The Great British Bake Off: Cake
August 5, 2015 9:01 PM - Season 6, Episode 1 - Subscribe

The baking challenge returns! The 12 new bakers don their aprons and head for the iconic tent. Their first signature challenge is to make a madeira cake.

It's a well-loved cake, but which of our bakers will try to impress by reinventing this classic, and who will play safe in a bid to get perfect madeira with its traditional crack?

With one challenge out the way, the bakers face their first technical—Mary's frosted walnut cake, a pre-war classic that is as British as they come. Light sponge sandwiched with buttercream and covered with sweet meringue, this technically challenging cake is one of Mary's favourites, and no-one wants to disappoint the queen of baking.

Day Two, and the bakers have to go all out to impress with their first show-stopper, the black forest gateau. This retro classic from the 70s has it all - chocolate, cherries and cream. It's ripe for a reinvention, and these 12 bakers are ready and willing.

12 new bakers, 30 new challenges.
On your marks, get set... bake!

Description via BBC iPlayer
posted by mumkin (16 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
So happy that Bake Off's back, and with an all-around charming group of contestants! I forget how little time there is for comment when there are so many bakes to be judged, early on. I'm sure that in the moment everyone gets full and well-conveived feedback from Mary and Paul, but that final edit is a whirlwind of "overbaked," "bit grainy," "it's just not there" and whatnot.

I was afraid Dorret was going to bin her failed showstopper… well done Sue being there to immediately divert and comfort.
posted by mumkin at 9:26 PM on August 5, 2015


I liked the decision - Stu enjoyed riffing with the recipes but he was a fairly new baker and didn't quite have the chops to pull it off yet.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 11:59 PM on August 5, 2015 [2 favorites]


Forget about sticking beetroot in a gateau, Stu deserved to go for wearing a hat indoors.
posted by sobarel at 3:40 AM on August 6, 2015 [5 favorites]


I wanted to cry for Dorret! (I get a little bit over-involved in the Bake Off).
posted by theseldomseenkid at 4:46 AM on August 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


Also: Here's what happens when you try to bake along to the Great British Bake Off - they only gave them a spatula, poor things!
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:55 AM on August 6, 2015


Also: Here's what happens when you try to bake along to the Great British Bake Off - they only gave them a spatula, poor things!

"Here's what happens when you try to bake along to the Great British Bake Off, and you don't know what an egg white is, and you have no proper baking equipment, and your spoon is in two pieces."

Poor bastards.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:48 AM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


I was glad to see Stu go. I agree with dorothyisunderwood and sobarel - he didn't have the chops and his hat made me angry.

Tamal is my early favourite.
posted by minsies at 11:20 AM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


One contestant appeared to give a rather snide look when Dorret took her mud pie disaster thing up to the judges. But that could have just been clever editing by the show's producers.
posted by hazyjane at 2:55 PM on August 6, 2015


I had Stu marked from the first frame he appeared in. Happy with the result.

Excellent disaster cake. Good episode.
posted by robcorr at 6:52 PM on August 10, 2015


One contestant appeared to give a rather snide look when Dorret took her mud pie disaster thing up to the judges. But that could have just been clever editing by the show's producers.

I assume that of literally every reaction shot on the show. Especially when the judges say something cutting and the contestants say "OK" and then we cut away. That seems implausible to me.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 11:51 PM on August 13, 2015 [1 favorite]


I could not agree more about Stu deserving to go for wearing a hat indoors.
My wife has come to terms with me shouting "TAKE YOUR HAT OFF" at chumps who wear hats indoors (on tv, anyways).
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 4:44 PM on August 29, 2015


Does a tent really qualify as "indoors"? I feel like it could go either way.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:55 PM on August 29, 2015


A tent may not count as indoors but a marquee counts as indoors.
Especially if it there are ovens, and furniture and so on. It is an indoor setting and thus hats must be removed!
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:24 AM on August 30, 2015


this is the first time i've watched this show and I LOVE IT! it's so charming! i totally almost cried when the mousse didn't set. i also love jo brand so "another slice" is pretty much the greatest accidental find from a baking show for me.
posted by nadawi at 8:09 PM on October 25, 2015 [1 favorite]


You shoulda been around for Baked Alaska Gate last season.
The whole country was in uproar!

UPROAR!
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 3:19 AM on October 26, 2015


I just watched this episode. Can anyone help me understand the joke Sue makes about Paul suggesting how finely to chop cherries for Black Forest cake?
posted by brainwane at 6:29 AM on August 28, 2017


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