The Great British Bake Off 2022 week 1 theme: Cake Week - signature and showstopper challenges explained

After a great deal of program rescheduling following the death of the Queen last week, the return of The Great British Bake Off this month was left in doubt.

But, Channel 4 confirmed that the fan favourite baking show will air as planned, and another dozen bakers are hoping they will be the one to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.

Each week the contestants will face three baking challenges based around a certain theme that will test their baking skills and show how they work under pressure.

The new season will take place over ten weeks, with different challenges ahead as themes are likely to include Bread Week, Biscuit Week, and Patisserie Week.

How does The Great British Bake Off Work?

Each week, bakers must complete three challenges - a signature, a technical, and a showstopper within a given theme.

In the signature, bakers can show off their skills by using a tried and tested recipe.

The technical will show which bakers can work under pressure as they will all be tasked with working from the same recipe to make an end product that satisfies Paul and Prue.

Finally, the showstopper is where the bakers’ personalities really come through. They will be expected to make an elaborate and professional bake and will have much more freedom with the design and flavour.

Each episode of Bake Off is filmed over two days, with filming taking up to 16 hours per day.

After each challenge Paul and Prue will judge the baker’s submissions and rank them from worst to best.

At the end of each episode the judges choose a star baker who has impressed them the most over their three bakes and send the worst performing baker home.

What are the challenges on week 1?

The theme for the first episode of the series is Cake Week, a favourite among viewers of the show.

The signature challenge is for each baker to produce 12 perfect mini cakes - they will be judged not only on how well baked they are but on the similarity in appearance and size of each mini cake.

Additionally, if bakers make too few cakes they are likely to be judged more harshly.

The first technical of series 13 will be making a sponge cake - the bakers will have to find the sweet spot between their cake being overcooked and too hard, and undercooked and too soft or soggy.

Lastly, for their showstopper, each baker will be tasked with making a scale model of a home that is meaningful to them - and it must be made from sponge.

The bakers will be able to let their imagination run wild, but if their bake is too ambitious it could collapse, and if it too simple, they won’t be likely to receive a Paul Hollywood handshake.

When is The Great British Bake Off on TV?

The Great British Bake Off season 13 will kick off on Tuesday 13 September on Channel 4 at 8pm.

Episodes will air at the same time weekly and will be available to watch on All 4 shortly after they are first broadcast.