The Bake Off Winner has been announced!
Warning: Spoilers coming up...
After ten weeks of tempting cakes and bakes, and a semi-final elimination that Hollywood himself deemed the toughest decision he's made since starting the Bake Off, we were left with three brilliant bakers fighting for the crown, each having had their ups and down over the course of the competition. But which of our top three would be crowned this 2017's Bake Off winner?
Bake Off runners up 2017
Kate Health and safety inspector Kate shone in Caramel Week, with a Sticky Toffee Apple Cake so good that Prue even asked for the recipe. When it came to the final, Kate impressed the judges with her signature loaves, but an unfinished technical set her back, and although her beautiful lychee and yuzu entremet was a hit with the judges, it wasn't quite enough to make Kate the Bake Off winner.
Steven The only boy left in the competition, marketing man Steven, had a strong start to the show, winning star baker in both the first and second week. He blew the judges, and all of us, away with his 'baker's lunch' BLT illusion cake that looked like something out of a cake shop window. Steven slipped from his throne for a few weeks, until making a comeback in Italian Week. With three star bakers in the bag, Steven was a strong contender. His evenly baked and intricately iced ginger biscuits secured first place in the technical challenge of the fnal, but the layering of his Yin and Yang entremet wasn't quite up to scratch.
Bake Off winner 2017
Sophie Former army officer Sophie strode into the final with two star baker wins under her belt. Her raspberry, white chocolate and yuzu terrine wowed both judges in pudding week, and she aced the patisserie themed semi-final by coming first in the Les Miserables technical, assembling a highly impressive meringue centrepiece. She entered the final as the reigning champion, as Nadiya did back in 2015, and followed suit by blowing the judges away with her exquisitely decorated Honey, Lemon and Lavender Entremet, leaving her to take the crown.
That's right, it was Sophie who won Bake Off, 2017. The careful and quiet baker had very few problems through each and every round and was consistently praised for her accuracy on complex challenges.
There was controversy over the announcement of this year's winner, however. Prue Leith accidentally announced Sophie as the winner hours before the final aired - blaming a time difference mix up due to her being in Bhutan.
Series 8 of the much loved Great British Bake Off returned to our screens this August, coming to us from its new home on Channel 4, and with a few new ingredients in the mix.
There was much anticipation about how the popular baking competition was going to handle the shift from the BBC, and if our weekly baking fix would be the same with a new judge, two new presenters, and the addition of a few advertising breaks. We needn't have worried however, as this year's Bake Off has been anything but a disappointment, with ten weeks of sweet treats and divine desserts leading up to the crowning of the 2017 Bake Off winner.
Replacing Mary Berry was no mean feat, but foodie veteran Prue Leith has risen to the challenge with her sharp tongue and jovial jibes, proving she has both the knowledge and the personality to put the contestants through their paces, whilst remaining engaging and entertaining. Prue and Paul Hollywood have been a terrific team, their on screen chemistry making it seem like they've been doing this for years.
This year's Bake Off also brought us a new dynamic duo of presenters. Having previously presented QI and Radio 4's News Quiz, Sandi Tovsig's quick wit provided the tongue in cheek narrative for which Bake Off is known and loved. Noel Fielding was somewhat of a wildcard addition to the team, and has been a real dark horse, capturing the nation with his quirky and often unpredictable commentary, and giving Bake Off a bit of edge that works surprisingly well.
In addition to the well known themes of Bread Week, Pastry Week and Biscuit Week, to name a few, this year's Bake Off saw the introduction of Italian Week, with ensuing Margherita mayhem, and Forgotten Bakes - a week that some of the bakers might also rather forget. From stroopwaffles to sfogliatelle, the bakers have been challenged with bakes that most of us can barely pronounce, never mind produce. The results have been varied, with both Hollywood handshakes and sighs of disappointment being regular occurrences - but all the while they've remained deliciously entertaining.
