The Great New Year's Bake Off recap: innuendo and a former champion return but only one was a winner

Bake Off was back to ease our Hogmanay hangovers and welcome in 2019 with its second festive special. Here are all the talking points from the New Year’s Day edition…

Easy winner Steven is a lost Bake Off champion

Steven Carter-Bailey was a 2017 finalist, three-time Star Baker and bookies’ hot favourite to become Bake Off’s eighth champion but surprisingly lost the title to nice-but-forgettable Sophie Faldo. 

The Watford marketeer came within a Yin Yang entremet cake of glory and is arguably the contest’s winner-that-should-have been. Here he exorcised his entremet demons in style. 

Steven received the coveted Paul Hollywood handshake for his Stag Night Stollen signature: a perfectly baked stag sculpture with fondant holly sprigs, glitter cherries and golden nuts. “I’ve missed those,” giggled Steven as the Scouse silverback pumped his hand. 

Even though his crème anglaise was too thin, Steven won the snow egg technical round because his meringue sphere and caramel cage were by far the best.

Finally came that clever Communication Cake showstopper, recreating his grandmother’s telephone table with an old-fashioned red handset, address book, cup of tea and edible lace doily. Almost an illusion cake, it was exquisitely designed and tasted as good as it looked. This time, Steven received an even rarer “Hollywood hug” and was endearingly chuffed.

Apart from that runny custard, it was a flawless performance and Steven romped home as the clear victor. Some consolation for the doughy disappointment of October 2017. 

Candice Brown failed to show champion’s form

Pouting former PE teacher Candice Brown was the first ever winner to return to the tent and bake again. It was a brave move that ultimately backfired, as she probably finished last of the four returning alumni.

Her Festive Apple Stollen Wreath had cute marzipan apples but was raw inside and needed longer in the oven, failing to right the 2016 champion’s past wrongs with bread. Candice improved in the technical challenge, coming second and let down only by her overcooked meringue.

Unfortunately, she then lapsed into self-parody with that lipstick showstopper, presented on a mirror. It might have featured two different sponge cakes but Paul Hollywood said her giant lips were “simplistic and crass”, while Prue Leith described the mint and chocolate as “toothpastey”. 

Still, Candice was bold to put her baking reputation on the line and was entertaining value, applying lipstick for Sandi Toksvig and toppling over on the marquee floor while getting a cake out of oven. “What a prat,” she chuckled. With such balance and grace, it's small wonder Candice came last in Dancing On Ice. 

Innuendo was back with a vengeance

Who says Bake Off has dialled down the double entendres since Mel and Sue’s departure? We were met by a veritable barrage of New Year nudge-winking, with Candice’s “sausage going inside”, Steven “rolling my nuts in dust” and Kate’s “back door action”.

Sandi Toksvig also raised an eyebrow at Candice’s giant lipstick, with Noel Fielding adding “it’s like The Kama Sutra in here”. No soggy bottoms or firm buns but you can’t have it all. 

Surprise package Kate ran Stephen closest

We assumed Candice would figure in the leading pack but in fact it was relatively unsung 2014 contestant Kate Henry who gave Steven a run for his money. 

With its marzipan spheres and golden royal icing balls, her Ginger & Almond Stollen looked like a “Bollywood octopus”, according to Noel Fielding, and earned the episode’s second Hollywood handshake. 

The Brighton-based furniture restorer wobbled in the technical and finished fourth, which was ultimately what nudged Steven ahead, but bounced back brilliantly in the showstopper by building her dream Regency house restaurant from pistachio sponge, exquisitely piped and finished off with sugar pastillage construction. 

The judges described Kate’s neatly layered cake and blackcurrant ganache as an “astonishing combination”, while the house looked so adorable, diminutive Sandi Toksvig wanted to move in. Kate finished sixth back in series five but, on this evidence, could have fared much better. Hooray for Henry.

What would Mary Berry say?

One of Bake Off’s most memorable BBC moments was judge Mary Berry’s death stare of disapproval when she discovered that 2014 contestant Enwezor Nzegwu had used readymade fondant icing. Unsurprisingly, Enwezor was sent home by the end of the episode. 

Surprisingly, here the contestants were allowed to being in shop-bought fondant for the showstopper round. Somewhere on a squishy sofa, La Berry must have been narrowing her eyes again in disgust.

The only baker to make his own was Steven, who instead opted to showcase his skills and went on to win - proving that Mazza Bezza was right all along. We never doubted it

Dr Tamal needed a second opinion

It was a treat to see 2015 runner-up Tamal Ray back in the tent, with his wry smile and self-deprecating wit. However, the self-styled “fuzzy-haired anaesthetist and lover of cake” didn’t do himself justice.

His Orange & Rum Stollen signature was underbaked, stodgy and clumsily decorated, although Prue Leith said his pistachio marzipan was “a revelation”. It was a similar story with his Tailor’s Dummy showstopper, which smelled wonderful but looked simplistic and tasted too dense.

Tamal’s flavours were as good as ever but he needed more finesse. The baking equivalent of a bedside manner, maybe.

Noel Fielding scored a style wars win

Paul Hollywood and Sandi Toksvig ruled themselves out of the New Year’s Day fashion clash by keeping it low-key with a black shirt and navy jumper respectively. 

Prue Leith caught the eye in a red sleeveless tunic over a pop art star-print blouse, accessorised with spiky yellow necklace and red specs.

However, Noel Fielding was this episode’s best dressed, looking resplendently Elvis-esque with a quiff and printed bomber jacket. Sandi even confessed that she fancied him due to “the kd lang look”. Constant craving for cake, anyone?

An honourable mention too for contestant Kate’s natty silver “sleeve defenders” so she didn’t get stollen all over clothes. We could have done with those while cooking Christmas dinner.

This edition outdid the Christmas Day one

The second of Bake Off’s two seasonal specials turned out to be the superior episode. Apologies to Andrew, Liam, Flo and Jane, but the baking was of a higher standard and the contest closer to call. 

We ended on the uplifting spectacle of everyone enjoying a glass of fizz as “Britain's biggest boyband”, The London Gay Men's Chorus, crooned “Auld Lang’s Syne” and threw handfuls of glitter in the air. Good bake.

Bring on the celeb specials

We must now wait seven months for Bake Off’s 10th series but bridging the gap will be a celebrity series for Stand Up to Cancer, expected to air in March.

With famous contestants including Jeremy Paxman, John Lithgow, Michelle Keegan, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Caroline Flack, Russell Brand and Jess Phillips MP, it should fill the hole perfectly. 

See you back here to peer at its crumb structure and prod its soggy bottom. In the meantime, Happy 2019.