Coleraine's Iain Ross exits the Great British Bake Off tent in quarter-finals week
Dessert usually signals the end of a meal and, sadly for Coleraine’s Iain Ross, Dessert Week signalled the end of his run in the Great British Bake Off.
Software engineer Iain had baked his way into the quarter finals of the hit Ch4 show, with only five bakers left in the famous Bake Off tent.
The Signature Challenge for Dessert Week was to make a highly decorated Basque style cheesecake – which Prue described as being a cross between a very light sponge and a custard, which has to be browned on top.
Iain chose to create a ‘Christmas Box Basque Cheesecake’ but ran into trouble when the top of his cheesecake split. While judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith said both the bake and the decoration were good, Iain said: “I put too much orange in it.”
Next up was the Technical Challenge during which the bakers had to create six gluten-free orange upside-down puddings and creme anglaise. Iain’s orange and cardamom puddings impressed Paul and Prue so much that he was awarded second place in the task.
Finally, it was on to the four-and-a-half hour Showstopper Challenge during which the quarter-finalists had to produce a celebratory, free-standing trifle. The trifle had to be elegant and sophisticated, explained host Alison Hammond, with multiple layers and at least one baked element.
Coleraine man Iain created what he called ‘Iain’s Triflemina Trifle’, a tribute to his favourite place in Sicily, Taormina.
Maintaining his Bake Off tradition of incorporating alcohol in as many bakes as possible – much to Prue’s delight – Iain’s showstopper used marsala wine, prompting the Coleraine man to quip: “It wouldn’t be me if it didn’t have a bit of alcohol in it.”
However, it was the flavouring of the showstopper which proved to be Iain’s downfall.
While admiring the decoration “the top looks amazing” and “I like the whole concept”, the judges deemed that the Triflemina lacked flavour.
"We can usually rely on you for punchy flavours,” said Prue.
And, with Jasmine earning the title of Star Baker for the fourth time, Iain’s time in the tent was over.
Speaking after the result, he said: “I am very proud of making it this far, I never thought I’d make it past the first couple of weeks so to make it to the quarter finals is something I couldn’t have ever thought of.
"We’ve had the best group of bakers, I think, it’s been fantastic. I’ve made really, really good friends and we always had a great laugh and it’s just been fantastic.”