This Sunday a new batch of eager celebs took on The Great Celebrity Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off challenge. Our third round of celebs saw Oti Mabuse (professional dancer and TV judge), Gabby Logan (sport presenter and former gymnast), David O’Doherty (comedian, writer, and musician), and Suzi Ruffell BBC Radio 4 comedian, put their culinary skills to the test.
For today’s Signature Bake, the celebrities had an hour and a half to create the cheese roll's sweeter cousin, the Ice Cream roll. According to Prue, the perfect Ice Cream role had a light fluffy sponge with a delicious ice cream filling. In this challenge the celebs had full creativity when it came to decoration and flavouring, however, the classic 70s dessert may have looked simple, ‘but is actually quite tricky’.
Up first to receive Paul and Prue’s judgment, is David’s ‘Banoffee Ice Cream Roll’, consisting of a vanilla sponge, coated in caramel sauce enveloping banana and almond ice cream. Sadly, this bake didn’t quite hit the mark, being deemed ‘nonedible’ by Prue, and ‘revolting’ by Mr Hollywood. With a not-so-tough act to follow, Suzie’s ‘Lemon and Strawberry Cream Roll’ were up next. This zesty bake cocooned strawberry ice cream with a drop of honey. While the sponge had been overfolded, the lemony flavours were spot on, receiving an ‘absolutely delicious’ from Prue. Up next, Oti’s mouthwatering ‘Sticky Toffee Pudding Ice Cream Roll’ consisting of toffee ice cream, drizzled in toffee sauce draped in treacle vegan sponge. This signature bake left the judges particularly impressed, being deemed ‘beautiful and balanced’. Finally, Gabby’s love of coffee translated into her ‘Tiramisu Ice Cream Roll’ consisting of coffee ice cream and chocolate ganache, covered by a chocolate sponge. This sponge was an attractive bake, yet slightly tough with good colour contrast.
This week’s mystery Technical Challenge, veiled beneath gingham was set by Paul this week, requiring a steady hand and steady nerves. The celebs had an hour and 15 minutes to create a batch of 8 perfectly decorated, vegan iced rings topped with beautifully feathered icing. These bakes had to be cooked perfectly to appear a darkish brown, with the perfect snap and a thin layer of icing. The celebs cracked on, this challenge putting them to the culinary test. After mixing their dough the celebrities had to move fast, the warmer and softer it became the harder it was to roll to an equal 4mm deep bake. After a reminiscent dance break from David (beatboxing courtesy of Allison), the baking continued. With 8 identical 2cm biscuits cut from the dough it was time to apply an even coating of royal icing, which were then piped and feathered.
Up first, Suzie’s bakes which were described as the perfect colour with a nice break received second place. Next, we had Gabby’s wonderfully iced and feathered biscuits, with perfectly thin icing, bagging her and impressive first place. Then we had Oti’s odd sized bakes, sadly critiqued for their untidy icing which placed her in 3rd place. Finally, we had David’s underbaked rings, unfortunately donning ‘terrible icing’ and a ‘terrible colour’ situating him in 4th place.
Finally, onto the main event, the Showstopper. This week the celebrities were tasked with a rather personal challenge, which saw them having to create their biggest fear in a 3D meringue scene. Each scene had to include 12 meringues delicately shaped and decorated to tell a story, including a complementary filling of their choice.
Firstly, Gabby’s ‘Messy House Meringue Scene’ contained a French meringue laundry basket, held together with chocolate ganache. Sadly, having some construction issues, Gabby’s bake imitated a pavlova more than a meringue, yet contained a lovely tang or raspberry. Next up, David’s abstract ‘Meringue-tarctica 1915’ consisted of meringue as icebergs concealed by a rum and date Chantilly cream. The judges were slightly unimpressed with David’s meringue exterior. However, Prue found the concept moving. Oti’s ‘Aquafaba Meringue Scene’ depicted her fear of sharks. Her bake depicted a sea of jelly, and a cage constructed with South African milk tart buttercream. This bake was deemed beautiful and imaginative, yet slightly bland. Finally, onto Suzie’s ‘Deep-Sea Creatures Meringue’ drizzled with chocolate ganache. This bake was deemed a ‘great design’ with superb figures, yet the meringue was ever so slightly undercooked. In the end, Gabby’s fabulous bakes bagged her the Star Baker Apron!
Catch up on all Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off episodes now here.
Good news, you can get your very own Star Baker apron like winner Gabby from the Stand Up To Cancer shop, plus more Star Baker merchandise to look the part while baking up a storm. 100% of the profits go to Cancer Research UK in support of the Stand Up To Cancer campaign.
