S07.E01: Cake Week

[larapu2000]

I would like to nominate Selasi for the next Bachelor.  Or just propose to him right now.  

I love these people and all their weird little quirks.  Like Val was annoying but then she kept exercising while baking and I couldn't help but fall in love with her despite myself.

[surreysmum]

Store bought Jaffa Cakes were a staple treat in my family when I was growing up in Britain, but the few times I've had them after crossing the pond have been a profound disappointment, mostly because, with that cake, they do not survive the long import trip at all well - they go stale and unpleasantly dry.  My first reaction when they were mentioned on this show was, "you can make those yourself?"  I guess I assumed they were some sort of trademarked recipe - you know, like a Mars Bar or something.  Everyone's looked really good to my nostalgic eyes, though - even the upside-down ones!

[chaifan]

I've never heard the term "Jaffa Cake", but I have seen them before.  When they kept saying "Jaffa" I just assumed I wasn't picking up on the name due to the British accent.  Like when they did pita bread, but in the intro (before showing the sample) I couldn't figure out what they were talking about because the British pronounce it "peh-ta".  Anyways, I was surprised how something so seemingly simple really tripped people up.  Most of the end results looked horrible.

I'm glad this show is back, and it makes for great summer viewing. 

[Mabinogia]

I've missed this show soooo much. That one moment when one of the bakers told, I think it was the redheaded engineer, that he had the Jaffa cakes upside down is exactly why I love this show. No smirking about how "at least I know I'm safe because so and so can't even put his cakes the right way up". I love how they all support each other after critiques. They seem genuinely happy for those who get a good one and try to cheer up those who get a bad one.

They are all my favorites at this point except Dark Lipstick and the blonde lady. Don't dislike blonde lady exactly, but I don't care for her either. I do dislike Dark Lipstick. All her pursed lip mugging is annoying.

Salasi...swoon! Loving him and his laid back calmness. I really hope he goes far. And the guy with the pretty eyes and fondness for booze. And Benamina. And the redheaded engineer.

I really just want to give this show a big hug. (and then eat everything they make)

[GaT]

55 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I do dislike Dark Lipstick. All her pursed lip mugging is annoying.

 

 

Yes! I'm wondering if every week she's going to be wearing a different shade of glaringly obvious lipstick.

From reading other people's comments, this is definitely going to be an unpopular opinion, but I don't like Selasi. There is something about him that feels really disingenuous to me. When I see him clapping for other people, or calmly taking criticism, I just don't believe it. 

[dubbel zout]

Jaffa cakes are one of those very English treats that don't appeal to me at all. Sorry, GBBO! 

It seemed that at least two of the bakes used genoise, which surprised me. I expected a bit more variation, like a pound cake or even a sticky pudding. 

Still, I'm so glad this show is back, even if the stupid NYC PBS channel airs the show one at a time. It's so nice to watch a reality show that has absolutely no backbiting and snark. Or at least, snark aimed at other contestants.

[Kohola3]

No disrespect to any of them (I have no skills beyond basic chocolate chip cookies so I am not the best judge) and I am over the moon that this show is back but.....does this group seem a bit more amateurish than past contestants?  They don't seem to have quite the skill level and range as we've seen with previous groups when I think back to some of the showstoppers in the past.  

Or is it just me?

[Spunkygal]

I am not a baker. I can crank out various cookies for Christmas presents and my mother's cornbread but that's it. Otherwise, I have no desire to bake. But this show is my crack. I love every single thing about it.....the setting, the goofy Mel and Sue (sniff!), the judges (although Paul dropped several notches with his shenanigans with Marcella), the lovely contestants (have never rooted against any of them), and the BAKES (said in my best Sue voice). I am positively giddy that this show is back. It is so refreshing that this sweet, positive charming show is a refuge in this cold, cruel world. I am so thankful that PBS sees how important this show is to us. 

[adam807]

I stumbled upon Pim's Orange Biscuits yesterday, which near as I can tell are basically jaffa cakes. Same flavor profile anyway. They're soft and cakey, not at all like the crispy biscuits described as proper on the show. And extremely addictive. I need more!

[dubbel zout]

15 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

No disrespect to any of them (I have no skills beyond basic chocolate chip cookies so I am not the best judge) and I am over the moon that this show is back but.....does this group seem a bit more amateurish than past contestants?  They don't seem to have quite the skill level and range as we've seen with previous groups when I think back to some of the showstoppers in the past.  

Or is it just me?

You might be right, Kohola3. I was also thinking the weather had something to do with things, as at some point it was raining heavily. Humidity and baked goods are never a good combination. Also, a lot of people had to do things twice, which of course gives them less time to finish. 

The cookies in the preview looked a lot more professional than most of what we saw this week, so maybe it was mostly the weather.

[MortysCleaningLady]

I'm about to sound like my grandma, but what is wrong with Candice's lipstick?   Thank goodness she appears to be a decent baker and I can avert my eyes.

[jaync]

I didn't realize the new season had started until I saw the recap on the homepage. So, thank you, PTV. Love this show!

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So good to see my handsome Paul again!:-)

Oh, yeah. When he takes a bite of something impressive, and gets that look...mercy.

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When I heard mirror cake, I thought of these.  

Wow, those are amazing.

[springbarb]

I was a bit bummed we didn't get to hear how Andrew's (right? The redhead) Jaffa cakes tasted. I know he did them upside-down, but did they taste right?

[theatremouse]

On 8/24/2016 at 1:46 PM, Occasional Hope said:

The orange shaped drizzle cake was a good idea, but executed poorly.

During the intro-ey bits with the sketch, that was the one I was most excited to see, but halfway through the segment, I could tell it was going to be super disappointing. Bummer.

A thing I didn't realize I'd missed was during the technical there was this moment with a few of the contestants agonizing over exactly what size ring to use on the orange jelly, for how far to the edge of the cake it should go. A couple of them did this sort of, stare at it, think, pick one up, put it down, and then just say "ah I have to pick something!" and move on. This almost always happens at some point to someone during a technical and I don't know why I love it. I guess it's the thoughtfulness? Not knowing exactly what the right answer is but wanting to make a thoughtful choice anyway? And then weighing the two choices that both seem to have some sort of reasoning why it could go either way.

[Mabinogia]

57 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

This almost always happens at some point to someone during a technical and I don't know why I love it. I guess it's the thoughtfulness? Not knowing exactly what the right answer is but wanting to make a thoughtful choice anyway? And then weighing the two choices that both seem to have some sort of reasoning why it could go either way.

It is great seeing people stop and think instead of rush rush rush. I liked hearing the one, I think it was one of the guys, reason that if he used the smaller ring then the chocolate would angle down like he recalls it doing on Jaffa cakes.

I love the technical because I like watching them try to work it out. With the other two bakes they pretty much know what they are doing, they've practiced, and just have to deal with any surprises. With the technical they have to think it through and use some logic. I love having both.

[Quilt Fairy]

19 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

No disrespect to any of them (I have no skills beyond basic chocolate chip cookies so I am not the best judge) and I am over the moon that this show is back but.....does this group seem a bit more amateurish than past contestants?  They don't seem to have quite the skill level and range as we've seen with previous groups when I think back to some of the showstoppers in the past.  

Or is it just me?

Paul did say somewhere in the beginning that they felt the challenges had gotten a little too ambitious the last couple of seasons and they were going to dial it back a little.  Maybe keep it more in the realm of what a home baker could do?  So maybe this group of contestants was selected with that in mind.

[Lamb18]

18 hours ago, adam807 said:

I stumbled upon Pim's Orange Biscuits yesterday, which near as I can tell are basically jaffa cakes. Same flavor profile anyway. They're soft and cakey, not at all like the crispy biscuits described as proper on the show. And extremely addictive. I need more!

When Paul and Mary were talking about how Jaffa cakes are made, I immediately thought of Pim's Orange Biscuits. I've heard of Jaffa cakes but didn't know what they were until yesterday.

[dubbel zout]

Jaffa cakes are trademarked; I bet Pim's are the same thing but for the name. Like Oreo and Hydrox.

[movingtargetgal]

20 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

 I am positively giddy that this show is back. It is so refreshing that this sweet, positive charming show is a refuge in this cold, cruel world. I am so thankful that PBS sees how important this show is to us. 

I could not agree more!  This show is so kind, gentle and soothing to the soul.  Could the key to world peace lay in Mary Berry gathering people together in a tent so they can get to know each other through baking?  

[rab01]

23 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

... They are all my favorites at this point except Dark Lipstick and the blonde lady. Don't dislike blonde lady exactly, but I don't care for her either. I do dislike Dark Lipstick. All her pursed lip mugging is annoying.

Salasi...swoon! Loving him and his laid back calmness. I really hope he goes far.   ...

I kind of like her, crazy lipstick and all.  In an attempt to convert you over to not hating her, she was the one who suggested the drizzle cake fix to Salasi ...

[movingtargetgal]

On 6/18/2017 at 8:25 AM, larapu2000 said:

 

I would like to nominate Selasi for the next Bachelor.  Or just propose to him right now.

 

He was so sexy by just getting off his bike, removing his leather jacket and revealing that he was wearing a suit and tie.

[J-Man]

These are the Jaffa cakes that Aldi (in the US) sold.  They were available in both orange and raspberry.

For some reason, they're labelled with the store brand they use for German food items (maybe they're made in Germany?)

[hjmugillecuty]

Oh! I've had Jaffa Cakes. Recently too. A friend brought me some from France. I didn't recognize them on the show. They looked a lot bigger. 

Andrew and Selasi's mirror cakes were gorgeous!

Edited June 20, 2017 by hjmugillecuty
Punctuation

[Evenshorter]

So happy this is back! I just feel so relaxed when I watch - no drama, no Gordon Ramsay swearing and throwing things, just straight up baking and kind contestants. I have a thing for redheads, so at this point you know where my eyes are. Also, did anyone else think that Jane looked a lot like the actress who plays Bridget Jones mother?

Edited June 20, 2017 by Evenshorter
can't spell

[Spunkygal]

4 minutes ago, Evenshorter said:

So happy this is back! I just feel so relaxed when I watch - no drama, no Gordon Ramsay swearing and throwing things, just straight up baking and kind contestants. I have a thing for redheads, so at this point you know where my eyes are. Also, did anyone else think that Jane looked a lot like the actress who plays Bridget Jones mother?

Jane does resemble Bridget's mother! Also, I can't recall who made the blue mirror cake, but I thought "say no to blue icing and blue soup!" (with a nod to Mark Darcy.)

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Two Spotted Dicks On The Great British Bake Off: Stick This In Your Cakehole!

Can the bakers rise to the challenge of Cake Week?

[MeloraH]

A UK flannel is a US wash cloth. I'm not sure if that's better or worse than being like a flannel shirt. Probably worse.

[Maya]

5 hours ago, Evenshorter said:

Also, did anyone else think that Jane looked a lot like the actress who plays Bridget Jones mother?

Thank you, that's it!!

[AZChristian]

Here they are, side-by-side.

 

[susannot]

What I love about this show is that everyone is asked to do the same thing, often with the same ingredients.  That way a head to head comparison actually works.  None of the "make the best dish of your life" on other cooking shows.

Most of the gingerbread structures were disasters.

I'm on the Selasi love train but he needs to win something!

[Mabinogia]

I know. I love to see the various interpretations of the same basic concept. The technical challenge is fascinating because they are making the exact same thing but sometimes they come out vastly different.

[dubbel zout]

My favorite part of the technical challenge is that some of the bakers haven't the faintest idea what the finished product should look like. It's always great when they guess right! Or they do something different but it still works with the judges, e.g., the cakes should be square but someone makes them round, yet everything else is correct.

My least favorite technical bakes are the ones that get too futzy with decoration, like that dumb tennis cake from a few seasons back. I know it used a bunch of different skills, but make that a showcase, when there's usually a bit more time for that sort of detail.

Edited June 21, 2017 by dubbel zout
conjunction junction

[AllAboutMBTV]

If you want to see the Not-Jane Gemma Jones cook up a storm (or at least act like she's cooking up a storm) watch the ye olde Masterpiece Theatre series The Duchess of Duke Street (two seasons, I think). She's fantastic, the Edwardian-era series is delightful and the food is drool-worthy (although I don't remember a lot of desserts).

[Spunkygal]

3 hours ago, AllAboutMBTV said:

If you want to see the Not-Jane Gemma Jones cook up a storm (or at least act like she's cooking up a storm) watch the ye olde Masterpiece Theatre series The Duchess of Duke Street (two seasons, I think). She's fantastic, the Edwardian-era series is delightful and the food is drool-worthy (although I don't remember a lot of desserts).

Thanks so much for the recommendation! I have never heard of it and will look for it. 

[meep.meep]

4 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

My favorite part of the technical challenge is that some of the bakers haven't the faintest idea what the finished product should look like. It's always great when they guess right! Or they do something different but it still works with the judges, e.g., the cakes should be square but someone makes them round, yet everything else is correct.

My least favorite technical bakes are the ones that get too futzy with decoration, like that dumb tennis cake from a few seasons back. I know it used a bunch of different skills, but make that a showcase, when there's usually a bit more time for that sort of detail.

I hated that tennis court cake!  And loved the time that Chetna had made the technical for her signature bake.  And, it was something hugely obscure that they thought no one would have ever heard of.

What I always love about the technical, is when the judges get to someone's and it really doesn't look right, then Mary will always comment that it tastes just right.  Which, unless they actually burnt it, is not remarkable since they've started with the exact same ingredients.

You could tell Lee was going down from the get go.  Selasi's flavors sound amazing. 

[Eliza422]

4 hours ago, meep.meep said:

I hated that tennis court cake!  And loved the time that Chetna had made the technical for her signature bake.  And, it was something hugely obscure that they thought no one would have ever heard of.

What I always love about the technical, is when the judges get to someone's and it really doesn't look right, then Mary will always comment that it tastes just right.  Which, unless they actually burnt it, is not remarkable since they've started with the exact same ingredients.

You could tell Lee was going down from the get go.  Selasi's flavors sound amazing. 

That tennis cake was the worst.

[sum]

9 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

My favorite part of the technical challenge is that some of the bakers haven't the faintest idea what the finished product should look like. It's always great when they guess right! Or they do something different but it still works with the judges, e.g., the cakes should be square but someone makes them round, yet everything else is correct.

My least favorite technical bakes are the ones that get too futzy with decoration, like that dumb tennis cake from a few seasons back. I know it used a bunch of different skills, but make that a showcase, when there's usually a bit more time for that sort of detail.

In addition to that, 'if you can shape the dough correctly based on intentionally vague & confusing description rather than testing baking instinct' type of challenges.
 

Spoiler

There were a few of those in this series like lace pancakes, fougasse. I don't see in what way whether you're able to come up with some pretty design / if you cut the dough in the right places test their skills as a baker.

*Not a huge spoiler, but it reveals a couple of technical challenges that will be featured in the later stages of this series.

Edited June 22, 2017 by sum

[dubbel zout]

12 hours ago, sum said:

In addition to that, 'if you can shape the dough correctly based on intentionally vague & confusing description rather than testing baking instinct' type of challenges.

Exactly. I know presentation is a big part of the show, but if something tastes good but is the wrong shape or size, who cares? (As long as it doesn't look super sloppy or deeply amateurish, I mean.)

[TresGatos]

My husband stated he wants to marry Jane based on her lemon poppy seed drizzle cake. Jane looks to me like a combination of Erma Bombeck and my husband's mother but it was taken his attention away from the woman who bakes the cream pies at the Cataract Bean Festival (who has also never met!).

[theodyssey]

Regarding the comments about how GBBO is so much nicer than Masterchef etc.

You should watch the British version of Masterchef - it's more intense, sure, but the contestants are still fairly friendly towards each other and there's a lot less manufactured drama than in the American version.