The Great British Bake Off 2022 week 7: what is Custard Week? Signature, technical, and showstopper explained

It’s custard week on The Great British Bake Off.

Over halfway to the finale, things are heating up in the Bake Off tent – and not just because of the ovens. After shock eliminations and controversial judging choices, the remaining bakers are still competing for Paul and Prue’s affections – who will get a Hollywood handshake? Who is going to be sent home? Who will be crowned Star Baker? And who, in the end, will win it all?

Here’s everything you need to know about Custard Week on the Great British Bake Off.

What happened last week?

Halloween! The bakers made an apple cake in the signature challenge (in reference to the Halloween apple bobbing tradition), campfire treat s’mores in the technical challenge, and a Halloween piñata in the showstopper.

It was a spooky one last week – for Dawn especially, being sent home at the end of the episode. Things went better for Syabira at least, winning the Star Baker accolade for the first time in the competition.

The Custard Week Signature

For this week’s signature challenge, the Bakers are asked to put their own twist on a custard dish known as the ‘Floating Island’. Invented in France, a floating island is a meringue that rests on a body of crème anglaise, which is a type of custard sauce.

The Custard Week Technical

Details are few and far between about what exactly the custard week technical will be, with Channel 4 revealing only that the bakers will be asked to “tackle a summer staple”. The trailer for this week’s episode, however, offers a slight clue – the bakers seem to be making some kind of custard ice cream…

The Custard Week Showstopper

Finally, the bakers are being challenged to “make custard the star and basis of a showstopping set gateau”. A set gateau is a type of cake, though within that challenge the bakers are still being given a lot of opportunity to define the dish for themselves and express their own interpretation of a custard showstopper. One thing they will be expected to do however is layer the cake – quite a complicated thing to do with custard, as you can imagine.

Have we all recovered from custardgate?

Do you remember custardgate? The last time The Great British Bake Off touched custard – all the way back in Series 4, when the show was on BBC One and Sue, Mel, and Mary Berry were still there – remains one of the most controversial moments in the show’s history.

As part of a desert challenge – trying to make those floating islands again – contestant Deborah accidentally used Howard’s custard, meaning Howard had to use her custard. Among fans of the show, it quickly became known as custardgate, with the whole affair threatening to plunge the Bake Off tent into chaos (or, you know, the Bake Off equivalent of chaos at least).

What time is the Great British Bake Off on?

As per, The Great British Bake Off airs on Channel 4 on Tuesdays at 8pm, and are available to watch on catch up on All4.