On your marks, get set, bake!
BREAK out the bunting, the tent is back. It’s a place of joy where the very worst thing that can happen is that someone drops their cake on the floor.
It kicks off with a bizarre country and western performance from judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith and presenters Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas involving lots of fringed jackets, quiffs, line dancing and – in Prue’s case – a moustache.
“Don’t bake my tart, my flaky, pastry tart,” etc. You get the idea.
Into the tent and it’s time to meet the batch of 12 new bakers who will face 30 fresh challenges this series.
“It’s like the feeling you get walking into the Sistine Chapel,” says engineer Giuseppe, slightly over-egging the pudding.
Among the other contestants is 70-year-old retired midwife Maggie. It does not go unnoticed that she’s Prue’s doppelganger. There’s also Amanda, a police detective, Chigs, a sales manager, and Freya, a vegan psychology student and the youngest contestant at 19. “Not using eggs is a bit of a faff,” she admits.
Beginning with Cake Week, the bakers must make 12 decorative mini rolls and it’s all about the perfect swirl.
Under the gingham cloth lie the ingredients for the first technical – a nostalgic teatime classic, the malt loaf, served with homemade butter. Except not everyone knows what a malt loaf is.
Finally, in the showstopper, they must create illusion cakes that represent a precious memory and defy gravity. It’s a wicked task… with incredible, but wobbly results.