The Great British Bake Off returns to our screens on 12th September! With less than a week to go, at World of Spice, we can’t wait to see more delicious pastries, bakes and cakes over the next eight weeks!
We can’t wait to watch the upcoming talent of 2023 excel in the judge’s challenges! However, it hasn’t always been plain sailing for some of the contestants! This week, we take a closer look at some of the most spectacular fails over the last thirteen series, our verdict and how a little help from our team could’ve potentially saved the day!
What is The Great British Bake Off?
For those of you who have never seen GBBO, or Bake Off, as it’s more commonly known, you simply need to get in on a slice of the action! Watch the ultimate baking battle unfold between amateur baking fans, as they complete for the crown! The competition is vast, featuring all ages, hailing from locations all over Britain, from all walks of life!
Each week, the bakers take on a different baking skill, which become more difficult as the competition unfolds!
Just some of the challenges include:
Signature Bake - testing personality, creative flair and baking ability. The bakers get to show off their tried and tested homemade bites.
Technical Bake – all taking a basic recipe, with the same ingredients and instructions, the bakers produce the finished product!
Showstopper Bake - in the final challenge, the bakers showcase the depth of their skill and talent. This task calls for a professional standard in taste and appearance!
The ‘Leaning’ Eiffel Tower Cake
In series 9, we saw contestant Terry confuse the Eiffel Tower with the Leaning Tower of Pisa! The bakers were tasked with creating a two-tier chocolate collar cake and this version of the Parisian landmark came in at an alarming angle, with judges saying it lacked structure and texture throughout. With his baking creation of a champagne and strawberries Eiffel Tower cake, Terry received 8th place for his showstopper.
Champagne is a hard flavour to accommodate into a cake, and as we saw, the more liquid used, the sloppier the mix can be! More wooden reinforcements should’ve been used in this tiered cake. Plus, the team at World of Spice think a chocolate and strawberry cake would’ve worked just as well and potentially saved the structure from its eventual demise!
Baked ‘Melted’ Alaska
In 2014, the contestants from series 5 had the challenge of working with ice cream in a very hot tent and things didn’t turn out well for baker, Iain. Fellow competitor, Diana, removed Iain’s Baked Alaska from the freezer to make room for hers! The dessert was discovered a short while later in a melted mess! Iain decided to throw all his hard work away, rather than serve it to the judges. With nothing to show, he was sent home!
Baked Alaska is a hard sweet treat to conquer. The moral of the story here is to make sure you never take your eyes of the prize… or the freezer it’s in… especially in summer!
Stole the Custard
Howard and the contestants from season 4 were tasked with creating a trifle using either jam or custard for a filling. Rival contestant Deborah took Howard’s custard and used it on her trifle instead!
Howard was forced to use Deborah’s custard and the judges were made aware of the mishap. Custard-gate showed Howard’s true, sunny colours and fans deemed him the most likable contestant on the show!
Howard used a dash of cinnamon and vanilla to ensure his custard tasted the best, helping his dessert to stand out from the competition. The World of Spice team couldn’t agree more with his spice infused decision!
Black Forrest Gateau Gate
Contestant Dorret faced a meltdown with her first showstopper of the season! During the much-anticipated cake week, the contestants had to make an extravagant Black Forest Gateau that would impress the judges in design and appearance.
Dorret’s black forest gateau met a sticky end, when the mousse refused to set and was reduced to a liquid mess! It’s an easy mistake to make, but if your pan is not hot enough, the mousse will rise too much, then fall in the center before it is set. Be sure your mixture isn’t too dense, and that any cream is whipped until it’s light and airy!
Vertical Vegan Cake Slide
In vegan week in 2018, Ruby’s two-tier cake took a tumble. Fans watched in in horror as her two-tiered lemon, chocolate, and coconut cake began to slide slowly and collapsed onto the table just before judging! Luckily, Prue and Paul thought her pile of cake tasted delicious.
With the sheer weight of the cake pulling itself down, instead of heavy chocolate and coconut shavings on top, World of Spice would’ve opted for fine desiccated coconut and vegan dark cocoa powder mixed into the cake mix to alleviate some of the weight.
Get in Touch
At World of Spice, our trusted suppliers of herbs and spices will help you become a star baker in no time! Our delicious produce is known for its purity and potency, full of delicious flavour to give your bakes and sweet treats the edge. Our service is cost-effective and reliable; we go above and beyond for each of our customers to ensure that you get the produce you need for business.
From bespoke blends to a choice of packaging, complete with custom labelling, our comprehensive service can help you achieve your culinary goals. For more information about our services and what we can offer you, please contact us at please contact us at orders@worldofspice.co.uk, or feel free to call our team on 01277 633303. We look forward to hearing from you.
