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

[GetSetFake]

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

With no recipe, and some extra ingredients they had to guess which to leave out.

I wonder if Jessika’s drag king stuff is the reason channel 4 have put her on… as an interesting personality. Happy to be proven wrong JessiKa! Bake y-ya socks off (and everything else off).

Did some of them not put any fondant on?

Were they given fondant icing sugar? I have no idea how you'd make fondant icing otherwise, does it involve glycerine?

I'm in the US so I'll have to wait until Friday to watch on Netflix :-(

It pisses me off no end that they reject so many contestants for not fitting the diversity quota.

Will you leave this thread before we blab the results ?

I've slightly taken against Pui Man for saying that she doesn't eat sweets and biscuits, though she seems delightful otherwise. Generally, though, they seem a likeable group.

Surely if that was the case this lot would be much more diverse? I was thinking how many white beardy guys there were on it. No under 25s, no older bakers, it's really not very diverse

I had to check it was her and a not a guy!

Agree, I dont think its that diverse this year 😭

Yeah, that’s got to be the understatement of the year 🙄
I miss old Bake Off

We always try and buy one of the bakes they are doing each episode, tho of course we sometime don't like the bakes so choose something similar - ish.

So yes we have a packet of Mr Kiplings French Fancies,

we also happen to have a Co Op sticky toffee and apple sponge cake as it's ' cake ' week,
I did want a M&S red velvet but wasn't going to M&S, so thought the Co Op one would suffice as we like it too.
( red velvet is a favourite in the house and we have tried every supermarket version )

But alas, we left it until 7.20pm to go to the CO Op and of course there wasn't any in.
Hence the ' Limited Edition ' sticky toffee and apple.

I don't / can't bake ( or cook ! )

It’s a rainbow cast this year. Iain the transman plus several gay men so it’s not like they hadn’t fulfilled the quota already

How do you find out what bakes they are doing in advance? Id love to be able to get one of them in to eat while they are making it 😁

For diversity, they seem more concerned with sexuality and race/ethnic origin than they do about age.

My DM is like that. . Doesn’t eat biscuits or cakes but is still an excellent baker

Very much diversity according to like the green party

I would like to see age diversity and class diversity more

I don't think they are, really - the racial diversity is really not great this time.

I think Natalia(?) - the Ukrainian lady? - is becoming a bit of a fave of mine. Seems to be doing well.

Oh Iain.

Chocolate sponge bakes aren’t having much luck this episode

Yes I want the Ukrainian to do well

I think Nataliia the Ukrainian will do very well

What the heck just happened to that cake.. 😆