The Great British Baking Show (2010–…): Season 12, Episode 1 - Cake Week - full transcript

DUCK QUACKS

BIRDSONG AND DUCK QUACKS

DRUMSTICKS TAP

MUSIC: Achy Breaky Heart

MUSIC CONTINUES

BIRDSONG

The best home bakers from across the
country applied in their thousands.

Just 12 have made it...

Oh, blimey. Here we go.

Good luck, everyone!

..to our Bake Off bubble.



When you're telling people
that you're going away,

absolutely nobody's guessed where I'm going.

I mean, what's wrong with my cakes?

I wasn't gonna apply for Bake Off

and my sister was like,
"Just apply."

I was like, "Why did you tell me
to apply? Because I got through."

When we look in the tent,
it's the feeling you get

when you walk for the first
time into the... the Sistine Chapel.

Every aspect of their
baking skills will be tested...

On your marks... in 30...

Get set.
..brand-new challenges.

Bake! We're on the way.
Good luck in there.

My German brain gets active
when I make sweet stuff.

♪ More chocolate! ♪



I just enjoy feeding people
because that's what Greek people do.

Everything they create will be
judged by Prue Leith...

Don't wanna get emotional.
That's so delicious!

..and Paul Hollywood.
Don't look into his eyes.

I'm gonna stare him down.
Don't stare Paul down.

No.

We begin with incredible cakes.

Oh, my God! That's going in my eye.
Come on!

With a delicious childhood
favourite...

Cos they're mini,
you've got to get it really tight.

That's panicked me.

..one of the all-time
tea-time classics...

It doesn't wanna come off.
This is a joke!

It's very gooey. Ooh!

..and mind-bending showstoppers...

I feel sick.
..that defy the laws of gravity.

To me, to you. To you.
The cake is on the move, people.

To me. To you.
I'm so scared it's gonna fall.

Breathe in. Ah.

Worst thing that could happen
is that I will be walking towards

the judges and I will trip over
and go headfirst into my own cake.

SHATTERING Oh! Oh, my God!

Oh, no.

Once again, we've
pitched our tent in the stunning

grounds of Down Hall, and our fresh
bubble of bakers are about to

face three cake-based challenges,

after which one of them will be
crowned Star Baker

and another will have to leave
the competition.

Bakers, welcome to the tent.
This is so exciting.

The winner of the 2021 Bake Off
is actually in this tent.

Whoa. How about that?

By the same token, the first person
to go home is also in this tent.

LAUGHTER It's none of you, don't worry.

It's Paul.

For your first Signature Challenge,
the judges would like you to

bake 12 decorative mini rolls.

These need to be your take on
mini rolls, so the type of sponge,

the flavours and the fillings
is entirely up to you.

You have two hours.

On your marks... Get set...

Bake!

Here we go,
it's lovely to start it, actually.

This is really happening, innit?
It's still shocking.

It's still not settled in yet.

I think I just need to put myself
back in my kitchen

and just get on with it.

I feel sick. Why did I apply
for this? What is wrong with me?

The mini roll packs a punch
in such a small little cake.

Think of the sponge,
think of the filling

and think of the overall look.

They have to be very elegant,
perfect swirl of filling inside.

And most of all
they must be delicious.

If the bakers get their timing
all wrong, there will be issues.

Cos as they put their filling
into a warm sponge,

it will collapse, ooze out.

It's the first time the bakers have
really got to impress us

and really show us what they can do.

Good morning. Good morning.
Hello, Crystelle.

Hi. Hello. Hi, how are you doing?

I want to know
about your mini rolls.

It's a chai-flavoured sponge,
so I've got jaggery. So jaggery's

like an unrefined sugar and it's
actually from Goa. So my grandma

gave me loads of jaggery from Goa,
so I'm putting that in my sponge.

Crystelle is a client
relationship manager

and lives in north London
with her parents and sisters.

But she's not been
able to see her nana Julie

and give her a hug for over a year.

Nana Julie's jaggery will sweeten
her coconut and chai tea mini rolls,

flavoured with cloves, ginger,
cinnamon and cardamom.

PAUL: That's strong, punchy
flavours for a mini roll.

What is so lovely is
the idea of coconut and chai. Yeah.

I've never had those two together.

Yeah. And I think
that might be wonderful.

Well, thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you. Good luck.

NOEL: Crystelle's not the only baker
paying

tribute to their family heritage.
I am from the Black Forest and, uh,

Black Forest gateau
has always been a favourite.

Jurgen works in IT
and with his wife Sophia

and son Benjamin loves to
play his trombone to serenade

the Brighton waterfront...

..along with his pet rabbit
Humphrey.

Great.

His classic Black Forest mini roll
will have a chocolate genoise sponge

filled with kirsch cream
and sour cherries.

Hello, there, Jurgen, how are you?

Hi, Matt, yes, I'm very well,
thank you.

You're a musical man. Yes. I thought
you might appreciate, uh, me

singing the theme
to the Flintstones in German.

I would. Here we go. Yeah.

♪ Flintstones
Begegnen Sie den Flintstones

♪ Sie sind eine moderne
Steinalterfamilie

♪ Von der Stadt von Bedrock

♪ Sie sind ein Note
gerade aus Geschichte

♪ Lassen Sie das uns mit der Familie
hinunter die Strasse fahren

♪ Dank die Hoflichkeit
von zwei Fusse Friedrich

♪ Wenn Sie mit den Flintstones

♪ Haben Sie
ein Yabba-dabba-du-zeit

♪ Ein Dabba-du-zeit

♪ Wir werden
ein frohliche alte Zeit haben!

♪ Du-du du-du-du! ♪

Wilhelmina! What do you think?

Great, I haven't heard that in ages.

I translated it myself. Hmm!

I can't quite remember the text.

Well... But...

I wouldn't call it a text.

So my theme is
a Black Forest mini roll.

I'm a bit worried about Jurgen
doing it

cos I think he said
he has family from the Black Forest.

So I'm thinking
he probably knows his stuff.

Tom and his family
are from Maidstone, in Kent

and run a model railway business.

Got people waiting for the train.

He'll fill his Black Forest
mini rolls with a cherry jam

before coating them
in thick dark chocolate.

Hi, Tom. You seem like you're
enjoying yourself.

Yeah, I mean, if I'm going to go
home week one, I need to enjoy
myself.

You are not going home week one.

You've got a good vibe and I think

your energy's gonna make it happen
for you.

Awesome. Thank you very much.
So I sound like a tarot reader.

You do. I didn't wanna say it.

You know when someone says
you've got a good vibe that means

you're not very good at baking.
Yeah!

Vibe's good, cakes taste like...

I am not copying Tom,
I am doing my own Black Forest.

Wild-swimming enthusiast
Amanda is a mum of two

and works as a detective
for the Metropolitan Police.

Not too cold, but cold enough.

She's adding a coffee twist to a
squad of cherry-topped mini rolls

that should set her apart
from her Black Forest rivals.

I thought I'd make them
standing up like little soldiers.

Yeah, like cherry soldiers
I'm gonna call them.

And it's gonna stand up?

They did stand up at home. Good.

Unless the bakers create
a sponge that's light and soft...

My sponge is a genoise
and it's getting beautiful volume.

..their mini rolls won't roll.

I am making carrot cake mini rolls.

And Rochica is risking
an unconventional batter.

I have spelt flour for my dad

because these rolls
were inspired by him.

Rochica works in HR and loves
to escape the home office to see

her nieces
and nephews with her dad Colin.

Dad!

LAUGHTER

Cinnamon and vanilla cream will
fill Colin's favourite spelt flour

carrot cake mini rolls.

He really enjoys my bakes
with spelt flour in it.

He's quite health conscious.

Whilst Rochica is rolling with
an unusual flour...

One, two, three.

..Maggie has decided not to
use any at all...

19 and 20.

..choosing, instead,
a tricky meringue-based batter.

This is a very dull time -
17, 18, 19, 20.

It's 20 seconds between every
spoonful.

George, sing for me.
I'm a terrible singer, Maggie.

I'm sorry.

Sports fanatic Maggie is a retired
midwife from Poole in Dorset

and has been baking
for over 60 years.

I was never,
ever going to reach that.

I still think I'm 20.

She plans to top her light flourless
chocolate orange mini rolls

with heavenly milk chocolate angels.

It's quite a difficult sponge
to do, a flourless one.

Yeah. Because it's very mousse-y
and it's sticky and it...

Yes, but it's very delicious
when it's right.

It's very delicious when it's right.

Have you practised this, Prue?
Um, Maggie.

Don't you start!
Were you separated at birth?

LAUGHTER

I think,
I think you're gonna do well.

We can sort him out,
we can sort him out.

Whilst Prue, I mean
Maggie, is going flourless...

This is aquafaba
that I've just whisked up.

..Freya is going dairy-free.

I have tried about
15 swiss roll recipes.

Uh, cried at about 12.

19-year-old Freya is a psychology
student from Scarborough.

She went vegan 18 months ago.

That is a very big circle.

Honestly, all I do
is get insults around here.

Her lemon and raspberry mini rolls
will be filled with a vegan

lemon meringue buttercream.
Are you the youngest in here?

Yeah. I think I'm the youngest
by... How old are you?

How old are you, 12? I'm... I'm 19.

You know there's
a Junior Bake Off, right?

So Junior Bake Off said no, they put
you into the main one,

which is a bit unfair.
Yeah. But fingers crossed.

There's always the
technical and the showstopper.

And those are generally easy, so...
Yeah, they sound way better, eh?

Good luck. Here we go.

The sooner the mini roll sponges
are baked,

the longer they'll have to cool.

We're on the way.

Please be good to me.

Nine minutes. Is the plan.

Ten minutes and counting.

If the bakers
attempt to fill a warm sponge...

I'm starting to panic
cos I can hear everyone putting

stuff in the oven
and I've got nothing.

..their first-ever Signature Bake
will end in collapse.

Oh, my God - my oven door was open.

Oh. BLEEP!

George works with carers and adults

with learning disabilities
in north London.

He loves to recreate
the Greek Cypriot bakes

he grew up with at home
with his wife Oz,

his kids Nasis, Alarah and Elise
and their dog Ely.

Who's gonna do the washing-up?

DOG WHIMPERS

His milk chocolate mini rolls will
be filled with a hazelnut bavarois.

While the oven's warming up

I'll move onto something else cos
I need to.

George isn't the only one
running late.

Why are you at this stage
and not further down the line?

Clearly, just a slow person.

There's a plan behind this pattern.

Yeah, so it is meant to be
a giraffe and they're based on

going to Chester Zoo with my family.

You've got a dog, haven't you? Yeah.

What's your dog called?
Prudence.

Prudence. Prudence.

Yeah, well, I've got
photos of yous all on my mixer.

Paul, you've got a six-pack. I know!

LAUGHTER

Lizzie is from Liverpool and
when she's not at home baking with

the judges,
she builds luxury cars for a living.

Her giraffe print coffee sponge

will be rolled around a tahini
caramel filling.

Me and you have
got our wardrobes confused.

I mean, I think
this could be an issue.

We can just share clothes.
If I last more than one week.

I am a bit behind.
Don't worry about that so much.

I feel like it's gonna
look good cos you've got style.

Oh, have you seen my shoes?

Ears and tail.
I do like those shoes.

Don't let anyone see how
big my heels are, I'm like Prince.

I take these off, you will only see
the top of my head.

I've gotta go apparently cos
apparently you need

to get on with some baking.
This is a baking show. Good luck.

See ya.

Bakers. You are halfway through.

Can't be halfway?

The competition - you slept through
a couple of episodes.

LAUGHTER

Straight in the oven.

I think I'll be able to breathe
once I've got that done.

Oh, that's my timer.

Here we go -
right, let's check this guy out.

Can't see, mind you. Oh.

When baking thin
and fragile sponges...

It's a bit spongey but I'd
just like another couple of minutes.

..every second counts.
No, one more minute.

Just a fraction
too long in the oven...

It's coming out in about a minute.

..when rolled,
they'll crack and fall apart.

Now I'm gonna turn this out.

Please be careful,
I don't wanna burn any of you lot.
So do you enjoy baking?

Well, I've only been baking 12
months. Right. So I'm a proper...

Oh, my goodness... lockdown baker.

Chigs is a telephone
sales manager from Leicester.

And as well as baking,
lockdown has seen him rock climbing,

playing guitar, decorating his house
and cooking with his mum Joyti.

His marbled chocolate and vanilla
sponge will be filled

with a strawberry Chantilly cream.

The first Bake Off that I was
a judge for, the winner had only

been baking for six months. Oh, wow!

It's not necessarily
a handicap. Exactly.

In the last series, the winner had
only been baking for 13 or 14 years.

Oh, there you go, then!

I'm waiting on my sponges.

Helpless, aren't you?
A sitting duck.

Whilst the wait continues for Lizzie
and George

with sponges cooling,

the rest of the bakers still need to
perfect their fillings.

How are you?
Are you about to have a swig?

Has it got that bad already?

No, this is the syrup,
that's the stuff you wanna swig.

That's the stuff. Yeah.
Are you drunk yet? I am.

Are you? No, I'm not really.

Good on you. Course I'm not,
you weren't sure then!

I was just thinking, "Lucky you."

LAUGHTER

And Giuseppe's filling is
a taste of home.

I'm trying to translate
Italian flavours into whatever I'm

putting together.

That's part of my heritage,
that's... that's what I do best.

Giuseppe works as an engineer
in Bristol and passes on his Italian

culinary heritage to his three sons,
Alberto, Ricardo and Georgio.

No, no, no, don't pull it.

We still have to eat it.
This is dinner, amore.

He's filling his almond and
orange sponges with ricotta cheese

flavoured with
a potent orange blossom water.

Hopefully balanced enough
not to blow anybody's heads off.

But Jairzeno isn't holding back.

20 passion fruit to
make some passion fruit caramel.

Originally from Trinidad,
Jairzeno is a finance manager living

in south London with his partner
Graham and their greyhound Maxie.

Shall we find some squirrels?

His passion fruit caramel
buttercream will fill a lime

and chilli sponge.

How far do you think you can
go in the competition?

Would I like to go all the way? Yes.

You would? Yes.

That's what I wanna hear.
Yes. Don't you worry!

I'll take care of the rest. Oh, OK.

I'll take them out one by one, OK?

Who do you want to go first?

Freya? Well, that's harsh.
I wasn't expecting that.

No, no comment.

LAUGHTER

Bakers, you have had half an hour.

No, no, no.
They've got half an hour.

Oh, you've got half an hour left.
That makes more sense.

Lovely, thank you very much.

Same difference, isn't it? No. Oh.

That's panicked me.
So I'm, like, miles behind.

I hope that these cool in time.

As George
and Lizzie finally begin cooling...

Come on, come on, come on. Ah!

For the rest of the bakers,
it's the moment of truth.

It is the orange buttercream.
I've hopefully cooled the sponges

enough so it won't melt.

The cherries go on the edge.

As a child, if in any of the cafes
this filling was missing

I was a very unhappy child.

That's a strong smell, Jurgen.

What is that? Kirsch syrup. Wow.

BLOWS AIR THROUGH LIPS

Compose myself.

Right, come on, just do it.

Cos they're mini, you've got to
get it really tight.

Paul and Prue have demanded
a perfectly defined swirl.

I try to roll them like sushi.

We often make sushi at home.

But if the sponge is even
a fraction overbaked...

Come on!

..it will split.

It can't crack, cos if it cracks

then you don't get your perfect
swirl.

Not perfect, but whatever.

SHE SIGHS

I'm trying to keep it
all in one piece.

Swirl is coming out nicely.

There's a swirl.
Stay, stay, stay, stay.

Oh, there is a crack.

I'm gonna hide that.
Quite a lot of cracking.

Which is why I'm covering
them in something to make them

a bit more attractive. This is the
fiddly bit cos I do not like

doing equal measurements on
anything. We need a ruler.

Anyone got a ruler? This is the best
tool of an engineer - a ruler.

They should be
exactly eight centimetres each.

How long have we got?

Bakers, you've got 15 minutes
until the end of this challenge. Ah!

We haven't got much time left.

It's a bit hotter than what
I would like

but I ain't got time to mess around.
There you go.

The sickness is setting in.

I feel like it's just hit me
like a slap in the face.

Oy, yai, yai. Come on!

Roll. Oh.

How are you? All over the place
at the moment. Are you?

When you have disasters at home,
it doesn't really matter.

But here, it's
just like pressure's on.

I'm gonna leave you
cos that looks really tricky.

Good luck, George, use the Force.
Yeah, I will.

The caramel's
probably gonna be running out.

The coffee cream's gonna melt.

Oh!

You've come right at the right
moment if you like chocolate.

I do like chocolate. Cos this is
about to go all over those.

All right, here we go. This is what
I call covering up the cracks.

They're not too bad.

Covering the cracks up with
chocolate

so they won't know any different.
I'm dipping one end.

I didn't want to coat it entirely
cos I like to see the swirl.

Oh, man. They taste wicked.

But they look like...

Bakers, you have five minutes left.

Perfect.

Should get there in five.

My soldiers are falling over.
Covering the cracks, round two.

What are you doing? Is this baking?
Yes. Stop it.

Of course it's baking.
Are you just making these hairy?

Please help me, someone.

More chocolate. A few minutes to go,
people are flapping

but you're cool as a cucumber.
What's cucumber in Italian?

Cetriolo. You're cool as a...

A cetriolo... cucumber.

Now, little angels. Ah!

This has lost its body.

My hands are too hot. Ah.

Oh, another broken angel.
Oh, no.

Well, you might just
have to have one angel.

There's caramel everywhere.

Stick some flowers on it
and hopefully cover up all my sins.

These are very, very drunk.

So the photos are me and me family

when we go to the zoo every
Christmas. I'm shaking, I'm shaking.

How many seconds?

Bakers, you have one minute left.

So this is my jaggery whipped cream.

This is me trying to be fancy.

Have some gooeyness.

Right, that will have to do.

Bakers, your time is up.

Ah! Can I walk out now?

Ah,
it's dripping on everyone's faces.

Oh, my white chocolate ganache is
dripping off my stool.

Ah!

That's cake carnage.

Oh, no, your floor,
the coconut on the floor.

My mum is gonna kill me.

She was like,
"Crystelle, please be neat."

Oh, God.

Our 12 new bakers

and their mini rolls are
about to face Paul

and Prue for the very first time.

Hello, Maggie. Hello.
Still smiling I see.

One has to.

I wanted them all to have a little
angel on top,

but I'm afraid I must admit to
having the shakes

and they kept
losing their wings.

Well, one of them's got it.

The chocolate is a little bit rough
and ready.

You've got a nice little
swirl in there, actually.

I think your sponge is excellent.
Thank you so much.

Texture of it's lovely.
Great flavour.

You couldn't eat a lot of it,
because it is so rich.

The cocoa content's quite high.
Yes.

My husband would find this far
too much chocolate.

He'd like a milk chocolate.
Oh! Oh, for heaven's sake.

He likes adulterated chocolate.

This is pure... This is
chocolate! ..dark.

Loving listening to you
and Prue chat.

I've never felt more like a chimney
sweep in all my life.

Lawks! Come on, let's go, Paul,
let's go.

It's like a Dickens novel.

There's a sort of fold in there,

not a swirl.

The bitterness from the sugar
is perfect.

And the passion fruit is
absolutely delicious.

Is it so worth the calories.

That is wonderful.

They are a bit uneven.

I think they're a little bit drunk.

I don't think that's a swirl.
No. It's a blob.

Cherry's not strong enough,
cos it blended so much

with a little bit of coffee in
there.

Nice lot of booze,
though. I like the booze.

Not much of a mini roll.
You know, it's not at all bad,

because you have got
a bit of a swirl. Thank you.

The texture of the cake is lovely.
Thank you very much.

But you're not getting
enough of the cherry coming through.

They're pretty neat.
I think they look rather attractive.

Oh! Let's see what
they look like inside, shall we?

Don't want to look.

There's not much of a swirl
in there, is there?

There's like an abstract swirl.

I think maybe the cream
kind of hides the swirl.

I have to tell you it's delicious.

Oh! I think you've got a great
blend of the spices,

but more so the cardamom and
the coconut together

work beautifully well.

My only complaint is there's
a touch too much jaggery.

OK. It's too sweet.

That's absolutely fine.
I'll take that.

Too hot. Bad timing.

Rushing. Maybe a bit of panic,
as well.

Hm.

It's pudding.

It's not cake.
It's still warm.

And the whole thing's collapsed,
because you put a massive
amount of chocolate.

There's a famous saying in Cyprus
which you will probably be

more than aware of - siga, siga.
Yeah.

What does that mean?
Slowly, slowly.

Yeah. Slowly, slowly.

You've got a fairly good swirl.

I think the flavours are lovely.
It is a little stodgy.

Even with spelt in, you've
managed to over-mix it.

Oh, OK.
And so it's too rubbery.

There was a bit of a wind in the
forest. The forest suffered a storm.

The Black Forest is not entirely
healthy.

A nice bit of a swirl in there.

You haven't over-sweetened
the filling,

so you get that sour cherry.
You're from the Black Forest?

Yes.

Try some.

What do you think?
I would buy it. Why?

The balance between cream,
chocolate is right.

And you have enough sour cherry,
and not sweet.

I agree. I agree entirely.
Thank you.

Just needs to be neater.
Just judge your own cake.

It's very, very good.
Well done. Thank you very much.
Well done.

I'm going to eat a bit.

Black Forest from the Black Forest.

Mmm.

I'm full of admiration for you,

because on the few occasions
that I've tried to use aquafaba

instead of egg whites, it takes
ages. Oh, yeah.

It is a bit of a faff, isn't it,
really?

I mean...

Well, let's see
if it is worth it, shall we?

I like the nice tart
flavour of the raspberries.

And you've got a little
hint of lemon in there, as well.

The cake is a little bit hefty.

That's got a lovely
swirl in that one. Thank you.

I like the fact that the sponge is
a little thicker because it

means it's risen more and the fresh
strawberries are just delicious.

They're giraffe-patterned,
giraffe-esque.

And, er, we could
even go as far to say

the caramel drips are, you know,
like the sea lion bit.

Water.

Not the best-looking
mini rolls I've seen.

There was obviously a rush.

The cream and the caramel's run out
because it's been warm

when you've done it. Then, your
flavours are all wrong.

It's down to the timing.

And I bet you did better
when you were practising.

Yeah, but tent pressure, isn't it?

Goodness, Giuseppe,
that looks as neat as a pin.

Absolutely beautiful.

You've come up with something
that's very elegant.

Cuts lovely.

Classic, lovely swirl inside there.

Perfect swirl.
That is a perfect swirl.

Classic almond cake with orange.

Yeah. Ah, it's my favourite kind
of cake. Oh, good.

It's delicate and it's so well
balanced that it grows on you.

With every mouthful, it's getting
better and better.

I think your flavours are beautiful.

The orange blossom comes through
and it's very delicate,

but it's enough there to create
a great flavour, because ricotta

carries a little bit of flavour,
so that between the two,

it's perfect. It's a triumph.
Well done.

Oh, good. Thank you,
Giuseppe. Thank you.

WHISPERS: Well done. Amazing. They
look fantastic.

Let me recap -

a triumph, neat as a pin.
Perfect.

The only problem there is, there is
only one way from here.

Paul made me eat my own cake
and judge it.

Uh, crazy, crazy.

They said they looked terrible.

Everyone knew that, anyway.

The seepage was massive.

Each week, the bakers'
second challenge will be a mystery

shrouded in gingham.

It's time for your first-ever
technical challenge,

which has been set for you
by the delightful Prue Leith.

Prue, any words of advice?

This is a really old-fashioned
recipe.

And those of you who are under 35
may never have heard of it.

Don't panic, just read the recipe.

As ever, this technical
challenge will be judged blind.

So we're going to have to ask these
two poppets to leave the tent.

Bye-bye.

So, for your first-ever technical
challenge, Prue would like you

to make that tea-time classic -
the malt loaf.

Served with home-made
butter on the side.

It should be rich and moist.
Like Paul Hollywood.

You have two hours, which doesn't
seem nearly enough, does it?

On your marks. Get set.

Bake!

Malt loaf is my absolute favourite.
Love it.

Never made it, though.

Damn! I wish I'd made it.

In the technical challenge,
the bakers are all given

identical ingredients
and the same pared-down recipe.

Because Prue said under-35s won't
know what it is,

but, of course, all the under-35s
said, "Do you know what it is,
Maggie?"

Of course. Yes, I do.
I'm over 35 -

well over 35, so, in theory,
I should know what this looks like.

In reality, I haven't got
the faintest clue.

I've never had... Er, what is it
called?

Mal.. Malt loaf.

So it's our first technical
challenge and you've set them

a malt loaf. It's sticky, rich.

Nobody doesn't like a malt loaf.

Where can they go wrong?

Because it's just a simple mix,
it's a little bit easy to undermix

and so just take trouble to make
sure that you haven't got any

lumps of flour left in there.

And under-bake it and it's likely
to sink in the middle.

And overbaked, it's just too hard
and dry.

That's perfect.

Nicely distributed fruit.

Beautiful dark colour.

We just need some butter on it.
Have you got enough there, Prue?

No.

It's gorgeous, isn't it?
It reminds me of my nan.

When I was a kid going round there,

given a little piece of malt loaf
with butter on it.

Oh! Judging them is going to be
hard, though.

I can't talk, I've got a mouth
full of malt loaf.

PRUE MUMBLES

Feeling quite excited.

My wife asked me
to make a tea loaf years ago,

and I never did.

So here I am.

"Tip the raisins and chopped
prunes into a microwave-safe bowl."

I'm just cutting the prunes now.
I hate prunes. Ugh.

If the bakers leave
the fruit in large chunks...

I think if these are the same size
as the raisins, it will probably

be quite good.

..it could sink to the
bottom of their malt loaf.

There's a bit of guesswork here.

Just re-chopping them, cos clearly

they're not finely done enough.

Are these the sort of ingredients
you would bake with in Italy?

Er, no.
I love prunes, but on their own.

I've never put them in a cake.

Well, they,
they keep you busy, you see.

It does, it does.

I don't think I've ever actually
seen malt extract before.

Black treacle, 40g.

Another ingredient I've never
used in my life.

Oh, it doesn't want to come off!

This is a joke.

Hey!

Malt loaf? Gross.

Don't like it? I just don't
really like any of the smells.

I think when you present it to Paul,

just hold his mouth open

and drop in chunks. Like you're
rearing a sort of small...

So you don't want me to...
..ostrich...

I don't like ostriches.
..that's fallen out of a nest.

You don't like ostriches? No.
Or malt loaf?

An ostrich ran away with me on it.
With you on it?

As a child. You got on an
ostrich? Yes.

So, we were in a ostrich farm. Was
there any? It had a bag on its head.

A bag? So it was clearly unhinged.
This is a dream surely.

An unhinged ostrich. There's an
ostrich with a bag on its head.

This ostrich went... waaagh!

Went crazy? Crazy.

Started to like run off.
And the ostrich is running round

the pen with me on it screaming.
Wow.

Horrendous. Traumatised.

This sounds like the best day ever.

Does it?

"Combine the remaining ingredients
to form the cake batter."

If the bakers under-mix the
batter...

Just going all in.
Give it a good stir.

..lumps of inedible flour will be
left after baking.

It's not overly mixed,
but it's a nice gooey texture.

Fingers crossed it'll come out OK.

But over-mixing will create gluten,

leading to a tough, chewy loaf.

This doesn't look very
promising now, does it?

How can this be baked into a cake?

Pff.

You can live off malt loaf,
apparently. Can you really? Yes.

Don't look that up.

It's going in now.

Oh, that is a lot for this little
cake tin, isn't it?

I might actually take
a small amount out.

I hope I've made the right choice.

Wish me luck.

And they don't tell you how long
to cook things for. Cheeky.

I ain't got an idea how long
I've got to bake this for.

It's dark, so how would you know
if it's overbaked?

I suspect that it's quite
a long bake.

I'm putting it in for 45 minutes.

I was going to say 40 minutes,
but that maybe is a bit... No,

I don't think that's bold.

An hour to start with
and then check after an hour.

Well, let's see.

"Cut orange peel
and ginger into matchsticks."

"Add the sugar and water to the pan,
bring to a boil

"until the peel is translu...

"trans-ulent... tran-solent
and s... and soft."

Kind of like see-throughy.

I've got a question to ask you.
Go ahead.

Do people tell you that you
look like someone?

Um... Well, who do you think I look
like? Well, somebody...

I said a young Robert De Niro.

What?! I'll take that.

Someone else said a young
Andy Garcia. OK.

Someone else said a young
Peter Andre.

Nah, no way. Not that one. No? Not
taking that? Not taking that one.

No offence, Peter, by the way,
if you're watching.

He's not watching.
He's in the gym.

Bakers, you have four minutes plus
six minutes plus six minutes

plus four minutes plus four
minutes

plus six minutes. Lovely.
Clear as mud.

Oh, 30 minutes.

Still looks really wet in
the middle, but I think that's
the point.

I think that's cos it's
supposed to take ages.

No. Needs loads of time, still.

It's very gooey.

I'll give it more time.
Another 15.

And I want to get the butter going.

Instructions just says to
make the butter.

Because we make butter
all the time, don't we?

I'm weighing out my double cream,

so I'm going to chuck
that into a stand mixer,

whisk it up and, if you over-whisk
it,

it'll then eventually form butter.

Right, beat.

Oh, my God, that's going in my eye!

I've just got to, like, squeeze it.

Quite therapeutic, actually.

I'm just hoping, when I open this
muslin, that it resembles butter.

It looks like it.

It smells like it.

That's butter.
"Chill." Sounds good.

Bakers, you've got ten minutes left.
Ow, my ears, you've burst them.

SORRY! That's better.

See if it's ready.

I might just give it a few
more minutes.

This is nerve-racking, isn't it?

SHE SIGHS
I dunno. Painful.

TIMER BLEEPS
Right.

Looking all right?

Probably five more minutes.

SHE SIGHS

No, I'll maybe leave it
a little bit more.

Will I? Unsure.

Still got a real bad wobble.

I reckon that's done.

OK that's it. It's coming out.

The cake is on the move, people.

It looks fine.

Scrumptious!

So I think it's just right.

Either it's done or it'll
have to do.

Agh!

This is this really dense cake.

Come out totally clear.

Not totally clear.

Mine looks a bit doughy, innit?

Bakers, you have one minute left.

My God.

Just letting it glaze up.

Can't have a dry bottom.
Oh, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.

I've got to somehow get
attractive orange on top.

Just need to put the butter on.

What a shebang. Honestly.

This is a nightmare.

It's really quite pretty.

Bakers, your time is up.

If malt loaf is supposed to have a
split in it, then it's perfect.

I hope it's not raw in the middle.

Well, you know, I just don't know.

Who knows? And who knows?
Who knows? They could cut into it

and say that's overbaked.
It looks fantastic.

I hope it's worked out, this time.

Please bring your malt loafs
down to the gingham table

and place them behind
your photograph.

Off you go. I don't want
to crash into anybody.

I'm coming.

Where's my ugly mug?

Oh, I'm first. What a nightmare.

Oh, your peel looks really nice.

Look at mine, mine's still wet.

I need the toilet.

Prue and Paul are expecting
deliciously rich

and moist malt loafs, served
with freshly made salted butter -

and they'll have no idea
whose is whose.

Right, let's start.

The crystallisation on this
looks pretty good.

They're nice and even, aren't they?

Distribution's good.
Yeah, no, that looks lovely.

Yeah, feels good.

The butter's nice. There you go.
Yeah.

That's so delicious.

It's sticky and it's got that
characteristic chew.

Hmm. And it's well balanced
with the fruit, as well.

Now, this one looks very small.

Let's have a look inside.

It's probably going to be
a bit tough, I think.

The fruit distribution is there.

It's just a bit bread-like.
Hmm.

This one has beautiful
topping on it. Yeah.

It's not very evenly distributed,
is it? No, it's not.

It's in lumps.

There's almost too much fruit
and not too much of the malt loaf.

I quite like this.
I do, too.

That's got a nice
distribution inside.

Hmm, this butter's not too salty.

It's got a little bit of
a chew to that one.

That's lovely.

Moving on to number five.

It's got a good height.
It's not too domed.

That's got a good texture,

got that little bit of tension
in it, as well, which I like.

Moving on.
Quite a strong colour on there.

Lots of fruit. Yeah.

That's very short.

I think that's probably
been slightly over baked.

It's quite a pale colour.

But I think it's properly cooked.

There's a bit of flour not
quite distributed evenly. Hmm.

Got a nice chewy edge to it.

It's sort of there, it nearly is.

This has got a lot of candy peel
on the top. I like that.

I like that look. I like that, too.

Hmm, nice colour.

Nice bit of tension in that one.

That's excellent.

It's got lots of fruit,
it's got a malty taste,

it's got a lovely tension.
Very good.

Nice colour all the way round.

The flavour's good.

But on the second bite,
it feels quite bready again.

OK.

This looks a bit small.

And it's a little doughy there.

That's raw. You can tell by
the colour how light it is.

Hmm. I think it's
slightly underdone.

Definitely.

Quite pale, but decent.

I like that look.

Good blend of fruit.

Probably needed longer in the oven,

because it's sticking to
every bit of my mouth.

We'll have to take your teeth out
and clean them later.

God, she slapped him...

OK. It's quite a strong colour,
which I like.

Lots of little flour pockets.

Whoever did this,
you need to mix it more evenly.

Prue and Paul will now rank the malt
loafs from the worst to the best.

In 12th spot, we have...

..this one.

Amanda, there's loads and loads
of flour pockets in there.

In 11th place, we have this one.

Chigs, it was under baked
and squishy.

In tenth spot, we have this one.

Not sure, Giuseppe, what happened
with the fruit distribution,

but they're all in clumps.

Jairzeno is ninth, Crystelle eighth,

seventh Rochica, Jurgen is sixth,

Tom is fifth, Lizzie is fourth,

and George is third.

In second, we have...

..this one.

Me.

Freya, that's a nice loaf.

Ah, thank you. And the only
reason why you're not in first

is because number one was better.

And that means that this
is number one.

Yay! Woo!

Well done, Maggie.

It's a beautiful loaf.

I won't say you're anything
like as old as me,

but you're getting a little bit
older than some of these,

and you can make the perfect
malt loaf. Well done.

Thank you very much.

When they went down the numbers,

I kept thinking,
they've just missed me out.

And then it went down and down,
and then there I was!

You know what I'm going to do now...

So, yes, I'm terribly...
I'm terribly pleased.

Really pleased.

I thought it was quite ironic
that she was saying that

this is like a challenge for old
people, and I was the youngest,

so that was quite exciting.

Not great. I don't think that one
went that well.

I'm gonna throw all the flour
out of my house when I get home.

I'm never gonna bake
with flour again.

Just one challenge remains before
we crown this year's

first Star Baker and reveal who
will have to leave the tent.

Well, kids, another day,
another bubble.

Here we are.

We're back in the bubble.

I do think we've settled
in pretty easy.

Overall, I've been really
impressed with the bakers.

The only person that's in a little
bit of trouble would be Amanda.

She has to have a good day today.
Yeah.

Tom didn't have a good Signature.

George likewise,
a terrible Signature.

I think, up at the top, Giuseppe has
to be with that Signature

cos it was so good.
Jurgen's done really well.

And actually I think Maggie...
Sorry, Prue. Maggie.

Maggie slash Prue. Yeah.

Is this going to be a running
joke for ten weeks? Yes, yes, yes.

Absolutely.
Sorry Maggie. Prue.

I'm beginning to hope Maggie goes
out just to get rid of this joke.

Good luck, everybody.

Good morning, bakers.

Welcome back to the tent.

Are you excited for your
first-ever Showstopper?

ALL: Yes.

I can't hear you are you excited
for your first-ever Showstopper?

ALL: Yes.

No, I can't hear you,
I've got a inner ear infection.

It's actually quite painful.

Now, today, Prue and Paul would love
you to make an awe-inspiring

anti-gravity illusion cake.

Your vertically sculpted cakes

must appear to defy gravity

and should be decorated in a way

that represents a precious memory.

You've got four hours
to defy gravity.

On your marks. Get set.

Bake.

I've got something to prove
after the Signature yesterday.

And I really want this to go well.

I'm rocking and rolling.
There's no room for error today.

The whole point of an anti-gravity
cake is a top-heavy cake

that looks like it's falling or
cascading

so they've really got to
think of the framework

to build the anti-gravity
cake on to.

We want to look at these cakes
and think, "How did they do that?"

"How can that still be standing"

But as always, it has
to be a delicious cake.

And it mustn't be
style over substance

so, as usual, it's difficult.

Morning, Chigs. Morning.
Hello. How are you all?

Right, good. Tell us
all about your anti-gravity cake.

My anti-gravity cake is called
Where It All Began.

As you probably already know,

I've only been baking for a short
period of time. Check him out.

And he's on Bake Off already.

That just goes to show it's
not that difficult, kids. No.

Not that difficult.
Well, we'll see.

We'll see, yeah we'll see.

Chigs is attempting a baking scene

where a gravity-defying jug
will pour chocolate into a bowl

made from delicate chocolate
sponge with peanut butter

and chocolate buttercream.

The jug is actually
cake as well, isn't it?

It's got cake in it.

And how is it all
going to be, elevated?

Um...

With magic.

Also relying on a sprinkling
of magic is Giuseppe.

My anti-gravity cake is going to be
Jack and Beanstalk

cos it's a story that I
read to the kids at night.

A fondant beanstalk will hold his
cloud-shaped chocolate cake aloft

in a spectacular fairy tale scene
dedicated to his three young boys.

They don't know I'm here just
yet and I was practising

this last week. Oh, really?

Yeah, and my eldest went, "Papa,
this cake is really good you know."

It would look good even on
Bake Off and I'm like,

"Yeah, hold on to that thought."
Oh, I love it.

Oh, my God, that's amazing. Yeah.
When are you going to tell 'em?

Well, I'd like... I'd like...
Not at all? No, not at all.

And then just go, "Hey,
shall we watch this?"

Yeah, "Look, look what's on TV."

Oh, I want to be there
when that happens. Well, I...

That's the best thing ever.

Giuseppe's not the only baker

inspired by a little bedtime
reading.

I'm making a lamp and a book.

The first book I read in
English from cover to cover.

What book? Thomas More's Utopia.

Light reading.

Orange chiffon sponge,
a honey buttercream with rose

and a pistachio praline
will form his weighty tome

and his precisely engineered
childhood bedside lamp.

I'm using spanners, yes.

They have been
through the dishwasher.

I'm a bit of a DIY person.

Avoiding collapse won't be easy.

It is a very difficult one
cos you want a stable cake

but you want a tasty cake.

A delicate sponge could fall
apart as it tries to defy

the pull of gravity.

Hopefully the cake
will be like clouds.

But any denser
and it won't be pleasant to eat.

It's quite a thick batter
so there is some density to it.

Forgotten how many eggs I put in.

One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.

No. One, two...

I keep losing count.

If he can get his measurements
right,

George's sponges will become a
backgammon board

and suspended coffee
cup in mid-flow.

When I'm on holiday in Cyprus,

when you walk through the villages,

you see little Greek old
men playing backgammon.

How are you going to
hold up the coffee pot?

Well, I've built a little platform

where the coffee pot will sit
and then the coffee

will pour down the threaded rod.
Yeah. I just hope it stands.

Fingers crossed.
So, do we. So, do we.

Rather than sunny Cyprus,

Maggie is off on a staycation.

I come from a beachy area and
I'm making an ice cream cornet.

Oh, lovely. When you go to the
beach,

what ice cream do you like best?

A mint choc chip.
Are you doing mint choc chip?

Oh, no. Oh, no. No?
No, no, no, no.

Why would you eat toothpaste
in an ice cream?

Oh, controversial!

Maggie will recreate her favourite
raspberry ripple ice cream,

complete with a suspended
bag of sprinkles

which she hopes will
impress Paul and Prue.

You've missed my ears.

Hello, Prue, how you doing?
You all right?

How are things going today,
Prue? Are you all right?

Is it weird being here?

Thank you, Maggie.

That wasn't my idea.
Or yours I dare say.

No, I know,
he's so naughty.

Shoo.

You're just trying to
make me squash my raspberries.

Good luck in there.

Unless they get their cakes
baked as soon as possible...

Please be good to me.

..the bakers won't have enough
time to pull off their

gravity-defying constructions.

And the more sponges
they need to stack and carve...

Loads of cake. Loads of cake.

..the more complicated
the engineering becomes.

The lamp part, I've put
white fondant there

and then I'll put this on top,

and then I'll build the cake up.

So it's going to be
six layers of cake,

all stacked on top of each other

and then sort of V-shaped bouquet
of flowers with all the stems.

It's a bit of a monster.

On top of moulded
puffed rice and marshmallow,

Crystelle will stack cinnamon
sponges with Italian meringue,

buttercream and roasted pecans.

All decorated to look
like a bouquet of flowers.

So I'm dedicating it to my auntie.

She actually used to do a lot
of flower arranging back in the day.

And also she used to bake a lot.

So I thought, if I go out in week
one,

I want to dedicate at least one
bake to her.

So it's not an anti-gravity cake
it's auntie gravity cake.

Oh, nice one. Clever.
See you later, guys.

Flowers are, like, my favourite
thing. My mum loves flowers as well.

So it's kind of just, like,
the perfect theme really.

Freya's all-vegan floral scene

will feature chocolate sponges

filled with a kirsch cream

and cherry jam

all decorated with dozens of
hand-piped buttercream flowers.

Honestly, when I first made
this chocolate cake,

I thought it was the best
chocolate cake that I'd had.

I don't think that you'd know it was
vegan.

But I'd eat cake off the floor so...

I feel I'm probably not
the best judge of that, really.

Bakers, you are halfway through
your anti-gravity challenge.

Ooh.

Let's get this baby out.

Yeah, they're done.
That's beautiful.

All they have to do is cool down.

Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.

With the last of their
sponges out of the oven...

Oh, that'll do.
That'll do. I'm happy with that.

..the bakers need to use every
minute to perfect

their decorative elements.

I just want to let my cakes chill
for as long as possible,

which is why I'm just doing
all my decoration now.

So, this is my sweetie bag.

Let's see if we can a dolphin.

My cake is going to look
like a wave hitting a rock

and I'm going to have a couple
of little dolphins coming out of it.

Inspired by a trip to Florida,

Amanda's dolphins will emerge
from a towering wave

of lemon and elderflower sponge.

You need a good day
today, don't you?

I do need a good day today, yes.
Have you practised it?

I've made about four of these.

Course she has.
And they didn't collapse?

Um, one of them did collapse.

The next two were perfect.

Never say that the practice went
weird to these two.

The first one collapsed.
The others didn't collapse.

I'm just going to start building.

To defy gravity, most of the bakers
will have to carefully layer

delicate sponge and filling

onto precarious, custom-made
structures.

This is all exciting now.

I feel sick.

But Jairzeno plans to
take an even bigger risk.

I'm going to cut the sponge
and roll it up like a cylinder.

He'll attempt to stack guava,
lime and chilli Swiss rolls

with a suspended paint can

pouring technicolour
shards of chocolate

to celebrate his passion
for colourful bakes.

It should be steady enough yes.

And the buttercream will have, will
kind of reinforce it - like cement.

It won't taste like cement.

With every additional
layer of sponge and filling...

I have to thread the screws
all the way down.

..the Showstoppers get heavier...

Oh. I just want to get as much
flavour in here as possible.

..and defying gravity
gets harder and harder.

But Jairzeno has
yet to leave the ground.

I am struggling now.

I think the buttercream
is a bit too soft.

Right, this isn't quite...

Oops.

No, no, no, no, no.

Oh. BLEEP.

Bakers, you have one hour left
for your anti-gravity illusion cake.

Jairzeno's showstopper doesn't look
like it'll defy gravity

any time soon.

Right.

I'll put the thing in the fridge to
chill cos I'm trying to get

the main cake to stand up.

And he's not the only one
struggling.

Oh, OK it's completely
split down the middle.

And the bottom layer has broken.

Rochica will have to repair a giant
apple made from a caramel

and spiced apple sponge to be able
to hang it from a puffed rice

and marshmallow tree,
inspired by her uncle's garden.

It's really fragile
so I'm gonna ice it

and then just get it in the freezer.

Oh, I'm so stressed out.
It's all right.

Just, you know...
Breathe. You'll be fine.

My dad told me to... breathe in.
Ahh!

Actually I feel a bit better,
breathing in and out.

Did it feel better? Yeah.

Your dad knows. He's got some
skills. My parents are so wisdomous.

Wisdomous!

Is that a word? That's a new word.
Wisdomous.

Lizzie has also had
the benefit of some fatherly wisdom.

What are you using to build it?

Me Dad's gone a bit crazy with
the superglue and a chopping board.

Her dad, Andy, had built the base
for a cake jug that will pour

cream into a peach
and vanilla bowl-shaped cake

in honour of their Nana's
tinned peaches and cream puddings.

And have you practised it
with this armature? Yeah.

And it worked?

It was horrific!
THEY LAUGH

So, you can tell it's, like,
leaning.

You've really thrown your own dad
under the bus here.

Well, I've got to throw someone
under -

as long as it's not me, isn't it?

This is the jug.

Most of the bakers still have to
complete smaller, even more

fragile cakes to suspend.

The lamp is nearing completion.

Stressful, man.

This is gonna be a coffee
pot that will sit here.

It's a hazardous process...

It's like a jug pouring cake
batter into a big bowl,

with splashes coming out of it.

..that Tom has chosen to avoid.

So, I'm actually just using
dowels for my cakes.

You know we want an anti-gravity
cake? Yes.

Do you think it qualifies?
I'm hoping it's enough.

It does lean quite significantly.

Tom plans to use lemon
and almond sponges to construct

a teetering triple-tiered concert
hall, to celebrate his love

of classical music, complete with
cannon for the 1812 Overture.

We must look at it and think, "My
goodness! How does that stand up?

OK, OK.

I'll see what I can do. I mean it's
a bit late in the day, innit, now.

That's the problem with that, isn't
it? I've designed it!

Good luck, Tom.

Bakers, you have half an hour left.

Oh, my god.

I don't think I'll be able to
decorate it.

There won't be a paint pot at the
top with the colours falling out.

no.

Because it's not even standing up.

Whilst Jairzeno has been forced to
abandon his plans...

That's perfect.

..the rest of the bakers face
the nerve-wracking task

of seeing theirs through.

Oh, this is a bit stressful,
isn't it?

God, it is so silent in here.

I do like painting.

I'm not sure I like it
so much at the moment.

I'm horrendous at doing any
finishes.

Paul's gonna love you.

Don't look into his eyes, right?

I'm going to stare him down.

Don't stare Paul down!

You will not win that battle.

If it falls, then it can be
a fallen apple.

So now I'm going to put...

..that there.

Stay there.

Slipping a bit.

This looks as
though I'm doing nothing,

but I'm waiting for the white
chocolate to set and I can't move.

Oh, hell.

Mine is wobbling so bad.

I think this has taken, like,
a year off my life.

So, this is just having
something to present.

Hopefully it'll stand up.

I'm so scared it's gonna fall.

Ah. Ooh! Ha-ha!

I think I'm done, you know.

In the show? Yeah.

My God, I can't breathe.

Ooh.

How much time do we have left?

One minute left.

Come on, man.

Chigs, do you think you can help me
move it up onto there?

The book needs pages.

I don't know if it'll fall off, to
be honest. Don't say that.

Dearie me.

Wonder if I can spell
"Sorry" in cannonballs?

Eh!

Are we on?

Let's put it flat and then slide.

Slide. Oh, what a breeze.

I usually quite like improvising.
Not so much today!

Bakers, your time is up!

Step away from your bakes.

Gladly!

Well done, Jurgen. Well done, my
friend. Thank you.

George, how you feeling?

I completely rushed it.

Oh, have you seen some of mine?
Gorgeous.

Giuseppe, it looks a ten out of ten.

Giuseppe, you've got some
skill, dude man. Thank you.

It's judgement time for the
anti-gravity illusion cakes.

Chigs, would you like to
bring your cake up here?

Matt, could you help me, please?

Yeah, I'll give you a hand.
CHIGS LAUGHS

Right, you ready? Yeah.

To me. To you.

To me. To you.
To me. To you.

Just cupping the cup.

There you go. It's going to break.

It's going to break.

Right, I'm going to step back now.

GROANING

Well, it was anti-gravity before
but I don't know what it is now!

When I say anti-gravity...

Well, it's not much any more.

But I like the bowl.

It's got a bit of movement in it,
which I quite like.

So it's chocolate fudge? Yes.

PRUE: The layers are good.

It's got a chocolate and
peanut butter buttercream

around it as well.

PRUE: I think it's delicious.
Yes. I also like the texture.

Beautifully moist.

The sponge is delicious,

and so is the peanut butter
buttercream as well.

You're a very good baker.

Maybe your engineering skills
need honing a little.

PRUE: It could be neater.

I agree. I'm sure you can paint
better than that.

I can certainly paint better than
that, absolutely.

PAUL: Let's have a look.

I think you've got some nice
flavours.

But you need to concentrate
more on the finesse.

Yeah.

I feel it looks more like a plant
pot than an ice cream.

It's gone from a cornet to a tub.

Your Victoria sandwich is delicious.

Thank you. But there is not much
flavour in there.

I was expecting something very
different to this.

Yeah, I was expecting something
very different to that.

It's quite mortifying, actually.

I think the sponge is perfect.

I love the flavour.

It tastes like guava.
I love it.

All the elements to it are there,
but there's nothing else.

PRUE: Love the little dolphins,
and I think it's beautifully done.

You've certainly got
the gravity-defying bit.

I'm not totally convinced it does

because that's just the Rice Krispie
bit, isn't it? Yeah.

But I love the colour of it
and the concept of it.

This is lemon drizzle?

Yeah, lemon and elderflower.

I think your sponges are slightly
overbaked.

They're a little bit too dry.

Did you use an extract with that
one?

I used elderflower liqueur.
There's quite a lot in there.

I think there's a touch too much.
It's quite...

It burns, doesn't it? ..powerful.
Yeah.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.

WHISPERS: Well done. Thank you.
It stayed up. It stayed up.

Lizzie, would you like to bring
up your Showstopper, please?

GASPS

Oh, no!

Whoops. Oh, my God.

God! Sorry!

NOEL: Paul's slowly sabotaged you.

It's a bit simplistic.

But it does defy gravity.

But the side of it is a real mess,
isn't it?

It may taste fantastic yet.

Best hope so.

I could happily eat a bowl of that.

Cool.

I think your flavour's nice -
just neaten up your work a little

bit more.

I think those flowers look
incredible.

Thank you. You've spent some time on
that.

It's chocolate sponge,
kirsch buttercream

and then a little
bit of cherry jam as well.

Hm. I think that's lovely.
Ah, awesome.

It's very boozy.
PAUL: I think it's delicious.

I think you have got a nice
chocolaty flavour there.

Nice kick from the alcohol as well.

You've got some beautiful textures
running through there.

And it's vegan. Yeah.
I think you've done a great job.

Oh, thank you so much.
A really, really good job.

I really appreciate it.

PAUL: It's very elegant.

Think the pipework is beautifully
done. I think between you

and Freya you've done an amazing
job with these flowers.

PRUE: And you've certainly hit the
gravity-defying, because you cannot

believe that such a heavy cake is
not going to fall over.

And just remind us
about what the cake is.

It's a cinnamon sponge with
a vanilla Italian meringue

buttercream and roasted pecans.

Hm. Looks good.

PAUL CHUCKLES

I got exactly that,
exactly as you said it. Oh!

It's absolutely beautifully
flavoured. Lovely.

The cinnamon hit is very powerful,
but it works

because you've balanced that out
with the vanilla as well.

And then the nuts just leave that
little bit of texture as well.

So I think you've created something
that is actually quite remarkable.

I absolutely agree. Thank you so
much. That was amazing. Well done.

Well done.
It really is lovely.

He doesn't say remarkable very
often,

unless he's talking about himself.
LAUGHTER

Aw, well done.

Well done.

You've definitely got
the excitement in there.

You probably could've done with
a little bit more detail.

Look at that -
apple and caramel, how lovely.

Oh, your flavours are lovely.

Thank you. The anti-gravity
is certainly there.

It needs to be a little bit
more honed. Yeah.

I have to say,

I'm a bit disappointed about the
gravity-defying bit.

It was a bit of a disaster
to be honest.

It's a, uh, lemon and almond cake.

It's rather more almond than lemon.
Yeah.

And although there is a little
bit of a lean, there's no way

that's defying gravity.

Fair enough.

It's simply beautiful.

And it's certainly gravity-defying,
especially as you've got the cloud

off-centre, so that really makes you
feel this should fall over.

PAUL: It's a great kid's cake, that.

Let's have a look, shall we?

The inside of the cake
is XXX-inspired sponge

with a raspberry jam
and cream cheese buttercream.

The sponge is a little dry.

OK.

Good flavour, though - really good.

Flavour's superb.

Because of the size of the cake,
I would've put two layers in there.

Right. OK. It's true. If you'd
had three layers of the sponge

and a bit more filling, you wouldn't
have noticed the dryness so much.

It's a pity, because you've
absolutely nailed the illusion bit.

I think it's so elegant, don't you?
Yeah.

It's so clean and simple
but beautifully done.

Is there cake in this?
Yes.

There is? So this has got a rod
support, and then you've... Yes.

With the plinth,
and you've put the cake onto that.

Uh, yes, and I've got two more
supporting discs inside.

It's well-engineered.

The cake is an orange chiffon sponge
with honey buttercream with

a hint of rose
and pistachio praline.

I'm glad you said hint, because rose
can be so strong. Yes.

You've got the rose
absolutely right.

You can hardly taste it
but it's there. Yeah.

It's beautiful because the chiffon's
quite a light sponge, then you've

got texture coming from the nuts,
which gives you a beautiful flavour.

And then the background, you've got
this rose sort of floating

through, so technically the way
you've baked it is perfect.

You could become the flavour king.

Very, very good.
Thank you very much.

Well done. Well done, yeah, so good.

Smashed it. Smashed it.

Phew.

Still sinking in.

I can't believe it.

I'm a very happy Jurgen indeed.

I really thought my cake was raw.

And they cut it and I was like
"Oh, my God, it's raw."

And it wasn't!

Oh, blimey. I think it's the worst
bake I've ever done.

That's pretty bad.

To be honest, I expect to go home

because it doesn't even have an
anti-gravity element.

I just think week one's nerves have
just got the better of me.

I hope I don't go, but I think
I might be, you know, going home.

I absolutely want to stay -
of course I want to stay.

What a great bunch of people.

I've never been able to sit
and talk to

someone in detail about a cake
and not bore the pants off them!

Prue and Paul have
made their decision.

I don't want to get emotional.

No, come on.

Well done, bakers.

Luckily, I've got the amazing job
of announcing the first Star Baker.

And the Star Baker this
week...

..is...

..Jurgen.

Well, I have a job that no-one
wants, and it's a real shame because

we've only just met and we're
already losing one of the gang.

I'm sorry to say that the first
person to be leaving us is...

..Tom.

Absolutely, that's fair enough.

Did not go to plan at all!

Oh, dear.

Hey. Thank you very much.

I always have been harder on myself
than I really should be,

but I definitely am proud of myself,
and I never say that.

So that must mean quite a bit.

But I'm mostly going to miss
spending time with all the lovely

other bakers, to be honest.

They're really talented
and absolutely lovely people,

so I'm so going to miss hanging out
with them every day.

You see, you can do it, can't you?
Thank you. Thank you so much.

I was absolutely thinking
I was going to go first.

But I'm really sad for Tom.
He's such a gentleman.

I love him,
he's so... such a nice man.

George, lift it up a bit.

I'm in shock.

I'm just so pleased that the judges
have seen something in my baking

and I'm here for another week.

Well done, Jurgen.
Well done, Jurgen.

Fantastic. Thank you, thank you
very much. So good.

Thank you. Really, really good.
Thank you.

It is incredible.

It is incredible. Uh,
before, I thought, "Star Baker, hm,

"doesn't matter too much,"
but I feel so... Woo!

Well done! I'm so excited, yes.

LINE RINGS

Nobody at home.

Next time...

Good luck, my little pretties.

..it's biscuit week.

I'm sure talking to them helps.

With a delicate signature...
Oh!

..that could see the bakers snap.

This is killing me.

A deliciously nostalgic Technical...

Who makes biscuits that you can
buy in the shop?

Why?!
Get a tub for 11p, can't you?

..and show-stopping...
Oh, no.

..interactive...

ALL: Oh!
..all-biscuit toys.

If it collapses, it collapses.

Ah!

Please don't fall.

Oh!
Oh.

Oh, no!

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