I didn’t realize how much I had missed the judges, the hosts, the bakers, and the tent until I heard the familiar refrain of the GBBO theme song. The show provides such a lovely escape from the stressors of everyday life. Meeting a fresh set of bakers – and new judge Nigella Lawson – proved to be the perfect ending of a long and arduous workweek. As Danni would say, indeed-arooni.

Signature challenge – Chocolate Guinness cake

The first challenge featured one of my favorite cakes: chocolate Guinness cake. This is a simple cake as far as mixing and measuring, but the challenge was baking, cooling, and decorating in just 2 hours 15 minutes. The time crunch saw several bakes slump, crumble, and ooze. Bundt cakes proved to be a poor choice, as their size required too much baking and cooling time. Danni jinxed herself by telling Paul she was bored, and her cake fell apart.

Molly suffered a tragedy when her first Bundt cake crashed to the floor in pieces. After a brief cry, she pulled herself together to start over with her cardamom-flavored bake. This persistence paid off, with Paul and Nigella both praising the level of flavor. Nigella called it ‘savage’, but earlier she said a ‘savage’ flavor was preferred to stand up to the stout. Paul proclaimed Gary’s cake to be the best, and both judges loved Mo’s peanut and caramel cake, with Nigella saying the cake was ‘sensational.’ Gabe used similar flavors, but Paul called his ‘dead’ in the flavor department. Ouch. Tom, Clara, Yannis, and Moyin received mostly positive remarks. Connie and Nikki’s cakes were judged overbaked although they had great flavors, and likewise Shannon’s flavors were good, but the cake was more like a pudding.

Chocolate Guinness cake from Observer Food Monthly Magazine by Nigella Lawson

Technical – chocolate walnut cake

Nigella’s advice to the bakers: “Don’t let the sugar shout, let it sing.”

This fiendish challenge had the bakers working off an illustration but with no written recipe. The bakers had to create the sponge from scratch, using their judgment on the amounts of ingredients and crucially, on the amount of coffee flavor. Given the time constraints and having no recipe, the cakes were all impressive. Molly, Danni, and Shannon were at the bottom. Gabe redeemed himself by taking third place. Gary was second and Tom landed at the top.

Showstopper – Self-portrait cake

As always, time threw a spanner into the bakers’ ambitious plans. Poor Danni’s vegan “bog water” cake fell over after she had completed it, but I have never seen anyone cheerier and more undaunted by adversity. She resigned herself to be the one leaving the tent. Gary played it safe and while his bake was good, Paul told him to 'push it a little bit more.' Moyin’s hibiscus cake had interesting flavor but was slightly overbaked, and Yannis’ cake received similar judging. Both cakes exhibited a high level of artistry. Connie’s cake received high marks for flavor but not so much for the decoration. Gabe’s ‘Blu Diamond’ reveal cake stunned for its artistic impact and citrus flavors, but again the sponges were overbaked. Paul declared that Nikki's chocolate and cherry cake had too much going on. Clara's cake needed a bit more oomph in the flavor department. Tom’s carrot cake was well-received, and Molly’s knitting cake was adorable, and more importantly, her bake was spot-on and the flavors just right. Mo, who presented a formidably tall and striking cake, was worried that his lemon and blueberry cake might be too simple. The judges dispelled that notion by praising the balance of flavors. Shannon had to leave the tent because she felt unwell, so she did not have a bake to present.

Nigella’s debut as a judge squarely hit my expectations: she balanced encouraging remarks with insightful criticism, while dripping pearls of wisdom along with an occasional barb. She eats with abandon, but the large bites looked a bit awkward at first, something that many viewers noticed. I think she will pace herself better in subsequent weeks, as you could see her already tempering those big portions on the second day. My favorite Nigella comment was "“I don’t have many skills, but eating is one of them.”

Mo, the season’s youngest competitor, was crowned star baker. No one was sent home because of Shannon’s absence. Looking forward to week 2!