Why GBBO Fans Were Grossed Out By This Week's Showstoppers
As usual, the latest season of "The Great British Bake Off" is warming our hearts and making us hungry through our TV screens. Season 13 of the mega-successful baking show is on now, with returning judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith critiquing the bakes and witty hosts Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas adding some levity to the tent.
The season has kicked off with some memorable showstopper challenges. For Cake Week in Episode 1, bakers were challenged to build homes out of cake. The following episode, contestants finished off Biscuit Week by turning cookies into 3-D masks (via NationalWorld).
The third week brought an even more challenging landscape, with two contestants not competing because they weren't feeling good and a technical challenge of making "12 identical pain aux raisin," per the Irish Examiner. And this time, the unexpected showstopper challenge may have bewildered viewers even more than the bakers.
Bakers had to make smörgåstårta, a traditional Swedish sandwich cake
GBBO fans typically watch the show for its feel-good atmosphere, wholesome cast, and delicious bakes that the contestants place on the judges' table. However, in the third episode of Season 13, the showstopper bake had the opposite effect on viewers. For Bread Week, The Guardian reports that bakers were asked to create smörgåstårta, a traditional Swedish sandwich cake. Unlike sweet sandwich cookies, though, smörgåstårta is actually a savory layer cake consisting of bread and savory ingredients such as cold cuts, salads, and pate. Once assembled, the sandwich cake is usually frosted with cream cheese and garnished with anything from cucumbers and eggs to tomatoes and dill, per The Local.
As Prue Leith put it, the smörgåstårta "must look like a cake but taste like a sandwich" (via Yahoo). Though most people like sandwiches, they apparently don't like them to look like dessert — as tons of GBBO fans flocked to Twitter to express their disgust with the challenge.
One user tweeted that the dish sounded "REPULSIVE," while another called it "my idea of hell" (via Twitter). A different person said, "First time ever I'm not hungry watching the showstopper." They were referring to the contestants' creations made with nasi lemak, "fish and chips," curry, and "sloppy joe" flavors. Interestingly enough, smörgåstårta is supposedly so good that a couple of Swedish policemen wanted it as a bribe in an unusual theft case, so it can't really be all that bad, right?