Where There's Cake, There's Hope...Bake Off 25

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The new series starts on Tuesday 2nd September and the bakers have been named. A few weeks earlier than recent seasons, so taking us nicely from late summer through to the cosiness of autumn.

No change to the team of Paul, Prue, Noel and Alison, which I thought worked well last year - it was a warmer and kinder programme than it has been for a few years.

The usual eclectic mix of contestants, but less of an age spread than some years - a lot of 30 somethings, no-one under 20 or over 60.

Anyone else excited for this season?

The Great British Bake Off confirms return date for season 16 and reveals cast | Radio Times

I feel in Bake off someone is always being groomed for the next tv personality this year it’s Jasmine , lovely girl but def favoured by Paul
Felt sorry for Natalia was really rooting for her to stay, didn’t think she should gone this week.

Also can someone tell Pru it’s really annoying when she says somethings too sweet, it’s cake Pru!! That’s the whole idea, I’ve never had anything too sweet in my life ( terrible sweet tooth)
Mind you I did like her sashaying this week!

Jasmine comes across as a very safe pair of hands, I like her no-drama approach and overall she was the right Star Baker yesterday although I did wonder if Lesley would get the nod. What odds can I get for Lesley to win the series final?

That show was my worst gastronomic nightmare. Two rounds of big dollops of sausagemeat in pastry and then a load of pastry shapes in colours that don't exactly look appealing to eat.

Lesley could be this year's Nancy.

Just watched on catch up, im sad to see Natalia go, and also disappointed Lesley didnt get star Baker.
There was one shot (although could be edited) where it seemed Tom was glaring at Tony's pastry rollercoaster almost like he was willing it to collapse!
I definitely think Jasmine will be in the final, difficult to say who else.

Lesley is my favourite. She was robbed.

I have to agree - I’d have given star baker to Lesley. Hers had a lot of fiddly work in it. Jasmine’s was a good piece of design (which could have gone wrong in a lesser baker’s hands, granted - I can’t see my pastry work slotting together so neatly as her tree halves did), but actually once the tree stayed up, the rest was quite simple.

And has already been said, it seems Lesley’s actually tasted nicer.

Robbed seems to sum it up!

I'll miss Nataliia. Glad Aaron stayed; he's so lovely. Toby keeps dodging bullets - he's very jammy. He's irritating me with his rather studied 'oh I just wing it' attitude.
Lesley should have got star baker, I agree.
I'm afraid Jasmine annoys me. She has head girl/overachiever vibes. I appreciate that might well be my problem not hers though.

I'm confused about meringue week; they said it's the first one ever, but I feel like people on the Bake Off are always making meringues

Just watched the Showstopper judging again because I was trying to work out some ideas for a go at it. Lesley had structural issues, it looked quite messy, and her pastry was overbaked. So I don't think she was robbed, I think it's more that nobody smashed it this week.

@awaynboilyurheid "I feel in Bake off someone is always being groomed for the next tv personality"

I'm not sure they are exactly being groomed, though I'm sure the production team love it when someone breaks through into presenting. I think it's more that some of them have an air of authority that comes across more presenter than contestant and it jars a bit. For me, this year, that's been Jessika, Tom and Jasmine. When Tom said "Remember, if you get your whole almond you win the game" he sounded like it was him running the show and I found it irritating . But like @LittleBitofBread , I suspect that says more about my need to have an underdog to root for than about him.

I'm not very enthusiastic about meringue but will watch next week regardless. I did enjoy School Week though.

Bake Off time

Evening all. I know how to make a pavlova but that’s it when it comes to Meringue

Goodness Paul is a wanker with that unnecessary and bloody ridiculous comment to Jasmine - and smirking all over his face.

I have never made meringue but am making nigellas frozen passion fruit pudding

i bought the meringues for it 🙈

Why is Tom wearing gloves and no one else is?

I like the sound of Leslie's .. lemon and raspberry will be fab. Classics are often the best! (Arron's sounds good too)

Not sure about frangipane and meringue.

Love stem ginger

I have tart tin envy. Aaron's little boat shaped tins are beautiful.

They so are

They all look beautiful and certainly edible

Tom's hair drives me nuts

Is it normally cuts on fingers? They've been blue in the past though.

I’m not sure. Did he say why because I missed the beginning

Toms been wearing black gloves on and off the whole way through.