'The Great British Baking Show' Series 3 Episode 7 Recap: Victorian Week

For the first time in the history of The Great British Baking Show (and remember they’ve done this six times in the UK) the bakers have been confronted with challenges of 19th century recipes and techniques. But before we get to the gelatin and massive blobs of meat most people don’t eat anymore, let’s look back at last week’s pastry perfection and pitfalls.

After weeks of hit and miss bakes, Mat finally earned the Star Baker title. He was victorious in a difficult technical considering no one had the slightest idea what a flauone was while his vol-au-vents were head and shoulders above the rest - as is Mat himself when you think about it! Alvin, on the other hand, couldn't rise above his time management problems and had to say goodbye. His finished products tended to be raw or overbaked and his technical effort didn’t even resemble the folded pastry it was supposed to be.

Now we find ourselves down to four men and two women. Let’s see how Victorian week treated the remaining contestants.

In the signature bake, the contestants had three hours to make a raised game pie. The judges stipulated a thin hot water crust and plenty of ornate decoration. Fillings ranged from pheasant and partridge to venison, rabbit and wild boar. Yum?

For the technical challenge, Mary Berry requested the bakers serve up a tennis cake, an inexplicably popular creation from the 1890’s. They were given three hours to make a fruit cake base, a sugar paste court and royal icing embellishments.

A Charlotte Russe was set as the showstopper to be baked and assembled in five and a half hours. This traditional pudding is wrapped in ladyfingers and contains layers of jelly and bavarois cream. Now that sounds tasty!