0:00:02 > 0:00:04Over the last nine weeks we have seen the world's biggest cake,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07twisted plaits, collapsing caramels, naked beef Wellington's,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10boiled salty babas, a gingerbread Coliseum, a wonky Big Ben,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and a Key lime pie that broke all the rules.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16All in the name of finding Britain's best amateur baker.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And in there are three bakers who've gone the distance.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Three bakers who are about to do battle,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and only one can be victorious.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Welcome to the first all-male Great British Bake Off final.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Nine weeks ago...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33I don't know whether to bake them or to do a bain-marie.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36..12 of Britain's best home bakers...
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I'm doing a Union Jack hidden design cake.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41..from all over the country...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44- That's got that little step further.- Thank you very much indeed.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49- ..first arrived in the Bake Off tent. - Urgh. Plop-a-dops.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Facing Paul and Mary's toughest challenges...
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Oh, golden syrup, why do you have to leak for...?
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Stop dripping.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57..in a bid to stay.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Psyching myself up.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02I'm not serving Mary Berry cream carpet.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Yes! Yes! Sorry. Yes!
0:01:06 > 0:01:07But just three...
0:01:07 > 0:01:08Hello, are you in there?
0:01:08 > 0:01:10..prove they have what it takes...
0:01:10 > 0:01:14- I'm just prepping my cloots. - ..to be a finalist.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15The male will have a coxcomb.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Now Brendan, John and James face two final days of baking.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24It might be one step a little bit too far.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Preparing for a traditional British summer fete.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- Dip it, I'm dipping, mate. - Only one of them...
0:01:31 > 0:01:32The rest won't be as messy.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34..can be crowned the winner...
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- We've never had a situation like this.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40- ..of the Great British Bake Off. - There's nothing to it really.
0:02:07 > 0:02:14The road to this year's final has not been easy.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18- James has triumphed by taking risks. - Never ever do this.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Constantly experimenting.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I like the lavender, and I think you have really conquered that.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27- And treating baking as a science. - You're such a clever thing, you are.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32It is in my nature to look to reach the pinnacle of what can be done.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Brendan has impressed by being this year's most knowledgeable baker.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38It's a beautiful thing. Brendan, you've done it again.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43- His finishing has always been precisely executed. - They look so beautiful.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47And his recipes have always celebrated nostalgic home baking.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49I think you've done a good job there,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51but keep away from the '70s decoration.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56I think my track record has to make me a very, very strong contender to win.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01- John's huge passion for baking... - I feel like you're cutting through my heart.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05..has been revealed in his bold and modern designs.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06I think it's a magnificent construction.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11And recipes influenced by classic French patisserie.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- Cooking with flavour. Well done. That's proper. - I had a nightmare this week.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18The Bake Off tent, it was absolutely pitch black, and there were
0:03:18 > 0:03:20spotlights on Brendan and James's desk,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23I was in the dark, shouting, "Can you put the lights on?"
0:03:23 > 0:03:26So I've been really, really worried about the whole thing.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39James, Brendan, John.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40Welcome to this,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44the Great British Bake Off all-male final.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47And I have to say, the musk of testosterone
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and icing sugar in the tent is very, very heady.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Your first challenge, the Signature Challenge
0:03:53 > 0:03:57will put you through your pastry paces one more time.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59We've decided to set you the challenge of making a French
0:03:59 > 0:04:01decorative pie classic, called...
0:04:01 > 0:04:06- SHE LISPS - A Pithivier.- A Pithivier?- Yes, a Pithivier, it's a special recipe.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08We'd like your choice of savoury fillings,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11plus we'd like obviously the puff pastry top and bottom.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14We are looking for really good flake, and impressive layers.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15You got two and a half hours.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- On your marks... - Get set...- Bake.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Named after the northern French town it's said to originate from,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Pithivier is a simple round pie, made of two discs
0:04:28 > 0:04:32of golden rough puff pastry, with a dome of filling sealed inside.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Usually that is sweet.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38They are making a savoury one, quite a challenge.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40When you're actually making the filling,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42you must think about the blend of ingredients together
0:04:42 > 0:04:44that's going to go with the rough puff pastry.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47You've got to be careful with that, because it releases juices
0:04:47 > 0:04:49which will then sit on the pastry underneath,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and cause a line of moisture.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56And it is important to have, for me, the classic decoration of that
0:04:56 > 0:05:00half circle going all the way round in a very regular pattern.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03The nerves are going to play a huge part in this.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05This is the last of their signature challenges.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10The finalists have to perfect a rough puff pastry.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Today is going to be massive, because the Pithivier is such
0:05:13 > 0:05:15a visible pastry presentation. It has to be good.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Where chunks of butter are added to flour to create crucial layers in the baked pastry.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I have been practising my puff quite a lot, so to speak!
0:05:24 > 0:05:26I'd never made rough puff pastry before this week,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and I had to learn it specifically for the final.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31It does worry me a little bit, that this is something
0:05:31 > 0:05:34that I've not done before, and the other bakers have.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38James is giving this French classic a Spanish twist,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42filling his Pithivier with chorizo, chicken and red pepper.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46When I met my girlfriend's grandparents for the first time I brought this pie.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I think I made an all right first impression!
0:05:48 > 0:05:50James learnt to bake as a boy
0:05:50 > 0:05:52with his grandmother at home, in Shetland.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56I'm not sure I can quite join the dots from applying to now.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Absolutely brilliant.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I thoroughly recommend for everyone to apply next year.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Now studying medicine at Glasgow University,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07he lives with housemate, Julia, and girlfriend, Fenella.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- I think we made you apply, did we not?- Yeah, you pressured me into it.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12I don't think any of us ever
0:06:12 > 0:06:14thought it was actually going to come to this.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16We were just like, it will be a laugh.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Just fill it out, send it off and see what happens.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I think it's fantastic he's got this far.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Throughout the Bake Off, he's been studying for his end of year exams.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27For his final bakes, he's hitting the books again.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30I was astounded actually, at the amazing classical texts that
0:06:30 > 0:06:33you can get pretty much any library to do with baking.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36You kind of want to push the boat out, because it's the final,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40and take a lot of risks, but at the same time you can't risk a disaster.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42And hopefully knowledge is power!
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Basically I've both rubbed in the butter and cubed the butter
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and combined it with the wet mixture.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51I think it just gives it a little bit more puffiness,
0:06:51 > 0:06:52a bit more flakiness.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57The finalists now have a huge time management issue.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59What you're doing is trying to achieve layers of
0:06:59 > 0:07:01butter between the dough.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03They need to roll and fold their pastry dough.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I'm going to do Paul's technique of folding the pastry,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10the book fold, which actually worked really well the last time I did it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13And use every minute while it rests in the fridge
0:07:13 > 0:07:17between folds to perfect their filling.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I won't let myself get carried away, like last week,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23and stressed out, because it just ends up making it taste rubbish.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26John's Pithivier is a taste of Italy.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28His book turned rough puff will cover
0:07:28 > 0:07:31salsiccia Italian sausage, Taleggio cheese,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35lardons, roasted vegetables and caramelised onions.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Your key flavours in this are fantastic.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40How you getting on with your pastry at the moment?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Obviously, I've done rough puff before,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44but it has been hit and miss here,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46but I'm going to try your method of putting it in lower,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and getting the butter to melt, so it rises.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50I'm going to give that a try today.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54- I just hope your rough puff rises to the occasion.- Thank you. Me too!
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Leave a pause round that pun, it needs to be savoured.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59When I applied, never thought I would get onto it,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01never mind the in the final.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03I just said I want to get through week one.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Law student, John, shares a flat in Manchester with his best friend Hollie.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Sometimes I wake up, get up for work,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14by nine o'clock he's all ready made, like, lemon curd.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15He's made a brioche.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Since I finished uni last weekend
0:08:17 > 0:08:20I been practising every day for the final, because I really, really want to win it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23I want to be a baker when I grow up.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25But John's family have always seen him
0:08:25 > 0:08:28having a glittering legal career in the city.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29We were all a size ten before he started on
0:08:29 > 0:08:31The Great British Bake Off!
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- That's not true!- I don't think you were born a size ten, mum!
0:08:34 > 0:08:37When he first started, I thought he might be out on week one,
0:08:38 > 0:08:39I didn't get too panicked, thinking,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41"Oh, well he might not be in it for very long,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44"and then he can do his revision and things like that."
0:08:44 > 0:08:46As the weeks went on, I was thinking, "Oh, my goodness.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47"He's doing quite well."
0:08:47 > 0:08:52I think he's got a 33.33 percent chance of winning!
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Then we can be really proud of him for the first time ever.
0:08:56 > 0:09:02- That's nice. - He's never won anything before. No.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Three-legged race at school, perhaps!
0:09:07 > 0:09:10I'll miss being here in the Bake Off tent to be honest, next week.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13At home, people just eat it, and they don't really say,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15"You need to work on your lamination," they eat it, and then go.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Whereas here, you get the appreciation
0:09:17 > 0:09:19that you look for as a baker, because we all do.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23People think that bakers are these dainty little housewives, but they're not,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25they are quite controlling people who want
0:09:25 > 0:09:27to be told they're loved, so, that's why I'm in it!
0:09:27 > 0:09:30OK, bakers, that's half-time. Half way through.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Mel, strip off, get the orange segments out.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Oh, she's already naked!
0:09:36 > 0:09:42With filling still cooking, the rested dough must be folded again.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45The butter should form a faint marbled pattern
0:09:45 > 0:09:46on the dough's surface.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51Shouldn't see any butter by this point, but you can.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Now, if it doesn't work, that's you.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56The dough must then be rested again, allowing James, Brendan,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and John, to return to their fillings.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00I've roasted all my veg off,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and then I just tried to dry it off a little bit
0:10:03 > 0:10:06on some kitchen roll, to try and prevent a soggy bottom.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I don't want it to be reduced too far, it will just go a bit dry.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Need it to retain some moisture in the filling.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15There is a danger of the moisture in the spinach making
0:10:15 > 0:10:18the bottom soggy, but I've drained it very, very well.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I've also bound it together with some goats' cheese and egg.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26Brendan is the only baker making a vegetarian Pithivier,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29with new potatoes, red pepper and caramelised garlic.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Good Lord!- Is there enough garlic there?- Clove upon clove.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36There will be a hundred metre radius around me...
0:10:36 > 0:10:40But actually, by the time it's blanched and reduced
0:10:40 > 0:10:44in its syrup, and so forth, you have a much sweeter result.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It won't leave you reeking of garlic for days afterwards.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Have you had a good practise at this? You sound so confident about it.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52The neighbours have been delighted
0:10:52 > 0:10:55that they were getting something savoury for once,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57as opposed to something sweet.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Brendan's calm and steady progress to the final owes a great
0:11:00 > 0:11:02deal to his Buddhist faith,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06and the constant support of his friends and partner, Jason.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09When I get overanxious, he's able to keep me grounded.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12And I might not even be at the final stage
0:11:12 > 0:11:14if he hadn't been there in the background.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18My role is general kitchen porter and washer-upper.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Particularly become expert at cleaning out piping bags,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23I would say that is my speciality.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26For many people, baking is often a way that they connect
0:11:26 > 0:11:29with their childhoods, and with happy memories,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and with recipes from mothers and grandmothers and aunties, and so on.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36For Brendan, it's really quite the opposite, because he didn't
0:11:36 > 0:11:39have that kind of background growing up in rural Ireland.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43So, for him, baking, and doing well at baking is really
0:11:43 > 0:11:46a sign of how much he's managed to overcome in his life.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48As well as having the knowledge, I believe the one who can
0:11:48 > 0:11:52keep their emotions in check is the one who's going to win.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Something else for washing up.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Am I expected to do that?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03It feels good this morning, and it's going to plan.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06So I'm actually enjoying it. And you just feel, "Is that arrogance?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09"Will I be struck down for it in the afternoon or something?"
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I come from a background of high-quality guilt,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14so of course I feel guilty!
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Bakers, finalists, men,
0:12:19 > 0:12:25you have got one hour left on your Signature Final Challenge.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27While the consistency of their fillings is crucial...
0:12:27 > 0:12:30I've just chucked the filling in the warming drawer,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33because of it's too cold, then it will take ages to cook.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35..the bakers still need to leave enough time
0:12:35 > 0:12:38to construct and bake their Pithivier.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42There is enough time, basically, it's just getting them all together.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46The various elements. But they need to be cool when they go in.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50HE HUMS
0:12:50 > 0:12:54To form the Pithivier, the pastry's cut into two discs
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and the filling placed in a neat mound in the centre of the base.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00I think I've got a bit too much!
0:13:00 > 0:13:04The upper layer, which will form the classic dome, is cut larger
0:13:04 > 0:13:06to cover the filling and give room to seal the edges.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11If not completely sealed the pie could leak,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and ruin its appearance.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I know Brendan and John are both scalping the edges,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23which is the traditional way, but this is a much easier way.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I'm creating a sunbeam, sunray pattern.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29My presentation is stronger than James's, it's an area
0:13:29 > 0:13:31I'm sure he will strengthen, like everything else he does.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35I'm worrying that if I score the top, I'll just go right through it.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50The Pithivier's time in the oven requires careful judgement.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52The surface must be flaky and golden.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54It's catching around the edge,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57so I'm just going to have to wrap some foil around the edges
0:13:57 > 0:14:01of the Pithivier, just because I don't want the edges of it to burn.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- That's looking good. - That's looking very good. It's like a big sun, isn't it?
0:14:05 > 0:14:10The concealed filling cooked through, and the hidden pastry base crisp.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17I'm thinking that it looks all right.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Probably should have waited another minute to take it out.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32OK.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33OK, bakers, that's it. That's time. I mean it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I'm not taking the PITHIVIER! It's over.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50It's judgment time in the final Signature Bake.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57The appearance is most attractive.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59You are meticulous to get that all the way round,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02and it certainly looks absolutely lovely.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Just a little bit caught on the side, a difficult thing to do,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08because it was almost to the edge of the oven.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- Great base.- How about that? - I'm delighted with that, thank you.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20That is a great base.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28That's lovely, Brendan.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The spices aren't too much in it, and the garlic,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35funnily enough, I mean I can taste it, but it's not overwhelming, which is nice actually.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39And you didn't make the mixture too runny,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41- because that would have made the pastry soggy.- Excellent.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Thank you, that's great. Thank you very much.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57I think it looks great. I love the detail.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Again, you've got this rich, dark brown colour around it,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02which is key.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- I hope that the underneath is done. - Me, too.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- Oh, yeah!- Hello! - It's good. It's crispy.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23John, the flavour of that is very, very good indeed.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Such a lovely flavour. Taleggio cheese, your lovely sausage.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32The pastry's very buttery, which is lovely. And it has got a good flake.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- The look of it, I think, is excellent.- Stunning.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49I think it looks quite attractive. A nice colour to it.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50You could have gone bit further with it.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54It's got a very good flake on the side, that looks very good.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56I'm just wondering, when we cut into it, whether it's going
0:16:56 > 0:16:58to be a little under done,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00a little bit underneath, I don't know.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09- Oh, no.- You've got a bit of a soggy bottom there.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11It's only where the moisture's sat on it.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- It's a little bit underdone there, too.- Yeah.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19It's a seasoned well. It's cooked really well.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22There's a huge temptation, particularly with using
0:17:22 > 0:17:26breast of chicken, when you have fried it, you didn't over fry it,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29you just lightly browned it, and the chicken is perfect in there.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33And the chorizo gives it real flavour.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35But you only have to go through the first layer,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37that's gone a bit soggy there again.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39- Yeah. That's annoying. - That is annoying.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41- It's just prevented the flake.- Yeah.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44It's a shame about that pastry.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Wow. Actually that was a real surprise. That was disappointing.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58I think we could say that was a ten out of ten really
0:17:58 > 0:18:00because I can't subtract anything.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02So there's a ten out of ten.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Now there's this afternoon, and then there's tomorrow.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07So, I'm on a very good footing.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09I'm really pleased with myself, definitely.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12And it's given me the confidence now to go into the next round fighting.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17Because I want to win this. I really want to win it.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22It's time for that favourite challenge of yours,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25the revered Technical Challenge.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Now, you should know how this works by now.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30You've done it for nine weeks, it is judged blind,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32so Paul and Mary, off you trot.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Literally a trot, please, Mary. Rising trot. Good girl.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38She can still do it! Won several gymkhanas. Good girl.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Lovely filly!
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Didn't expect that.
0:18:42 > 0:18:49What we're asking you to do is to make and ice 25 fondant fancies.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Proper artisan, beautifully done, fondant fancies.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00You need a square of delicate light sponge, a dome of buttercream...
0:19:00 > 0:19:03- Stop it. - ..all encased in a glossy fondant.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07All the very best. This is your last technical challenge. On your marks...
0:19:07 > 0:19:09- Get set...- Bake.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11For today's technical challenge,
0:19:11 > 0:19:16Paul and Mary's recipe contains even fewer instructions than usual.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20I haven't made them before, but at least you're working with
0:19:20 > 0:19:22sponges, and accuracy and so on, which, you know,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I do have some skills.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28How long have we got for this?
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I'm trying to remember what a fondant fancy actually looks like.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39A very tricky technical challenge.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43They've got to bake their cake absolutely level and evenly.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46They've then got to divide it into 25.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Buttercream all the way round each square.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51We were really rather kind, you know.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53We could have asked them to split each one,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55and put buttercream in the middle, but we didn't.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Kind, Mary! Kind!
0:19:58 > 0:20:01We're giving them 25 perfect squares of sponge to do,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03top them with marzipan,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06put apricot jam on it, put buttercream round the outside,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09put fondants on the top, and spin it with chocolate.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14All in two and a half hours. That is difficult to do.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Following the recipe to the letter.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23I'm doing it the old traditional way Mum would teach me back in 1997.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26It's a fairly simple Victoria sponge we're making,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28or lemon and Victoria sponge.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Sometimes I've been given stuff to do,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32and it's embarrassing what it ends up with,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36but at least this is familiar territory.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38You can trip up at any stage but you've got to try and be focused,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40which isn't always easy
0:20:40 > 0:20:43when you're in the final of a baking competition.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47It seems like a slightly thick dough. Oh, well.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I'll put the final egg in it.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Could've been disastrous.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01A little bit of uncombined flour there. Can't have that.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Cover me, I'm going in.
0:21:03 > 0:21:0725, 30 minutes, I'd say, for a cake of that size.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Right.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Now for the buttercream.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I'm breaking these up with my hands to break it down. It's a bit firm.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21I'm just softening the butter on the lowest microwave temperature,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24just so that it's easier to blend in with the icing sugar.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28One use is to coat the sides and one is to pipe a rosette on top.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30We need to keep this buttercream nice and smooth
0:21:30 > 0:21:32because we need to ice tiny squares.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35If it's hard, it'll drag them and break them.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38Nothing to it, really.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46(One miss.)
0:21:47 > 0:21:49It's still sinking a little bit,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51so I'm going to leave it for another minute or two.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Though...
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Yeah. Just another minute.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Right, we're ready.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Right, so I'll leave that to cool and cool quickly.
0:22:09 > 0:22:1290 minutes to go.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I would not normally set my jam. This is a special occasion.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Apricot jam is used to stick a thin layer of marzipan
0:22:18 > 0:22:21to the surface of the cooled sponge.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22That'll do.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27Which must then be divided into 25 identical cakes.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29And for that...
0:22:29 > 0:22:31..I'm going to need a ruler.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38Mary and Paul's recipe doesn't specify the size of the cakes required.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40I'm going to have to sit and do the maths
0:22:40 > 0:22:43cos I'm totally, totally gone blank in my head.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Just the quantity.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47They're meant to be cubes I think, aren't they?
0:22:47 > 0:22:48That's three centimetres up.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51If that's the case, there will be quite a lot of off-cut.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53There will be, like, this much off-cut
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and then I might get slated for them being too small.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04I can't really make my mind up with this.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Yeah, I'm going to just do it.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14If the worst comes to the worst, it's just not big enough, is it?
0:23:14 > 0:23:16It's working out well at the moment.
0:23:16 > 0:23:185, 10, 15, 20, 25.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20They're very small, perhaps a little bit too small.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Mr Kipling would turn in his grave!
0:23:24 > 0:23:27The sides of each cake must be covered with a smooth layer of buttercream.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32I'm happy with them. Whether they're good or not is yet to be determined.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35I think the judges will be looking for accuracy
0:23:35 > 0:23:37and attention to detail.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41These sorts of fancies require that, otherwise, why bother?
0:23:41 > 0:23:45The recipe states that the fondant should be flavoured with rose-water...
0:23:46 > 0:23:48..and coloured.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51My recollection of fondant is that it's a delicate pink
0:23:51 > 0:23:53rather than a deep one.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58So we're going to have a deep one.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Finalists, you've got 30 minutes left on these fondant fancies.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05My intention is to pour it over it.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08I think it would be a mistake to dip it in fully, bodily.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10I'm dipping, I'm dipping, mate.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11I'm dipping.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Oh, I've lost it!
0:24:17 > 0:24:20I might just drop it in, you know. Hand is always the best method.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22To be honest, it's just quicker.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25BRENDAN GROWLS
0:24:27 > 0:24:29The rest won't be as messy, I promise you.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31It does actually...
0:24:31 > 0:24:34It feels remarkably...fun.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Right. Let me rethink this.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Maybe I should just dip it.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Dipping is the good idea.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46Ah!
0:24:50 > 0:24:52(Help.)
0:24:52 > 0:24:56I'm going to have to use my fingers for this, you know.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Well, it's messy.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Maybe there is a simpler way but I don't know of it.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06I haven't done this before.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- How hard can a fondant fancy be? - Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- Turns out, harder than and eight-plaited stranded loaf.- Is it?
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- Eight-strand plaited loaf, yeah. - Harder than baba?- Harder.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18There's more generation game, this, the bijou French patisserie.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Bijou was not what comes to mind.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22Does this cut you to the quick,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25that this is getting a bit messy and slapdash now?
0:25:25 > 0:25:27- It's not my style. - I was going to say.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Bakers, you've got ten minutes of fondant fancy fondlage.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Ten minutes to go.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40To decorate, melted chocolate should be piped in clean lines on top
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and down the sides of the fondant.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Would you say that this is the definition of stress now?
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Now, yes. I was fine up until we got to the dipping point.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55Slow and steady wins the race.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Not bad, eh?
0:26:00 > 0:26:02To complete the challenge,
0:26:02 > 0:26:0825 fondant fancies must be arranged on a three-tiered cake stand.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11That's two minutes, bakers. Two minutes.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19What's the point?
0:26:19 > 0:26:21They are semi-set.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31What a mess.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45What's done is done and cannot be undone.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48That looks very tight but for some reason I felt totally relaxed.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51It's not my finest work, is it?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Should we start from this side, Mary?
0:27:16 > 0:27:18There's obviously issues with the fondant here.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Buttercream, I can see a little bit on some of them.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24The chocolate looks, frankly, a bit of a mess.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27That looks a very even bake.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Nice, thin layer of marzipan on the top.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41It tastes quite nice.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46The application of the buttercream is poor,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49and if you don't have lovely smooth cut buttercream
0:27:49 > 0:27:55round the outside, you cannot get the fondant to look sharp on the corners.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Then we come to these.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I don't quite know why they're so small,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02because in a 20 centimetre tin,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04if you cut squares, they're bigger than that.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09The fondant is too wet, although they are fairly equal in size.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12The chocolate on the top's a bit neater.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20It's a lot of buttercream on the top of that one, isn't it?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23They're so small, the buttercream's overwhelmed it.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Texture's all right though.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Right. This one. Actually, the colour's not bad.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30The chocolate's OK.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33The fondant looks a little bit thicker, doesn't it?
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- Yeah.- Nice sponge.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51It's quite pungent, isn't it?
0:28:51 > 0:28:53The rose-water is a little too strong.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56The fondant does look marginally better than the other ones,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58but again, it is too thin.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05But can Paul and Mary pick a winner of the final Technical Challenge?
0:29:06 > 0:29:10That was quite tricky, because they've all got their faults.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13But the person in last place is...
0:29:13 > 0:29:14..these two.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18This one looks terrible. Whose is this one?
0:29:18 > 0:29:20It was a time issue and part of it was the fondant.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24It's just felt messy and it's not how I work.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26What happened to the rest of the sponge?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29I got a bit trigger happy with the knife, I think.
0:29:29 > 0:29:34So, first is James, who had a very good rise in the sponge.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37You had difficulty like everybody else with your fondant,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40but it's a little more even than the rest.
0:29:40 > 0:29:46But I wouldn't say that this was a very high standard at all for all of you.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48Consider yourself chastised.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54But actually, what it does is make tomorrow all the more important.
0:29:58 > 0:29:59I am gutted, because obviously,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01that's the final technical challenge.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03And well, I messed it up.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05I got a very, very good bake in the morning.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07Pants in the afternoon.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09I really want to do well tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day
0:30:09 > 0:30:14that I really want to show a perfect set of cakes.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29There's just one final challenge in this year's Bake Off.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33It seems to me that the playing field is uncannily level.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38It's very odd, because actually, John and Brendan had stepped away slightly from James.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41His pastry wasn't as good as I thought it would be.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44- And yet, when we come to the technical challenge... - Reverse.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Brendan, he let us down.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51And John, I just couldn't really get the hang of why he'd cut them down so small.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54James's strengths are his flavours and his technical ability.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58So what you've got is a recipe for a showstopper
0:30:58 > 0:31:01that has never happened before, that it goes down to the last challenge.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05- This is so tense. I don't think we've ever had a situation like this. - No, we have not.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09The great thing is, that we can also ask James to prescribe beta-blockers for us!
0:31:09 > 0:31:12- So that's good.- Can we?- Yes! - Because he's a doctor.- Exactly.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18Morning, bakers. Of course, it's the Showstopper Challenge.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20And we're going to get fiendish with you.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24So today, we'd like you to create the perfect chiffon cake.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And we'd like you, for your inspiration for this final Showstopper cake,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31to pick your personal highlight of 2012.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35For example, if I was making my own inspirational cake,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37I'd put a large 30 on it.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Because I reached that landmark this year.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41So, you've got four hours on the clock.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43It's the final, and whatever you create
0:31:43 > 0:31:45is going to be served at our village fete.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Complete with limp bunting and torrential rain.
0:31:48 > 0:31:49So, on your marks...
0:31:49 > 0:31:51- Get set...- Bake!
0:31:53 > 0:31:58Chiffon is baking's most notoriously fickle sponge.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01It's cloud-like texture stems from its oil and egg white based batter.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06John, James and Brendan are free to create any fillings
0:32:06 > 0:32:08or any decorative touches they wish.
0:32:08 > 0:32:14But the chiffon's delicate structure can be easily overpowered by flavour.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17It's also vulnerable to sinking
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and often too light to support a tiered cake design.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23My concept for 2012 is family reunion.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28So I want this cake to capture the importance of healing family rifts,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32maybe, or family reunion, the importance of sustaining that.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Brendan's Showstopper is an almond-coated raspberry chiffon,
0:32:35 > 0:32:39topped with another heart-shaped chiffon and decorated with fresh raspberries.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41About a year ago,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44I made a determination to bring two streams of the family together.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47And that's going to happen in the next weeks.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51And so I'm calling the cake a family reunion cake.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- These people haven't met up for well over three decades.- Wow.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56And I just want to bring them together.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00It seems a shame to keep rifts alive and so forth.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- So bringing them together... - Bridging the gap with cake.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05- You've practised this?- Yes. - And was it successful?
0:33:05 > 0:33:11No, the first chiffon cake I made, it just phleugh, they collapsed,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14they looked like a horrible pancake like things and I had to bin them!
0:33:16 > 0:33:19The volatile chiffon sponge mix uses only the air
0:33:19 > 0:33:22trapped in whipped egg whites to help it rise.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24It's about batter, it's about beating,
0:33:24 > 0:33:26it's about judgement, really.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30And to ensure its light texture, it contains no butter.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33That's just the oil, so that's the fat, instead of butter.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Just got to try to get it folded in nicely.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40But the light texture of John's Showstopper could be disappearing.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42This cake's not gone wrong for me before.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45It's been a nice, tender cake with a great crumb, great flavour.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48It's quite a dense cake because of the chocolate in there.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51John's biblical bake consists of a dark chocolate
0:33:51 > 0:33:54and orange chiffon cake, hell.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57And a heaven made of lemon and coconut meringue cakelets.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00- I feel like my 2012 has been up and it's been down.- OK.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02I've had, you know, time at uni and stuff, doing my exams,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04it's been really tough.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06- Then my nephews have all been born, so that's heaven.- Aw!
0:34:06 > 0:34:08There's been more heaven than hell,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10but funnily, it's going to be a bigger hell cake than a heaven cake!
0:34:10 > 0:34:14The whole structure sounds amazing. How high are we looking at here?
0:34:14 > 0:34:17About this high. So it's not giant, but the bottom cake is so big
0:34:17 > 0:34:19that it looks like a centrepiece.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24- But John's Showstopper won't be the biggest.- I'm making five cakes.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26I was going to incorporate fruit into the cakes.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30It's something I've never done before. I thought it would be a nice thing to do.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32But actually, I don't think it's worth it. I'll just get it,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35instead of having fruit in the cake mixture, I'll just, you know,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38have loads of fruit in and on the cake.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40James is making five chiffon cakes
0:34:40 > 0:34:43covered in mascarpone and honey icing.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Four will be individually flavoured with Turkish delight,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49pistachios, blueberries and raspberries.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52The fifth aims to bring them together in happy union.
0:34:53 > 0:34:562012 is a big year for the United Kingdom
0:34:56 > 0:35:00and so I decided to do a cake that emphasises the "United".
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- The idea of my cake is the whole is better than some of the parts. - Aw!
0:35:03 > 0:35:05And so we have a central Union Jack cake
0:35:05 > 0:35:08with components from each of the four surrounding cakes.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Each one is going to have a specific flavour as well,
0:35:11 > 0:35:12pistachio, blueberry, raspberry?
0:35:12 > 0:35:16- And rose, English rose.- Oh! - English rose? Yeah, very clever.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- You're happy with the timings? - I'm pretty short on time,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20but I can fit three cakes in the oven at a time.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Have a good time, James. I'll see you later.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Three hours remaining...
0:35:27 > 0:35:30This is the critical part of it, getting the sponge right.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33I'll relax a wee bit more when that comes out of the oven.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Even though they've finished their sponge mix,
0:35:36 > 0:35:42every move the bakers now make can still radically alter their chiffon's texture.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Because you don't want to deflate the egg whites,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47so get it as close to the tin floor as possible.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52The complicated bit is dividing it up into three equal cakes' worth.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56The final of the Great British Bake Off, is it time for exact measurements?!
0:35:56 > 0:35:57It's good enough.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00You do that to get rid of any air pockets.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02If there are any air pockets,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05it will develop large holes like you have in bread.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07I'll just bang it on the counter top,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09just to expel any larger air bubbles.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15There is a risk, doing a massive cake, an 11 inch cake,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17especially a chiffon cake, it's huge.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Because it's sort of unsupported in the middle,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21especially a perfectly round one.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26John is also making smaller, plainer chiffons.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Could you ask if there are any Q-tips?
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Which will form heavenly clouds on the top of his cake.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Brendan's reunion cake will have a heart-shaped second tier.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40But James's nation cakes are already proving tricky to unite.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43This is the mixture for the rose and pistachio.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45He can only bake three at a time.
0:36:47 > 0:36:48Oh!
0:36:48 > 0:36:51- CRASHING - Oh!
0:36:52 > 0:36:54That's my cake!
0:36:56 > 0:36:59I'm just thinking about what to do. How much time have we got?
0:37:00 > 0:37:01What happened, James?
0:37:01 > 0:37:05Och, it was silly, it was sitting on the stool and I knocked it and threw it all over the floor.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09- I threw it away.- You can make a new one, eh?- I think I can. - Of course you can.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12- Erm, how do we make a new cake? - So, you've got...
0:37:12 > 0:37:15- I need eggs.- Let's get you eggs.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18He'll pull it back, I know he will. I've got every belief in him.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20It's the one thing you dread happening.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24I will try, and I will try, and I will try again.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29Everything John, James and Brendan have baked will be served
0:37:29 > 0:37:33to family and friends at the Bake Off's very own summer fete...
0:37:34 > 0:37:38It's been strange because, honestly, I wasn't looking forward to coming back because, you know,
0:37:38 > 0:37:42I was very, very disappointed when I left the Bake Off.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45But coming back, actually, I'm thinking of the fond memories
0:37:45 > 0:37:47and it's been a really happy experience, coming back.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50..where this year's winner will be crowned.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53When I think of what I've seen all of them bake,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56I don't see how you could put a Pithivier between them.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59I think from the very beginning,
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Brendan was the person who stood out the most.
0:38:01 > 0:38:07I would love it if John won, because he's really worked so, so, so hard.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09James has done really well, and so has Brendan.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12He's done super well as well. So, yeah, any out of them two!
0:38:13 > 0:38:16I would say probably Brendan would edge it.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20Today, I've got a feeling in my tummy that James is going to be the winner.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Second time. It's in the oven!
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Yeah, I'm going to let it cool now upside down for five or ten minutes.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34That just allows the sponge to keep its form
0:38:34 > 0:38:36and it doesn't sort of concertina in on itself.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40If you were to turn them upright now, they would start to collapse.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44- While their sponges cool... - Ten minutes.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48..the bakers turn their thoughts to fillings and toppings.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52The glaze is made by boiling sugar and water to make a syrup
0:38:52 > 0:38:54and then you add cocoa powder and gelatine to that.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58It's like a ganache, but it's very, very shiny. Very beautiful.
0:38:58 > 0:38:59Not as bitter as a chocolate ganache.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02This is raspberry jelly jam, if you like.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06I'm looking for soft set jam, rather than firm set.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08It's going to be used to flavour the buttercream
0:39:08 > 0:39:11and it will also be used to glaze the raspberries on top.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16James is hoping to decorate his English cake with home-made Turkish delight.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20- I don't really know what I'm looking for. - Rosewater, gelatine, sugar,
0:39:20 > 0:39:22and cornflour are gently simmered with water
0:39:22 > 0:39:25until the mixture only just starts to thicken.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28I can just hope that this is right.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30James needs to allow enough time for it to cool...
0:39:30 > 0:39:32No! It's gone down the sides.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35..to achieve its elusive soft-set jelly texture.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Because Turkish delight is pink, I thought it would be nice to have a pink St George's Cross.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- This is the moment of truth with this cake. - HE WHISTLES
0:39:55 > 0:39:58GENTLE TAPPING
0:40:00 > 0:40:04It shy because it's been watched so closely.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06The bake is good.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18JAMES LAUGHS
0:40:20 > 0:40:25All the chiffons are out of their tins. The decorating can begin.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28It's made of butter, cream cheese and raspberry jam.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32And I've given it extra whipping to take it more like a mousse
0:40:32 > 0:40:35so it will be light and airy.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46I have done the top of one cake, the sides of none.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Presumably this is
0:40:50 > 0:40:54because you want a cake that looks like it's stepped out of a salon!
0:40:54 > 0:40:58I need to re-melt it to get it nice and smooth.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00That's the best I can do with that.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02It's not as smooth as I would have liked.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06Lovely, I will come by later for a cut and colour.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07Free of charge for you!
0:41:09 > 0:41:13In 45 minutes, the finalists must face the judges.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16You've got three distinctive characters here.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Brendan is traditional, it looks quite a normal -
0:41:19 > 0:41:22if you can call a chiffon cake a normal - cake.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27It will be tricky enough. But the flavours he's got are interesting.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29He's using the almond extract.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32I think John is technically so good.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37I reckon he's made that four times over the week last week
0:41:37 > 0:41:39and he's doing all sorts of new techniques.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41James, the great innovator.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44- He is using the idea of the flag in the middle.- He's pushing himself.
0:41:44 > 0:41:51He's always shown us he can pull it together at the end. I reckon he might be short of time.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55This, we know, is the standout piece that could win the Bake Off.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57No pressure.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01Turkish delight is a bit more like that putty
0:42:01 > 0:42:04you put in your shower to stop it leaking.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08- No!- Have you done this before?- No.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13- You haven't done it before and it's a final.- He's danger.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16It's amazingly elastic, isn't it? Look at that.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- I don't know what to do. - We will leave you to it, James.- Yeah.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- It tastes delicious. - I don't know how to rectify this.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28This might be one step too far.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31OK, bakers, you've got 15 minutes to go in this,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34your final Showstopper Challenge.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39The final push of the Bake Off. Let's do it.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44It could be tricky to balance on the chiffon.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Really, really tricky.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52It's fairly stable.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02We are a bit short of time. Rather than make the cross out of Turkish delight,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04I made the cross out of raspberries.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06My girlfriend said I was crazy for doing five cakes.
0:43:06 > 0:43:11- What does Tartarus mean again? - The offspring of Chaos.- I love that.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13That's me!
0:43:15 > 0:43:16There's five minutes, bakers.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28Shall we take it to the wire yet again?
0:43:28 > 0:43:32I've just got to be gentle.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37And delicate.
0:43:41 > 0:43:46It's going to be not delicate but presented.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51Three, two, one. Bakers, that's it.
0:43:51 > 0:43:57The Final Challenge in the 2012 Bake Off is done.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Step away from your Showstopper Challenges.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03James!
0:44:07 > 0:44:10If in doubt, cover it in icing sugar.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18I am happy. I came, I saw, I baked.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20Hopefully I conquered, who knows?
0:44:20 > 0:44:25I think the winner could be James. Brendan has been consistent but James has the quality,
0:44:25 > 0:44:29that edge to him. He has baked five massive cakes.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33I think mine ultimately shows less skill than the others
0:44:33 > 0:44:36but hopefully some good baking.
0:44:37 > 0:44:43I think to achieve the title would be an extraordinary
0:44:43 > 0:44:49endorsement of what I've achieved in...
0:44:54 > 0:44:59Yes, in what I've achieved in my baking over the decades, really.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05You know, in sp...
0:45:31 > 0:45:34Quick, sabotage him while we can!
0:45:45 > 0:45:48It's the final judging of The Great British Bake Off.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03John, if you would like to bring heaven and hell to the altar.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07Well done, John. Tell us all about it.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11It's a chocolate and orange sponge base
0:46:11 > 0:46:16and some ganache running through. The top cakes are individually injected with lemon curd,
0:46:16 > 0:46:21rolled in marshmallow meringue and rolled in desiccated coconut.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23Well, it really does look stunning.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27We have a lovely shine on top.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29You should be praised for the look of it.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31- It's very professional.- Thank you.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39What I like about that cake is when you cut it,
0:46:39 > 0:46:42and you see it on the plate, it looks beautiful.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46It's got a lovely line where we've come through the icing,
0:46:46 > 0:46:50the texture of the cake looks perfect.
0:47:14 > 0:47:21It's rich. It's absolutely lovely. Mm.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23That really works.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27You've got a beautiful blend of the chocolate, it's quite difficult to do on a chiffon cake.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30Add the chocolate and remain having a decent structure.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33As you took the slice, Mary is right, it held together.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36And you have a perfect slice of cake.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45Now, that looks a nice even-textured light chiffon cake.
0:47:55 > 0:48:00A lovely strong lemony flavour in the middle of that.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02It's light, it's full of flavour, the coconut works well.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08- Well done.- Thank you very much.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17Brendan, bring the family up.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27I called it a family reunion cake.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30The two dominant flavours are raspberry and almond.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34The coating is a raspberry and very light mousseline light coating.
0:48:35 > 0:48:40It's elegant, as always, Brendan you've been the constant.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43And again, you've come up with another one.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46I like the way you always go that extra mile.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48You've made the raspberry jelly
0:48:48 > 0:48:51and I'm glad it's not over decorated. I like simplicity.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56Ooh, nice.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02Ooh, that's worth reuniting with your family for!
0:49:04 > 0:49:07You've got your layers beautifully even, as you always do.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10It's got a nice bake all the way through it.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28That sponge is like a cloud.
0:49:28 > 0:49:34You get a hit of raspberry and the after effect is the almond coming through.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37For the almond to come through and give you a hit of almond
0:49:37 > 0:49:39but not overwhelm it is quite tricky.
0:49:39 > 0:49:45It is absolutely delicious. And I love the fresh raspberry topping.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56- The gingermen are gorgeous and delicate, crispy.- Nice texture.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01- It's so good.- Not too much ginger in there but enough. Well done.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Thank you very much.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05Well done, Brendan.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26Five cakes, we've got a rose chiffon, a pistachio chiffon,
0:50:26 > 0:50:31a vanilla chiffon with raspberry in and out and vanilla with blueberry.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39There's plenty of cake for a party and we are having a fete
0:50:39 > 0:50:43so you are the main contributor to our fete, thank you very much!
0:50:43 > 0:50:46- Is that a good thing? - It's a very good thing.
0:50:46 > 0:50:48I don't know what to say, really.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51The problems for me is there's five individual cakes.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54The criteria is to create a cake.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58If you join them up somehow, join them up
0:50:58 > 0:51:03so it became a sequence that joined together in one cake,
0:51:03 > 0:51:05the problem is which one do you want us to judge?
0:51:05 > 0:51:07To judge all five would be tricky.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09- The Union Jack. - We will go for the middle one.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14- This has got all the bits in. - Pistachio sponge.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37I can taste the rose.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44What am I going to say, James?
0:51:45 > 0:51:47Bad crumb.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52- It's far too dry.- Is it?- Hm.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56- It's welding my mouth together, unfortunately.- Oh, no.
0:51:56 > 0:52:01It really is too cakey. It really should be light.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06- Can we try England, Scotland? - Have a go for Scotland.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19That one is slightly lighter but it still a bit cakey
0:52:19 > 0:52:22and not light and spongy.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24The density is too much.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27It's got a beautiful flavour, better than the middle one.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31- But the problem for me is the structure is wrong.- Right, OK.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34You've had such a lot to do in five cakes,
0:52:34 > 0:52:39I think in fact if you'd made one big square one and then divided it
0:52:39 > 0:52:45in sections as one cake you'd have had had more time to give a smarter finish.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49We can still sort of see the cake coming through your covering.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54It's a shame that, James.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16As the finalists take their Showstoppers
0:53:16 > 0:53:18to their guests at the fete,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21Paul and Mary have a decision to make.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26Let's look at them individually. Let's start with James first of all.
0:53:26 > 0:53:31I think James has coped jolly well with all that's gone wrong
0:53:31 > 0:53:35like we've always found in the Bake Off when disasters happen they cope.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37They are all home bakers.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40They don't make scenes and he smiled through the lot.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43United Kingdom was his idea
0:53:43 > 0:53:45and yet nothing was united about that at all.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48He did well in the technical though. He came first yesterday.
0:53:48 > 0:53:49He did well on the technical.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51It's a shame James had such a difficult weekend
0:53:51 > 0:53:53because if you look at the Star Bakers
0:53:53 > 0:53:56he has won three times, Brendan twice and John once.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58So, it all goes to show, as you've said many times,
0:53:58 > 0:54:01it's hitting your stride the right moment.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04- Which leads us on to John. - He started all right.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07He did quite well the first few weeks.
0:54:07 > 0:54:13- Then, he tailed off as if he had lost his mojo.- He's very emotional.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15He is and that dictates his bakes.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18That glossy icing on top of the chocolate cake,
0:54:18 > 0:54:20he said it would mirror.
0:54:20 > 0:54:21It did mirror.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25Let's talk about Brendan, Mr Consistency.
0:54:25 > 0:54:30He was very good at things he could practise at home
0:54:30 > 0:54:33like the Showstoppers and the Signature Bake.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36But when it came to the technical, sometimes he didn't do so well.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40But he was outstanding in all other fields.
0:54:40 > 0:54:46His knowledge, his ability in making cakes, breads, unbelievable.
0:54:46 > 0:54:52Do you know who you think deserves to be crowed Bake Off champion?
0:54:52 > 0:54:57Do you know, we had a chat before and we both looked at each other
0:54:57 > 0:54:58and said the same name.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03- Really? Did you go one, two, three and...- Like scissor, papers, stone.
0:55:03 > 0:55:09- Not everyone decides things like we do.- OK. We have agreed.- Oh, tense.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25Bakers, family, friends.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Welcome to another hypothermic British summer afternoon.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31And to you, our lovely three finalists, what can I say?
0:55:31 > 0:55:37You've given us whisky-soaked mega-bakes that made us feel like a Borrower in comparison, James.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41Brendan, you've offered up psychedelic slices of perfection.
0:55:41 > 0:55:48And John, you've created the iconic building from the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52You are all brilliant and you should be incredibly proud of yourselves.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56It's time for you to come forward. If our bakers could come forward.
0:56:01 > 0:56:07So, Paul and Mary have made their decision and we are very, very pleased
0:56:07 > 0:56:13to announce that the winner of the Great British Bake Off 2012 is...
0:56:19 > 0:56:21John.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:56:34 > 0:56:36John was fantastic.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38He's had his ups and downs through the whole series
0:56:38 > 0:56:42but overall when he nails it, he absolutely nailed it
0:56:42 > 0:56:44and today that was fantastic.
0:56:46 > 0:56:50He showed us that he could bake to an exceedingly high standard.
0:56:50 > 0:56:55He knows how to design a cake, he has a modern twist.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57His thought processes,
0:56:57 > 0:57:02his design and baking for the first time is joined up.
0:57:02 > 0:57:07And the passion the guy has is just phenomenal. I'm very proud of him.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09He did exceptionally well.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14- Is this real?- It's very real.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17In a minute, your blood pressure will come down to normal.
0:57:17 > 0:57:22I feel faint, really, really queasy. It's not sinking in.
0:57:22 > 0:57:26I cannot believe it. I really cannot believe it, I'm so happy.
0:57:26 > 0:57:31I was a reluctant applicant when I filled out the application form,
0:57:31 > 0:57:35but I'm really pleased I did it because I am self taught
0:57:35 > 0:57:39and it's been great to take it to this level.
0:57:39 > 0:57:43So, that in particular now I will value and hold onto really.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47It does genuinely feel like everyone's a winner.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51It feels brilliant. There's no real commiserations going around.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54It's all congratulations, well done. A really fun atmosphere.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Overall, one of the best experiences of my life.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08I'm not going to be a banker!
0:58:10 > 0:58:14My mum is so proud. That's the biggest prize I've got. My mum is happy with me and...
0:58:16 > 0:58:21I just feel like I've finally done something that I've wanted to do to please her.
0:58:21 > 0:58:26Do you know what I mean? It just means the absolute world to me.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29Oh, God. Shut up, John!