‘Great British Baking Show’: Who Made It Through to Semi-Finals After Dessert Week?

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Great British Baking Show, Collection 13, Week 8]

The Great British Baking Show‘s 16th season (labeled as Collection 13 on Netflix) continued this week with the five remaining bakers returning to the tent for Dessert Week, and the pressure was on, as only four contestants would advance to the semi-finals.

Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith tasked the budding bakers with three challenges: the Signature, Technical, and Showstopper. For the Signature, the contestants had to create Basque cheesecake, known for its caramelized, nearly burnt exterior and creamy, custard-like interior.

At this stage, all the remaining contestants are highly skilled, so it often comes down to taste. Unfortunately, that proved a sticking point for Iain, whose cheesecake was criticized by Leith for having “too much zest” and by Hollywood for having an “almost bitter” tang.

 

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Tom’s all-black Signature bake also came under fire for its taste, with Leith telling him the dessert was “more exciting to look at than it is to eat.” He impressed host Noel Fielding, though, who appreciated what he described as a “Goth cheesecake.”

The Technical challenge saw the bakers taking on one of Leith’s favorite recipes, orange and cardamom steamed puddings. Viewers might remember a similar challenge a couple of seasons ago, when the contestants took on Hollywood’s orange-and-ginger treacle puddings, which ended in disaster for all but one baker.

While there were once again issues with under-steaming, this season’s crop of bakers fared much better overall, with their puddings at least edible. Tom redeemed himself from his underwhelming Signature bake, with Leith telling him his pudding was “pretty well faultless.”

 

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Aaron, meanwhile, finished at the bottom, followed by Jasmine, Toby, Iain, and Tom, taking the top spot. But there was still a chance to impress in the Showstopper round, where the bakers were tasked with creating an elaborate free-standing trifle.

Unfortunately, the trifles proved to be trifling for all five remaining contestants. Jasmine did the best, even though Hollywood told her she basically made a “huge Victoria sandwich” rather than a trifle. Regardless, her limoncello-soaked cake was a big hit for its taste.

The other four didn’t have as much luck. Toby’s creation split apart on unmolding. Aaron created something that tasted “delicious” but felt “rubbery” and “dry” in texture. And Iain and Tom again designed desserts that looked beautiful but lacked in taste.

Iain; GBBO YouTube

In the end, Jasmine was named Star Baker, while Iain was eliminated from the competition just one week before the semi-finals.

“I’m proud of making it this far,” Iain said after his elimination. “To make it to the quarter-finals is something I could have never thought of.”

Some fans disagreed with the decision, saying Tom should have gone for creating two bakes that were criticized for their bland flavor.

“I’m already missing mullet man,” wrote one X user, referring to Iain and his standout hairstyle. “Cruel decision as surely Tom should have gone….”

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“Who knew you could have two flavourless bakes and survive elimination?” said another.

Another added, “So yet again producing bakes with poor flavour doesn’t really matter because they looked good…..”

Despite some upset fans, the 29-year-old software engineer took the elimination in his stride. “My main take away from Bake Off is that I truly love baking, I was starting to stagnate with my bakes and being on Bake Off just reignited my passion and showed me that this is what I love doing in this life,” he told Channel 4.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Did the right contestant go home? Let us know your thoughts below.