Sweet Pandemic Distractions: Baking Magic with “The Great British Bake Off”

Baking can be a bright spot in your day. Creating something sweet for yourself or your friends can spread happiness and spark your creativity. And there’s nothing better than a new season of “The Great British Bake Off” to ‘preheat’ that baking mood.

Story by Mackenzie Pratt // @mackenziealisep // pronouns: she/her Graphic by Vildan Karaca // @vzkrc // she/her

I’ve spent the last several months attempting to sugarcoat this pandemic.

And I mean that quite literally.

Baking became my escape from the uncertainty of the present, allowing me to channel feelings of frustration into creating something sweet and perfect for sharing - and you’d be surprised at how delicious the products of anxiety-induced baking can be. But aside from producing a perfectly fluffy cake, the methodical process of baking gives my mind time to breath and process my swirling thoughts and emotions.

I know I’m not the only one. For months, photos of beautifully baked (or slightly burnt) banana bread flooded social media, proof enough that when it feels as though the world is ending, we turn to our kitchens for comfort. 

With classes back in session, my desire to bake has been deflated by midterms looming in the not-so-distant future. Luckily, when I’m too tired to head to my kitchen, I can step into the ultimate baking paradise simply by looking at my screen. “The Great British Bake Off” has returned to Netflix just in time to pull me out of my baker’s block - and to save 2020. Episode one was as action-packed as it gets.

Opening with an expansive shot of a green and serene landscape, and the delicate sound of violins, the familiar comfort of ‘Bake Off’ quickly melts away troubles like butter.

From here we’re introduced to the theme of the first week, the Battenberg Cake Signature Challenge, (a Battenberg is a cake that, when sliced, produces a checkered pattern on the inside.)  Although it is the beginning of their Bake Off journey, the contestants do not shy away from taking risks.

Loriea, our first baker, boldly announces that she will attempt a bubblegum and cream soda flavored Battenberg - quite the gamble for her first crack at flavor combinations. It does not pay off, though, when Paul Hollywood deems the combination overambitious and calls her cake “bone dry”- some tough words to hear on your first day in the tent.

This rough start to the Signature is followed by further catastrophe, from Sura’s overflowing cake to Lottie having to restart after ruining her batter; however, nothing can compare to the greatest fumble of week one, now known as “Fly-gate.”

The Technical Challenge is to make six mini pineapple upside down cakes. Just as time is called and the bakers take their creations up to the Gingham Altar, Sura notices a fly near her desserts and tries to swat it away,  knocking into her fellow contestant Dave, whose cakes tumble to the ground. 

Luckily, a couple cakes remain salvageable and Dave is judged fairly, but Sura remains apologetic, since her cakes are practically perfect, securing  her victory in the challenge.

 Week one concludes with an intense Showstopper Challenge, in which our bakers are to create a 3D cake bust of their celebrity hero. Their artistic skills and baking knowhow are equally tested, and the challenge yields impressive results - cake doppelgangers of Freddie Mercury, Charles Darwin, Lupita Nyong’o, and many more.

Peter, our youngest baker, stands out to Prue and Paul with an impressive cake sculpture of Sir Chris Hoy, whom he cleverly accessorizes with a helmet and goggles to cover for his lack of artistry.

Sura’s success in the Technical does not follow her into the Showstopper, as her cake sculpture begins to collapse directly prior to judging. In her attempt to fix it, she receives advice from other bakers, demonstrating that despite the competitive nature of “The Great British Bake Off,” contestants look out for one another. That camaraderie is especially refreshing in the face of quarantine’s frequent loneliness.

Peter’s impressive bakes earn him the title of the first week’s Star Baker while unfortunately, Loriea’s performance in the Signature got her booted from the competition, an exit which she made gracefully, vowing to continue baking.

The return of Bake Off is a much-needed distraction from the trials of this pandemic.  Watching 12 everyday people bake for an hour was the slice of peace we all deserved. I can’t wait to step into the tent from the comfort of my living room, every Friday, for the next 10 weeks.

Above all, the show inspired me to get back into my kitchen. It reminded me of the joys of baking. Of trying out flavors that you know might not work out but doing it anyway. Of pulling ingredients off the shelves and eating through an entire cake with reckless abandon.

With the world crumbling around us, we could all use a bit more sugar.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a cake to bake.