on the shirt, very neat on the face.
Well, you can see who it is. Let's have a look, shall we?
Gosh, that looks really tender.
[Sura] It is a coconut sponge
with a raspberry Italian meringue buttercream.
[Prue] I like the flavour.
[Paul] It's not dry, which is good. It's nice and moist.
Overall, you've done something that looks like him.
It's quite smart, it's neat. You've done a good job.
Thank you.
[chuckles] Sorry.
[chuckles] You're not supposed to laugh.
It was all going really well. His jacket looked great and everything.
And then the head exploded.
I think, erm, but, I'm hoping that the flavours will redeem.
-[Paul] What are they? -[Laura] Lemon and elderflower.
I do think his jacket is lovely.
-[Laura] Thank you. -[Paul] Yeah.
Mmm, that is delicious.
Thank you!
I think one of the reasons it squashed so easily is it is very moist.
-[Paul] Hmm. -[Laura] Do you like it?
-[Paul] Erm... -Oh, go on, say you like it.
-Actually, I love it, yeah. -Yes!
[Paul] The flavour's good. The elderflower's there.
It looks the way it does, but it tastes really nice.
And you can identify who it is.
Thank you.
-[Matt and Noel] Well done. -What a relief.
Come on, Fred.
-Let's go. -[all laugh]
-Well done. -Thank you.
My biggest fear today was that they'd say the cake was bland.
'Cause then I knew I was going home. I think I've hopefully pulled it back.
[Loriea] I baked it how I like it,
so it's too late to cross fingers and toes now.
Kind of thought before that came together today that that was it.
But, if it is, I'm going out on a high.
Nobody wants to be the first.
Coming on this show, I said that I don't want to be the first.
But maybe that was my challenge, to accept being the first to go.
[Noel] Paul and Prue have made their decision.
Well, congratulations, bakers.
I have the rather pleasant job of announcing this week's Star Baker.
And this week's star baker is...
Peter!
[all applaud]
Go, Peter.
Which means I've got the horrible job of announcing which baker is leaving us.
And the baker who's going home is...
Loriea. I'm sorry.
[all] Aww.
-Oh, darling, I'm so sorry. -[Loriea] It's fine.
-[Linda] Bless you. -[Loriea] Thank you.
It might have been nice to stay a bit longer,
but someone has to go, so...
-You did amazing, remember that. -Thank you.
Yes, I am proud. I did quite well to get here.
And I stayed true to myself.
-[Paul] I'm so sorry. -[Loriea] It's fine.
It was really sad, 'cause I could see a lot of talent in Loriea.
And what was... As a judge, I can't get involved.
'Cause I wanted to tell her, "Stop doing that".
And it came down to over-baking and over-flavouring.
[Marc] Can't believe I'm through to next week.
I was sat on that chair, ready to stand up.
Ah! [laughs]
Oh, my gosh.
Aw, fantastic. I can't believe it, I was like... [screams]
-Thank you. -[Rowan] Well deserved.
I said I was putting my money on you. [chuckles]
-[Peter] Hey. -[woman] Hi, Peter.
Just wanted to give you a quick call.
Erm, so, week one went pretty well. I got Star Baker.
-[woman cheering over phone] -[chuckles]
[woman] Hurray! Well done!
Thank you, it was, erm, pretty insane.
[chuckles]
[closing theme music playing]