The Bake Is Back - the countdown to Great British Bake Off 2026 starts here

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Trailer for the new series just dropped - no transmission date yet though.

Anyone else excited to see how Nigella gets on as the new judge? A worthy successor to Pru and Mary, I think.

@Tomfooleries - thank you for that information about the adapted bench - I owe the production team an apology!

Yes I agree that the contestants have to be able to bake, but as importantly they have to be able to chat and to be entertaining.
We wouldn't have this thread if they were all quietly, efficiently getting on with producing a Genoise and Italian meringue buttercream sponge with chocolate ganache but not saying anything funny or annoying. That would be Masterbake or something.

Does anyone know what they are making tomorrow ?

Biscuit week! Apparently American style cookies for signature, a “nostalgic classic” for technical and a mosaic showstopper!

I’m going to be making the jam on toast cookies I’ve seen on TikTok !

Ooh, wonder what nostalgic classic it might be.

From memory, they've already done Custard Creams, Jammy Dodgers, Viscount mint creams, Wagon Wheels, Chocolate Caramel Hobnobs, Fig Rolls, Chocolate Garibaldi (controversially unauthentic) and Jaffa Cakes (controversially not a cake). Trying to think of something in that ballpark of skill level - Ginger Nuts and Rich Tea probably too simple.

Oreos? I've made them and they were good though the authentic vegan filling involved Trex which is always a bit revolting to think of eating uncooked.

What else could it be?

They've done twix as well haven't they?

What about a pink wafer biscuit? although Time Out refers to them as neon cavity insulation.

Jaffa cake is a cake not a biscuit!

Cakes go hard when stale as they lose moisture, biscuits go soft as they gain moisture.

Legal case in 1991 to prove it. (Cakes are zero rated for VAT even if covered in chocolate, biscuits have to pay VAT if covered or partially covered in chocolate - so McVitties challenged the biscuit clarification and won).

Oh that would be interesting! Mad to me that you can bake a pink wafer biscuit, I assumed they just come like that 😂

I can't begin to imagine how you would make a pink wafer biscuit!

I’m with Time Out on that. My favourite to eat would be biscoff or nice biscuit but both likely too simple for bake off. Costco palmier are lovely but are they buscuits for as puff pastry

@Cookingdoesntgettougher I've had a go at biscoff and they are basically a crisp gingerbread, the tricky thing is getting the spices right, which I have never quite managed. I guess they could do a biscoff sandwich cookie, but still not very technical.

I did look up a wafer recipe and you make a thin waffle and dry it out in the oven until it's very crisp. Sounds faffy and quite unlikely to come in anything like the real thing.

@Kepler22B I'd remembered the court case but thought it was the other way round. I've always felt it had more of a biscuit vibe than a cake vibe but if the judge ruled otherwise I'll accept that!

I’m a lawyer so will also bow to the courts but I think the test should have been - if someone said do you fancy a biscuit and they bring out a Jaffa cake you wouldn’t be surprised. But if they said do you fancy some cake I would be surprised (and a bit disappointed!) if they brought out a Jaffa cake!!

Also trained as lawyer, sometimes amazed what the courts have to rule. I wonder if there were samples.

I used to work for someone who thought it was great to ask is a Jaffa cake a cake or a biscuit as an interview question....I think he thought it would invite some discussion/debate. I think he stopped asking it after I said it was not VAT rated so a cake.

I think jaffa cakes are nasty and in my mind count as neither, cake, biscuit or chocolate! 🤣

Does anyone else bake along with the show? I did chocolate cake last week and am doing shortbread this week

wow that is keen! 😁 There’s no way that I could concentrate on the show and bake along too!

I’m surprised at how young the contestants are, but then I guess nice older WI ladies aren’t as much fun to watch.
No, they've had contestants along those lines before and they're great. Often very funny, usually utterly no-nonsense.

There were. They even make a giant Jaffa cake and argued that size shouldn’t matter. If it was a cake when large it should be a cake when small.

I find it bizarre that cakes are zero rated at all but hey ho.

Yes, but I think they're trying to cast closer to their core viewership, which apparently is strongly concentrated under the age of 35.

I find that really surprising. I thought it'd be largely middle-aged types (like me and DP) and older.

I eat along. Cake last week, biccies this.

I bake in advance and eat during! I like it to be on theme but also something that tests me a bit.

This week I’ve made “jam on toast” cookies as per TikTok fame. They are incredible, have actual toasty crispy bits, a jammy core and a good bit of salt nigella would appreciate!

Evening all. Biscuits this week. Love a good biscuit. Bring on the iced gems

@ChaosandCwtches sounds good will look up. At this rate husband will have ate all the shortbread before the show