| Series Number: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 8 |
| Network: | BBC Two |
The second series of The Great British Bake Off started 14 August 2011 with twelve amateur bakers. Unlike series one, the competition was held in a single location – the grounds of Valentines Mansion, a 17th-century mansion house in Redbridge.[1] In addition to their on-screen presenting, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins also took over the narration, which had been done by Stephen Noonan for the previous series. Series two also introduced the "star baker" award for the most impressive performer each week.
Three and a half thousand people applied for the competition, and twelve were selected. Each episode was filmed over two fourteen-hour days.[2] The competition was won by Joanne Wheatley.[3]
| Baker | Age | Occupation | Hometown | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Frazer | 31 | Graphic Designer | Northampton | |
| Holly Bell | 31 | Advertising executive | Leicester | |
| Ian Vallance | 40 | Dunstable, Bedfordshire | ||
| Janet Basu | 63 | Teacher of Modern Languages | Formby, Liverpool | |
| Jason White | 19 | Civil Engineering Student | Croydon | |
| Joanne "Jo" Wheatley | 41 | Housewife | Ongar, Essex | |
| Keith Batsford | 31 | House husband | Arlesey, Bedfordshire | |
| Mary-Anne Boermans | 45 | Housewife | Kidderminster, Worcestershire | |
| Robert Billington | 25 | Photographer | London | |
| Simon Blackwell | 31 | Rugby Coach | Norfolk | |
| Urvashi Roe | 40 | Head of Marketing | Enfield, London | |
| Yasmin Limbert | 43 | Childminder | West Kirby, The Wirral |
| Baker | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jo | LOW | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SB | WINNER | |||
| Holly | SB | SAFE | SAFE | SB | SAFE | LOW | |||
| SAFE | SAFE | LOW | |||||||
| Janet | SAFE | SAFE | LOW | SAFE | SB | OUT | |||
| Yasmin | SAFE | SAFE | SB | LOW | LOW | OUT | |||
| Jason | SAFE | SB | SAFE | SB | OUT | ||||
| Robert | LOW | LOW | LOW | SAFE | OUT | ||||
| Ben | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||||
| Ian | SAFE | OUT | |||||||
| Urvashi | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||||||
| Simon | LOW | OUT | |||||||
| Keith | OUT | ||||||||
Colour key:
For their first challenge, the bakers were asked to bake 24 cupcakes in two hours. They were allowed to make two different types of cupcakes. For the technical challenge, the bakers were asked to bake a Coffee and Walnut Battenburg cake using Mary Berry's recipe in two hours. The cake needed to have the perfect sponge which held its form (perfect symmetry), distinguish flavours, and a smooth exterior. For the showstopper, the bakers were asked to bake a chocolate tiered celebration cake with elaborate, multi-layer design in five hours.
| Baker | Signature (24 Cupcakes) | Technical (Coffee and Walnut Battenberg) | Showstopper (Chocolate Tiered Cake) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | Rhubarb and Custard Cupcakes After Dinner Cupcakes | 2nd | Vanilla Sponge with White Chocolate and Raspberry Buttercream | ||
| Holly | Cherry Bakewell Inspired Cupcakes Ginger Cupcakes with Fig Truffle | 1st | Novelty Farm Cake | ||
| Ian | Apple and Cinnamon Cupcakes | 10th | UNKNOWN | ||
| Janet | Raspberry and Cream Cupcakes | 8th | Chocolate Marble Cake with Dark and White Chocolate Truffles | ||
| Jason | Lemon Meringue Cupcakes Apple and Cinnamon Cupcakes | 6th | UNKNOWN | ||
| Jo | Chocolate Orange Cupcakes Orange and Cardamom Cupcakes | 11th | Chocolate and Strawberry Cake | ||
| Keith | Earl Grey Cupcakes | 12th | Chocolate and Sour Cream Cake | ||
| Mary-Anne | Banoffee Cupcakes | 4th | |||
| Robert | Blackberry and Vanilla Cupcakes with Liquorice Frosting | 3rd | Genoise Layered Mousse Cake with Chocolate Ganache | ||
| Simon | Guinness and Chocolate Cupcakes | 9th | Two-Tiered Chocolate Courgette Cake | ||
| Urvashi | Cherry Blossom Cupcakes Japanese Lime Cupcakes | 7th | Orange Blossom Celebration Cake | ||
| Yasmin | Cardamom and Pomegranate Cupcakes Lemon Meringue Cupcakes | 5th | Three Tier Passion Cake |
For the signature bake, the bakers were asked to bake a savoury quiche in 2 hours. For the technical challenge, the bakers were asked to bake a Tarte au Citron using Mary Berry's recipe in hours. For the showstopper, the bakers were asked to bake 24 mini sweet tartlets, in two different flavour combinations.
| Baker | Signature (Savoury Quiche) | Technical (Tarte au Citron) | Showstopper (24 Miniature Sweet Tarts) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | Chorizo, Pepper and Gruyere Quiche | 1st | Lemon Meringue Tarts | ||
| Holly | Pesto Quiche | 4th | Milk Chocolate and Pistachio Tarts Trifle Tarts | ||
| Ian | Stilton, Spinach and New Potato Quiche with Paprika and Walnut Pastry | 2nd | UNKNOWN | ||
| Janet | 8th | Red Fruit Tarts Chocolate and Cherry Tarts | |||
| Jason | Salmon and Pak Choi Quiche | 3rd | Mint Chocolate Tarts Blueberry Bakewell Tarts | ||
| Jo | Caramelised Onion, Gruyere and Thyme Quiche | 10th | Raspberry and Mascarpone Tarts with Lemon and Almond Pastry Honey and Almond Tarts with Sweetcrust | ||
| Mary-Anne | Roasted Cauliflower, Cheese and Caramelised Onion Quiche | 9th | Butterscotch Brulée Tarts in Pecan Pastry Apple Rose Tarts | ||
| Robert | Smoked Bacon and Kale Quiche | 5th | Chocolate, Fennel and Ginger Tart Almond, Creme Patisserie and Poached Pear Tart | ||
| Simon | Smoked Haddock and Watercress Quiche | 11th | Passion Fruit and Ricotta Tarts Salted Chocolate, Stem Ginger and Mascarpone Cream Tarts | ||
| Urvashi | Crab, Coriander and Coconut Quiche | 7th | Strawberry and Basil Tarts Elderflower and Honeycomb Tarts | ||
| Yasmin | Smoked Haddock and Watercress Quiche | 6th | Chocolate and Orange Tarts with Cinnamon-Orange Pastry Blueberry and Hazelnut Tarts with Hazelnut Pastry |
For their signature bake, the bakers were asked to bake a free form flavored loaf (not using a tin) in hours. The technical challenge gave the bakers hours to bake a Focaccia, using Paul Hollywood's recipe. The showstopper required the bakers to produce a 2 part display: a basket made of bread, then filled with 12 sweet and 12 savory rolls, in the space of 5 hours.
| Baker | Signature (Free Form Loaf) | Technical (Focaccia) | Showstopper (12 sweet and 12 savoury rolls) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | Walnut, Raisin and Rosemary Loaf | 3rd | UNKNOWN | ||
| Holly | Picnic Loaf | 6th | Stilton and Walnut Rolls | ||
| Ian | Courgette, Caerphilly Cheese and Thyme Loaf | 10th | Walnut and Raisin Rolls Cracked Wheat Logs | ||
| Janet | Zupfe Loaf with Gruyère Cheese | 8th | Apple and Walnut Granary Rolls Red Onion Cottage Rolls | ||
| Jason | Cheese and Onion Tear and Share Loaf | 7th | UNKNOWN | ||
| Jo | Stromboli Flavoured with Mozarella, Ham, and Picante Peppers | 1st | Spiced Orange Rolls Pumpkin Seed Rolls | ||
| Mary-Anne | Ploughman's Loaf | 5th | Herb and Walnut Breads Chocolate and Chilli Buns | ||
| Robert | Rye and Coriander Seed Loaf | 4th | Blueberry Brioche Rolls Lemon and Poppy Seed Rolls | ||
| Urvashi | Salt and Peppercorn Loaf | 9th | Chilli and Halloumi Rolls Lemon and Coriander Mini Loaves | ||
| Yasmin | Egyptian Dukkah Loaf with Mixed Spices | 2nd | Pesto Bread Sweet Coconut Rolls |
For the signature bake, the bakers were give hours to make 12 biscuits of their choice; the biscuits should not be too soft, too hard or too crumbly. The technical challenge gave the bakers hours to bake 24 brandy snaps. For the showstopper, the bakers were asked to produce a macaron display, consisting of 120 macarons in 3 different flavors; they had 5 hours to complete it.
| Baker | Signature (12 Biscuits) | Technical (24 Brandy Snaps) | Showstopper (Macarons) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben | Stem Ginger Nuts | 5th | Chocolate and Almond Macarons Pine Nut Macarons Pistachio Macarons | ||
| Holly | Strawberry and Custard Melts | 3rd | 'Chocolate bars of my youth' (Caramel Macarons, Mint Chocolate Macarons and Chocolate Orange Macarons) | ||
| Janet | Christmas Marzipan Biscuits | 4th | Raspberry Macarons Blackcurrant Macarons Almond Macarons | ||
| Jason | 1st | Mocktail Macarons (Mojito, Cranberry Cooler, and Piña Colada) | |||
| Jo | Lavender Biscuits | 8th | Blueberry Macarons Coconut Macarons Strawberry Macarons | ||
| Mary-Anne | 2nd | Blackcurrant and Mint Macarons Gooseberry and Elderflower Macarons Hazelnut Macarons | |||
| Robert | Chocolate and Ginger Oat Biscuits | 7th | Strawberry and Lime Macarons Lemon Macarons Chocolate and Cardamom Macarons | ||
| Yasmin | 6th | Chocolate and Lime Macarons Coffee and Walnut Macarons Pineapple and Coconut Macarons |
The signature challenge asked the bakers to produce a hearty family pie using either a rough puff or flaky pastry, in hours. For the technical challenge, the bakers were asked to bake a batch of 6 miniature pork pies (using a hot water crust pastry) in hours, using Paul Hollywood's recipe. It was a 2-day bake challenge — to give the filling time to set overnight the pies were judged the next day. For the showstopper, the bakers were asked to bake a meringue pie — a fruit and/or custard pie topped with meringue — in hours.
| Baker | Signature (Family Pie) | Technical (6 Miniature Pork Pie) | Showstopper (Meringue Pie) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holly | Stilton, Potato and Caramelised Onion Pie | 4th | Lime Meringue Pie | ||
| Janet | 1st | Rhubarb Meringue Pie | |||
| Jason | Brown Down Chicken Pie | 7th | Plum Meringue Pie | ||
| Jo | Salmon and Asparagus Pie | 6th | Apple and Raspberry Meringue Pie | ||
| Mary-Anne | Chicken and Bacon Pie | 2nd | Midnight Meringue Pie | ||
| Robert | Chicken and Mushroom Pie | 3rd | Rhubarb & Custard Meringue Pie | ||
| Yasmin | Family Fish Pie | 5th | Peach and Raspberry Meringue Pie |
For their signature bake, the quarterfinalists were tasked to produce a cheesecake in 21⁄2 hours. For the technical challenge, the bakers were asked to bake a chocolate roulade in hours using Mary Berry's recipe. For the showstopper, the bakers were asked to create a Croquembouche-inspired bake in 5 hours.
| Baker | Signature (Baked Cheesecake) | Technical (Chocolate Roulade) | Showstopper (Croquembouche) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holly | Father Christmas' Baked Cheesecake | 3rd | Hansel and Gretel's Croquembouche | ||
| Janet | Rhubarb and Ginger Baked Cheesecake | 5th | Orange and Nougatine Croquembouche | ||
| Jo | Rum and Raisin Baked Cheesecake | 1st | Limoncello and White Chocolate Croquembouche | ||
| Mary-Anne | Tutti Frutti Curd Baked Cheesecake | 4th | Orange and Praline Croquembouche with Cardamom Caramel | ||
| Yasmin | Baked Amaretto Cheesecake | 2nd | Rose Croquembouche |
For the signature bake, the semi-finalists were given 2 hours to bake a layered mousse cake, with the judges seeking a light sponge and a rich mousse. In the technical challenge, the bakers were asked to bake 12 identical Iced Fingers to be filled with cream and jam, using Paul Hollywood's recipe. For the showstopper, the bakers were asked to produce a selection of three different pastries using the same laminated pastry dough — which must be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside — for all three.
| Baker | Signature (Layered Mousse Cake) | Technical (12 Iced Fingers) | Showstopper (3 Different Types of Pastries or Croissants) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holly | White Chocolate, Hazelnut and Raspberry Génoise Mousse Cake | 1st | Apricot, Macadamia and White Chocolate Pinwheels Almond Croissants Apple, Raisin and Cinnamon Plaits | ||
| Janet | Chocolate Amaretto Mousse Cake | 4th | Pain Aux Raisin Plain Croissant Pain Au Chocolat | ||
| Jo | Raspberry & Strawberry Mousse Cake | 3rd | Pain Aux Raisin Chocolate Twists Banana and Raisin Pastries | ||
| Mary-Anne | Chocolate and Orange Mousse Cake | 2nd | Raspberry Rose Danishes Praline Spirals Alsatian Plaited Danishes |
For their final signature bake, the finalists were asked to bake 12 mille-feuille in hours. For the technical challenge, the bakers were asked to bake a sachertorte in 2 hours and 40 minutes. For their final showstopper, the bakers were asked to bake 3 different types of petits fours: meringue, sweet pastry, and sponge-based, on the theme of British Summertime, within 4 hours.
| Baker | Signature (12 Mille-Feuille) | Technical (Sachertorte) | Showstopper (Petits Fours) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holly | Banoffee Inspired Mille Feuille | 2nd | Strawberry and Cream Meringue Nest Gooseberry and Elderflower 'Bakewell' Tarts Neapolitan Ice-Cream Sandwich | ||
| Jo | Raspberry and Blueberry Mille Feuille | 1st | Mini Victoria Sandwiches Raspberry, White Chocolate and Pistachio Mini Meringues Mini Banoffee Pie with Banana Mousse | ||
| Mary-Anne | Lemon and Ginger Mille Feuille | 3rd |
Both episodes nine and ten were masterclasses by Paul and Mary, where they demonstrated how to make the Technical Challenges that they had set throughout the series. Episode nine showed the first four of the series; Coffee and walnut Battenberg, Tarte au Citron, Focaccia and Brandy Snaps. Episode ten showed the last four of the series; Pork pies, Chocolate roulade, Iced fingers and Sachertorte.Episode eleven went back and revisited the bakers from series one to catch up with the contestants.
Some of the contestants went on to a career in baking or had a change of career after appearing on the show.
Joanne Wheatley has written two bestselling books on baking, A Passion for Baking published on 16 May 2013,[2] and Home Baking initially as a Sainsbury's exclusive. She writes a monthly column for Sainsbury's magazine and is a regular guest columnist for The Sun newspaper.[4] [5] She runs cookery courses from her home in Essex,[6] [7] and has appeared in various television programmes such as The Alan Titchmarsh Show and What's Cooking.[8]
Holly Bell teaches baking classes and for a time worked as an occasional radio presenter on BBC Radio Leicester.[9] She also appeared as a guest presenter on QVC shopping channel.[10] She wrote an eBook called Ready, Steady, Bake! which was published on 5 July 2012,[11] and published a book Recipes from a Normal Mum on 17 July 2014.
Mary-Anne Boermans wrote a book on baking, Great British Bakes: Forgotten Treasures for Modern Bakers, which was published on 7 November 2013.[12]
Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.[13]
| Episode no. | Airdate | Viewers (millions) | BBC Two weekly ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.10 | 2 | ||
| 2 | 3.53 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3.82 | 1 | ||
| 4 | 3.60 | 1 | ||
| 5 | 3.83 | 1 | ||
| 6 | 4.25 | 1 | ||
| 7 | 4.42 | 1 | ||
| 8 | 5.06 | 1 |
| Airdate | Viewers (millions) | BBC Two weekly ranking | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.32 | 6 | ||
| 2 | 2.14 | 9 |