Who went home on The Great British Bake Off season 16 episode 7? Details explored

Episode 7 of The Great British Bake Off Season 16 introduced a new theme to the tent: Meringue Week.

The bakers faced three rounds designed to test their skills with the delicate ingredient, from balancing sweetness in the Signature challenge to maintaining precision in the Technical and Showstopper tasks.

As the competition entered its seventh week, the challenges grew more demanding, leaving little room for mistakes.

It was during this stage that Lesley became the seventh contestant to leave the competition.

Despite her creative approach and attention to presentation, several missteps in the Technical and Showstopper rounds ultimately led to her elimination.

Toby, meanwhile, performed strongly throughout the episode and earned the title of Star Baker for the second time this season.

Meringue Week tests the bakers with challenging tarts, soufflés, and Vacherin Glacé on The Great British Bake Off

Meringue week challenges

The Signature challenge required each baker to create mini meringue tarts using their choice of Swiss, French, or Italian meringue. Contestants paired their meringues with fruity fillings to balance the flavor.

Jasmine and Lesley incorporated raspberry, while Tom and Iain used rhubarb. Toby presented an “apple lattice” design that impressed the judges, earning him a handshake from Paul Hollywood for its execution and taste.

For the Technical challenge, the bakers prepared raspberry soufflés in a staggered format so that Paul and Prue could judge each one immediately after baking.

Several struggled with timing and texture. Iain accidentally used twice the required amount of sugar, while Lesley and Toby overwhipped their egg whites, affecting the structure of their soufflés.

Iain’s bake ultimately ranked first, while Lesley’s undercooked dessert placed her near the bottom of the results.

The Showstopper: Vacherin Glacé

The final round featured a vacherin glacé, a French dessert made with layers of ice cream, sorbet, and meringue, topped with whipped cream.

Each baker had to prepare three frozen elements and assemble them into a visually cohesive structure. Lesley’s creation was inspired by her daughter’s engagement, Aaron based his on Japanese folklore, and Iain produced a bin-shaped version referencing a well-known Bake Off moment from a previous season.

During judging, Toby’s tropical-themed vacherin glacé, featuring pineapple and coconut flavors, stood out for its consistency and clear flavors.

Lesley, however, experienced problems when she reversed the sugar-to-egg ratio in her meringue recipe. She was forced to start again, which led to underbaked and chewy layers.

Although her final presentation was completed, the texture issues and timing errors counted against her.

Elimination and Star Baker results

At the end of the episode, Lesley was announced as the baker leaving the tent. Her difficulties during both the Technical and Showstopper challenges contributed to her elimination.

She followed Nataliia, Nadia, Jessika, Pui Man, Leighton, and Hassan as the seventh contestant to exit this season.

Toby earned Star Baker honors for the week, having maintained strong results across all three rounds. His earlier success in Biscuit Week and this week’s performance reinforced his consistent standing in the competition.

The series now advances to the quarterfinals, bringing back the familiar Dessert Week. Channel 4 previewed a “scorched Signature,” an “old-school Technical,” and a “gravity-defying Showstopper.”

The remaining five contestants on The Great British Bake Off are set to face intricate structural challenges and time-sensitive bakes as the competition continues to narrow.

Stay tuned for more updates.