The Great British Bake Off 2016 final review: Candice Brown reigned with a picnic fit for the Queen

In a royal-themed final episode, the three-time Star Baker took home the trophy, while Andrew and Jane were thwarted by raw dough and soggy bottoms

If anyone was in any doubt about how much the final three put into the last ever Bake Off-as-we-know-it final, Andrew set them straight. “Everyone wants to win. Or dies trying,” said the usually chirpy Nothern Irish engineer with the air of a man on the brink of death by puff pastry. Rightly, this hour was less about Paul, Bezza, Mel and Sue than usual, and all about showing the bakers doing their stuff. Of course, when it was filmed, none of them knew it was the end, so watching the judges forking mouthfuls of meringue and sponge felt like being a fly on the wall at the Last Supper, just with more buttercream.

Traditionalists would have been very happy with this most British of finals. There was a royal theme to the three tasks. Bezza thought it was apt given it is the Queen’s 90th birthday year. Wasn’t it enough that last year’s winner Nadiya Hussain already made her Maj a cake? I can’t imagine all this royal worshiping flying on Channel 4, the show’s new home, and broadcaster of the “alternative Christmas message”. Still, it wasn’t over until Auntie ran the credits, so royalism it was. The signature called for a “dazzlingly decorated” filled meringue crown with at least three “lairs”.

Fit for a Queen? Andrew examining part of his signature bake (BBC/Love)

The technical was a traditional Victoria sandwich, filled with buttercream and raspberry jam. “Perfection” was the order of the day. That meant an even rise, a pale golden sponge and smooth, non-grainy buttercream. There were no instructions to help either.

The showstopper was a bit of a beast; with the judges asking for a picnic fit for the Queen including 49 (49!) elements. They wanted one chocolate celebration cake, 12 puff pastry sausage rolls, 12 savoury scones, 12 mini quiches and 12 custard and fruit tarts. All baked in one oven. In five hours.

Signature

Andrew’s caramel and cassis meringue crown might have been sprayed gold, but the super-sweet praline didn’t quite dazzle the judges and there wasn’t enough definition for Mary on that muscavado meringue. Candice got the coveted Hollywood Handshake™ for her crown, which included blingy glittered pistachios and a fourth layer “You can’t out-Candice Candice,” Jane had noted wryly during the bake. Then, just when we thought the east London gal had clinched it, Paul described Jane’s red, white and blue meringue crown as “three layers of heaven” and extended two hands. Mel and Sue deemed it the “Roman clasp”.

Jane's meringue crown that earned her a 'Roman clasp' handshake from Paul (BBC/Love)

Technical

And so it was the last time at the Gingham Altar. Just when Andrew was looking a bit stressed to be handshakeless, he won the technical with his Victoria Sandwich. Take note Bake Off series eight wannabes, it pays off to weigh your eggs.

Showstopper

Then it was onto the picnic bonanza. It didn’t look much fun, batch baking for the royals. “I call you the precision baker” said Paul to Andrew, and he did not disappoint. He had a spreadsheet with his effort split into five-minute increments. It reminded me of those keenos at university who spent more energy on their revision timetable than the actual revising.

Andrew icing his cake, made to his grandma's recipe (BBC/Love)

Jane, on the other hand, claimed she hadn’t worked out her timings and was flapping around manically rolling puff pastry and spraying flour like a wind-up toy gone rogue. Meanwhile, Candice’s bright red lipstick stayed flawless. You could tell Andrew was flustered when he didn’t bother to measure out the pastry for his sausage rolls. You have to hand it to Jane for pulling it together eventually, though. When her white chocolate collar was too stiff to go on (didn’t she learn from her last chocolate collar disaster?) she just whacked on some buttercream and chucked some glitter at it.

Jane working on her doomed chocolate collar in the showstopper

When it came to the judging, both Andrew and Jane had some raw pastry on their sausage rolls and Andrew’s tarts had a very soggy bottom. Overused Bake Off cliché it may have become, but I will miss it. Fittingly, Andrew’s grandma’s cake was a standout piece but it was Candice whose posh picnic got the most praise. Mary declared her hamper “exciting”, her puff pastry lairs “beautiful” and both judges were in raptures over the orange flavouring in her chocolate cake.

This being the final meant that as the bakers toiled away, their loved ones and former contestants amassed outside the tent to ruminate on who would take home the silverware. It also meant that we got those lovely little segments on the bakers’ home lives. These short, but very sweet messages again reminded me how this show feels so much more organic than a lot of talent programmes – and how much respect I have for the contestants. Jane’s kids marvelled at their supermum who’d been running her garden design business alongside getting up at sparrow fart to whip up bakes. Andrew’s parents told how they had gone to their son’s graduation without him because he was too busy practising making fondant fancies. There were no sob stories, just proud mums, dads and kids who wanted to see their loved ones get recognition for their hard, hard work.

So it was brilliant Candice who came out on top. She was always the baker who always gave herself a lot to do, sometimes a little too much. She’s the one who made a gingerbread pub complete with sticky carpet and an ornate marzipan peacock that would have had pride of place on a Tudor table. She always went for an extra “lair” to win the judges’ favour and frequently drew inspiration from her beloved nan’s bakes. She also somehow managed to do it all in heels and kept her lipstick (bright red for the final) looking flawless. We know it’s the bakes that count, but her sassiness and can-do attitude over the 10 weeks makes her win all the more fabulous.

So that, folks, is that. It's over. As Jane said on one of her final pieces to camera, as she wiped away a tear: "I think it’s the emotion of not doing it again. It’s really sad, I’ll really miss it. I’ve loved every minute.” I know just how she feels.