⛄ CHRISTMAS 2020 COMPETITION TIME! ✨ In the spirit of Christmas, we've teamed up with The Whimsical Cakery to bring you the Ultimate Christmas Goodies Giveaway. After all, 'tis the season for giving! 🎅   What was once a baker's dozen then became three and |
| Cake is always a good idea - especially ultimate chocolate cake – but, although a simple task at the outset, the bakers needed to ensure their bakes were far from bog(trotter) standard. David chose an indulgent dark chocolate cake; Alice created a pear-packed ginger flavoured chocolate sponge; and Steph went for a retro Black Forest gateau. |  |
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From chocolate to cheese; next was a Hollywood-set technical in which the tent took on six Stilton soufflés. There was heartbreak (literally – we could hardly watch!) for Steph who struggled under the soufflé pressure and instead ended up with Stilton soups, after winging it with her bain marie. However, David knew what was gouda for him, taking a mature approach and creating a grate outcome that landed him Star Baker (finally!).
Meanwhile, Alice was having a meltdown over her parents missing a plane.
| David was in a strong position going into the final and, as Sandi donned her red lippy, the bakers took to their benches for the final showstopper of the series. Packed full of edible illusions, viewers enjoyed a feast for the eyes as the final three created a picnic of delicious deception. Alice celebrated the end of the school year with carrot cake scotch eggs; Steph’s wasn’t exactly a picnic in the park as she struggled with sponge; but David remained calm and collected to create a P&P embellished nougatine hamper as well as bringing back the famous Jamie sausage/fig roll saga. YES. |  |
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| It was FAB to see the whole gang back together, and as friends and family flooded the GBBO lawn, we eagerly awaited the crowning of the GBBO Series 10 winner.. HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to David who did it for the underdogs and was an amazingly worthy winner. A true example that the tortoise really can catch the hare. Smashed it. |  |
 | This year, we’re celebrating our brand ambassador #bakebosses so keep your eyes peeled for weekly Archangel Showstoppers.Our Cake Angels x GBBO bake this week comes from girl power top babes Sugar Tits London (@sugartitslondon) who have created these stellar doughnuts with our Intergalactic Sprinkles and Chocolate Frosting. Head over to their page to check them out! |
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HOLY CREPE WHAT A SERIES.
Shoutout to The Great British Bake Off for providing us with 10 weeks of smiles, showstoppers and suspense, it’s been flantastic. Over and out.
Shoutout to The Great British Bake Off for providing us with 10 weeks of smiles, showstoppers and suspense, it’s been flantastic. Over and out.
It was heartbreak without Henry in the tent this week, but as the team donned colourful ties in his honour, we kick started the final GBBO countdown and Patisserie Week.
| For the signature challenge, the bakers were tasked with elegant and exquisitely decorated domed tartlets. Targeted as traditional French pastries, the tartlets turned out to be rather more ‘mini implant’ as drink-infused jellies were encased in soft pastry. Rosie decided to gin it to win it but with harsh judging from Paul and Prue, her crème pat was more cow pat. David’s nuts were too big for Paul and Steph’s looked like boobs (although ‘nearly perfect’ according to Prue), but it was Alice who won the judges over with her gorgeous flavours and (slightly dodgy) traditional patisserie piping. |  |
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The technical round saw Rosie rise up from the choux graveyard. In one of the hardest tasks we’ve seen all series, the tent was put to the test with a Gâteau St-Honoré. Having had everyone on the edge of their seats as attempts one, two AND three all ended up in the bin, Rosie defied the odds and put together a fantastic bake to win the challenge. Alice bit off more than she could choux, coming fourth place, Steph was third and David (having decided he’s more of a rough puff kind of guy) managed to secure second place AGAIN.
| Finally, for the showstopper, the bakers were challenged with a near impossible task… EDIBLE GLASS. Their sugar glass displays were to encase something meaningful but edible in a task that would put their precision baking to the test. Steph’s ode to her grandfather with a night at the opera was a class act, earning high praise from Prue. Alice’s showstopper was a fantastic representation of our oceans and the delicacy of the coral reef #saveourocean, earning her the Star Baker title. David and Rosie were in trouble, but it was Rosie’s ‘simplistic’ and ‘boring’ bake that lost her a place at the final. |    |
 | This year, we’re celebrating our brand ambassador #bakebosses so keep your eyes peeled for weekly Archangel Showstoppers.Our Cake Angels x GBBO bake this week comes from Paul (@cakeandslice) who’s created this amazing profiterole tower using our Zillionaire Sprinkles. Read more about him and check out his bakes on his Archangel page. |
Despite the heatwave, there were plenty of soggy bottoms in the tent this week as the remaining five contestants took on Pastry Week.Tasked with a tarte tatin for the signature challenge, the bakers took to their workstations to create a super savoury bake. Good lamination and solid crusts were needed in order to wow the judges, but it was Henry’s hot damn crab tarte that stole the show. Although a treasured gift from his partner’s Bulgarian grandma, David’s nuts were too dry for Paul, whereas Rosie was the first to suffer with a soggy bottom. |  |
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| Paul threw a brick in the works for the technical round and asked the bakers to create a Moroccan pie using walker (aka brick) pastry. The tent was definitely NOT filo-ing ready for the challenge and it was heartbreak for Steph who couldn’t master the shit, woops we mean sheet, pastry. Henry and Rosie also crumbled under the pastry pressure of the Morrocan(t) tart, but when life gives you limes, what do you do? Throw them around the tent, obviously. Congratulations to David who FINALLY took the technical challenge title, who, undeterred by the white walkers of the tent, made it look easy as pie. It was Alice, Rosie and Henry who were in trouble going into the showstopper round where they were tasked with reaching for the pie in a vertical crust creation. Alice made a pie-house for Sandi to live in; David’s lid went overboard; and Rosie brought camemBERT the Dragon to life. But it was Steph who, once again, took the Star Baker crown. Commiserations for top babe Henry who said ‘pie’m outta here’ this week – we’ll miss his (s)ass in the tent! |    |
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This year, we’re celebrating our brand ambassador #bakebosses so keep your eyes peeled for weekly Archangel Showstoppers.Our Cake Angels x GBBO bake this week comes from Ellie (@sieving_the_dream) who has created this fab white chocolate and raspberry tart. She’s used our Flower Power Cake Toppers and Rainbow Sprinkles to deliver a pretty pastry, perfect for any party. Read more about her on her Archangel page. Bring on the semi final and Patisserie Week! |  |
It was one big party in the tent this week as
contestants took on Festival Week!
| With seasonal treats, party pastries and carnival cakes, the remaining six bakers had their work cut out to ensure they secured themselves a place in next week’s Quarter Final. First came the signature challenge in which the tent was tasked with festive buns from around the world. ‘Festive’ wasn’t just capped at Christmas though, with Pru and Paul encouraging the bakers to incorporate any country of the world with any relatable festival. Many of the bakers gave their take on a classic hot cross bun and it was Steph’s spiced buns that landed her the first Hollywood Handshake of the episode. However, whilst David took inspirations from Eastern Europe with a Bulgarian Easter Kozunak plait, Henry got the ball rolling with a Swedish chocolate kardemummabullar and was rewarded with the second Hollywood Handshake of the day.... although, what he really needs to be congratulated for is telling Paul to shut up! |   |
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For the technical, the bakers were challenged with 12 Sicilian cassatelle (aka carnival crescents) that were to be well-kneaded, well-filled and well-sealed (duh!). For many of the bakers, this brought back bad memories of Dairy Week… since when was sieving cheese a thing!? Sandi helped Henry crank his dough whilst Noel discussed Paul’s soft but powerful handshake with Steph. The deep fat fryers proved (pardon the pun) difficult for Michael and Alice, who’s crescents ended up looking more like tacos. Congratulations to Rosie who (finally!) won the technical challenge, but surprise surprise, it was David’s ‘nice buns’ that landed him second place AGAIN.
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| There was layer upon layer of pressure for the tent in this week’s showstopper challenge as they took on a the hardest test yet: a Malaysian 'Kek lapis Sarawak' – eg a grilled colourful layered cake. With Rosie high on life from her technical title and newly formed band Eggy Rubber with Noel, she was the only contestant to dare the triangle. But instead of signing deals, she ended up singeing layers and was left with a burning issue to solve. David based his colours on Prue’s necklace but had problems with his layers, leaving himself short. Henry made a stack of egg sandwiches. |  |
Henry won in so many ways this week; he told Paul to shut up; Paul told him to shut up; he showed off some incredible footwork skills; and then he won star baker. WE LOVE YOU HENRY.
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This year, we’re celebrating our brand ambassador #bakebosses so keep your eyes peeled for weekly Archangel Showstoppers.Our Cake Angels x GBBO bake this week comes from Sarah (@the_sugar_alchemist) who created this amazing halloween bake in celebration of the upcoming Day of the Dead Festival. She’s used our Trick or Treat 2Ds, which are 30% off all month using the code HALOPRODUCT30. Get yours now! |  |
 | Managed to grab yourself some Glasto 2020 tickets and now you're ready to party? |
As for Michael leaving the tent, we’re heartbroken. But that’s how the cookie crumbles, and with pastry week incoming, all he can do now is reach for the pie, whoops, sky.
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After the ups and downs of 1920s Week, it was great to see the bakers back in action, and a little less stressed (well, at least we didn’t have a Michael Meltdown this week), for Dessert Week!Layering was the main theme this week, which saw contestants take on meringue cakes, verine desserts and spherical bombes in an array of colour, class and chaos. |  |
For their layered meringue cakes, contestants were challenged to create a cake large enough to share with friends. They didn’t disappoint – with Henry struggling to handle his ‘massive meringues’. Nuts were, again, a popular addition to the bakes, but Michael was left waiting for his to cook whilst Steph just had too many. We also learnt the difference between tempering chocolate and chocolate tempers (we especially enjoyed Sandi’s impression of an angry white chocolate).
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Overall, the meringue cakes were a success. Although unfortunately, the flavours of David’s beautiful spiced meringue blew the judges away… in the wrong sense; and Priya’s blueberry cream was described as ‘horrible’ by Prue; but Henry received positive feedback from the judges, even if Paul didn’t believe his jam was homemade!
| There was plenty of chill time (although none of it done by the bakers) in the technical challenge, in which Prue tasked the tent with verines; layered desserts in a glass. However, the standard was high, with the main difficulties found at the final stages of construction – fiddly biscuit toppers are not easy with shaking hands. Congratulations to Alice who came top in the technical with ‘near perfect’ verines, but we can’t help but feel sorry for David who came second for the FOURTH time in a row! |  |
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This week, the tent’s spherical celebratory showstoppers were the absolute BOMBE. Michael celebrated his 26th birthday with a black forest gateaux bombe and a birthday stripogram discussion with Noel; Henry ‘finally went mad’ and had a hot date with the freezer as he maneuvered his bombe around cardboard layers; and Alice took the safety approach to bomb construction when releasing from the tin. The bakers even managed to glimpse some ‘down time’ which saw the creation of the The Least Laddy Lads Club.. love it!
| With Priya, Michael, Henry and Rosie all flirting with the bottom and fighting for their place, it was Priya who bombed out. Time is always the bakers greatest enemy, but for Priya it had meant the end of the road and we said a teary goodbye to our favourite chatterbox. |  |
Despite perfect layers in David’s Delightful Bombe, he just missed out (again) on the Star Baker title, as did Alice who’s tiramisu bombe could only be described as ‘beautiful’. HUGE congratulations to Steph who did it for the fringes and took the title of Star Baker for a record-breaking third time in a row!
 | This year, we’re celebrating our brand ambassador #bakebosses so keep your eyes peeled for weekly Archangel Showstoppers.Our Cake Angels x GBBO bake this week comes from Lauren (@itslittlelauren) who took on the challenge of layers with this incredible honeycomb tiered bake. She’s used our Flower Power Cake Toppers and Sweetie Pie Sprinkles to deliver quite the showstopper. Be sure to check out her latest bakes and how-tos on her account, or read more about her on her Archangel page. |
 | Next week, we’re looking forward to some festival fun as the tent takes on seasonal treats, party pastries and carnival cakes in Festival Week! |
Our GBBO Blog is back and this time we’re catching
up on the last two weeks; Dairy and 1920s.
| It was sad to see Amelia go in Bread Week, but the tent quickly learnt that there is no point crying over spilt milk as they looked ahead to the first ever GBBO Dairy Week! And it was udderly brilliant. |  |
Week 4 was kick-started with a typically on-theme practical challenge: dairy cakes. To ensure his cake was extra moist for the judges, David went for a ‘full mouthful’ of limoncello; Helena continued the Halloween theme with a ‘groovy ghouly’; Henry had the shakes; and Michael had a meltdown.
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The technical turned out to be a Henry VIII fave. Prue was looking for a Tudor classic in the form of 12 maids of honour (yeah, we didn’t know what they were either). With no room for soggy bottoms, the tent was put to the test in a flurry of lumpy curd, timing issues and disfigured Tudor roses. Steph may have come first in the technical, but overall Paul was not impressed with any of them (is he ever?).
| The final test was in the form of milk-based Indian sweets for the showstopper. The mishti challenge saw Steph and David battling it out for Paul and Prue’s approval, but it was Steph who took the title as Star Baker (as well a Best Fringe) whilst we said a sad goodbye to Phil (and Norman the gnome). Poor Henry had an ice cream nightmare, but at least, according to Prue, his balls were firm. Plus, did anyone else spot the cheeky hug between him and Alice? Is there romance in the tent? |  |
This year, we’re celebrating our brand ambassador #bakebosses so keep your eyes peeled for weekly Archangel Showstoppers. Our Dairy Week Cake Angels x GBBO bake comes from trained chef and loyal Archangel, Jess (@whatjessicabakednext). She created this brilliant no-bake cheesecake, topped with caramel sauce and our Zillionaire Sprinkles – a dinner party classic! Want to give it a try yourself? Click here for the recipe. |  |
Well, 1920s Week was a roaring success.We saw the second Hollywood Handshake of the series as David pulled out all the stops to create an exquisite selection of ‘perfect custard pies’ for the practical, whilst Rosie had a flop, dropping hers on the floor (did anyone else sing ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Tart’ to themselves?). |  |
This week’s technical challenge was a corker. Not only was the name a mouthful, but the phrase ‘beignets soufflés’ was met with a look from the tent which can only be described as ‘HUH?’. It was a struggle for most; the boys seemed to have problems with their stiffness; and Michael (once again) crumbled under the pressure (*heartbreak*). #RealMenCry
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| When the mood is low, where do you go? To the bar of course! This week’s showstopper came at the perfect time; with a nod to the prohibition era, bakers were tasked with creating a tiered cake using alcohol. Although pina colada proved to be a solid favourite, Helena’s cocktail of choice is a Vampires Kiss (obviously!). Congratulations to Steph who took the title, once again, as Star Baker. |  |
But just when we thought there couldn’t be any more surprises….. a double eviction! In a SHOCK twist, we said goodbye to wonderful Welsh Michelle and Halloween Queen Helena. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. But the show must go and the proof is in the pudding as next week is DESSERT WEEK.
| We're giving away a GBBO inspired prize next Tuesday, ahead of Dessert Week, for entrants that retweet this blog, follow us and tag a friend on Twitter. GOOD LUCK. |  |
Bread Week was everything we kneaded it to be.
There were plenty of buns in the oven as contestants
loafed around in the tent, with many of them showing
that they really are great in bread.
| There was bread dread in the tent this week as contestants felt the need to prove themselves in front of the Bread King himself, Paul, who (as described by Noel) is practically part-bread with a torso like a baguette… is that a compliment? This week, the group was put to the test with a selection of recipes that would hopefully give them the upper crust; a signature to get the judges hot under the collar (which saw Michael score the first Hollywood Handshake of the season with his trademark chilli loaf), a cheeky technical challenge in the form of nice buns, and a super sharp showstopper. |  |
For the technical, bakers were tasked with presenting a selection of nice baps; eight burger buns plus four veggie burgers. What did we learn? Phil likes a good bit of meat; David enjoys pert buns; and Amelia’s baps just weren’t quite big enough… oh, and Prue is a crumpet.
For the showstopper challenger, contestants kneaded to keep calm and get their guns pumping as they created a display of artistically scored loaves. Their baps went under the knife in a display that saw African masks from David and safari animals from Rosie (duh, what else!), whilst Michael’s went up in flames, earning him the Star Baker title.
For the showstopper challenger, contestants kneaded to keep calm and get their guns pumping as they created a display of artistically scored loaves. Their baps went under the knife in a display that saw African masks from David and safari animals from Rosie (duh, what else!), whilst Michael’s went up in flames, earning him the Star Baker title.
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Our Bread Week Cake Angels x GBBO bake comes from baking queen Alix Carey (@mykitchendrawer). She created a FAB Rainbow Babka Bread, perfect for all occasions but especially if you want to bring a pop of colour to the table!
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Shake ya bourbon, it's Biscuit Week!
| We may have missed Dan's man bun in the tent, but week two was still a cracker. Contestants were challenged with a signature classic to break the mould; an old school technical to get the (fig) ball rolling; and finally, a sculptural showstopper in the form of a giant edible masterpiece. We still haven't seen a famous Hollywood handshake, but one things for sure, Biscuit Week really brought out the Michelangelos of dough. |  |
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| Congratulations to Alice for her crowning of Star Baker - well deserved! Shoutouts to Michelle, Priya and Rosie for some spectacular showstoppers too - animal magic really took over the tent this week. Helena had a tough week, she needed to pull her finger out for the signature but there was mixed views to whether she nailed it or not. As for David, he just needed to keep his nuts warm to ensue he made it through to week three. We also established that Henry's organ really wasn't as big as Prue had first hoped...! | |
 Talking of biscuit bars, we’ve got a WHEELY exciting giveaway launching today. Check out our Instagram and you could win yourself some baked goodies, drizzled in Priya's ruby chocolate, by the fab @LilsParlour. | |
| This week’s Cake Angels x GBBO bake fitted perfectly with the giant biscuit sculpture theme; an incrEDIBLE cookie box of treats by biscuit queen Steph (@baked.by.steph). Perfect for a party or even a quirky coffee morning, this box of dreams is biscuit goals. Fancy having a go at making one yourself? You can now find Steph’s recipe on our website.  |  |
| | We told you it was a cracker of an episode; tears, teamwork and tantrums.. and some cookies that really did crumble. We are (along with the rest of the country) gutted to see Jamie go, but love the petition to rename Jamie Dodgers! We're also praying for a Dan and Jamie spin off show... As we look ahead to week three, things are getting serious. Contestants really should stop loafing around... because next week is BREAD WEEK! |
Roll up your sleeves, put on your apron and turn up the heat… BAKE OFF IS BACK.
What better way to kick-start the #GBBO season than with a showstopper first episode - Cake Week.
| Contestants were put to the test in last night’s episode with a series of bakes that saw blood, sweat and tears (quite literally – watch out for your fingers Michael!). There was groping from Phil; a lack of eggs from Jamie; and a timer malfunction from Dan; but the icing on the cake has to be that furry garden chat between Helena and Paul… most awkward moment ever? Fur real. | |
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Huge congrats to Michelle for bagging the first Star Baker title of the series! However, there were two other close runners for our BAEker of the Week; Michael and Jamie. Let’s be honest, Michael took us on an emotional rollercoaster whilst still being completely adorable (even with only 9 fingers); and Jamie took an early lead as the People’s Champion for refusing to cry on camera and having his voice break in front of the judges.. cute.
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| Unlike Jamie (quote of the episode: ‘I like angel cake, but like the cheap one, like the 50p job’), we were delighted to see angel cakes on the menu in the technical challenge. Give yours a Cake Angels finish by topping them with our Blush Sprinkles. |  This year, we’re celebrating our brand ambassador #bakebosses so keep your eyes peeled for weekly Archangel Showstoppers. |
Our Cake Angels x GBBO bake this week comes from the incredible @sugarbase_. She’s used our Floral Cake Art and Flower Power Cake Toppers to deliver the WOW factor with this colourful cake. Be sure to check out her latest bakes and how-tos on her account, or read more about her on her Archangel page.
 | All in all a fab start to the Bake Off season. Super sad to see Dan go (we’ll miss the trendy man bun in the tent), but onwards and upwards… bring on Biscuit Week!  |
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Calling all BAE-kers, it's time to join the Archangel revolution.
This is no basic blog. Think cake couture, culture and crazes. We’re adding a sprinkle of sass to your feed with decorating style edits so that you can own the baking scene. The Bossbaker blog serves up Instagram-able trends, our fave finds and the latest lifestyle news. Our Archangels will also be inspiring you through their guest blogs to help you gain your wings. This is for all our angels that enjoy being a little extra, so lets make it official. Keep checking in with Cake Angels to make sure you’re bossing the baking game and be the first to hear about everything Archangels (after all, no one wants FOMO).
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