Great British Bake Off: East Sussex baker wows the judges

Kids are back at school and summer is over – it must mean Bake Off it back!

Janusz is a teaching PA from Brighton and one of 12 bakers taking part in the hit Channel 4 show which started last night (September 13). He said as the show started: “You just want to cry, it doesn’t feel real.”

The bakers started with cake week and a signature challenge of mini sandwich cakes. Janusz gained good feedback for his pistachio and cherry vodka cakes topped with chocolate ganache.

Judge Prue Leith said they were ‘neat as a pin’ and ‘looked amazing’. She said: “Very light, lovely sponge and boozy. Well done – perfect!”

Paul Hollywood said that although there was ‘too much booze’, the texture was ‘perfect’.

Next up was the technical challenge of a red velvet cake. Again, he got good feedback and came seventh.

Finally the bakers had to produce a 3D cake of their home. Janusz made his mum’s flat out of chocolate cake with flowers on the balcony. Interestingly he used soy sauce instead of salt and decorated the cake with lots of bright coloured icing.

Prue said: “I love it, it’s full of colour – utterly delicious. I can’t fault it, it’s excellent.”

Even Paul was impressed. He said: “You’ve done an amazing job.”

At the end of the show Janusz was named star baker. He said: “I’ve cried so many times.”

Next week the bakers will face biscuits – lets hope Janusz hasn’t peaked too soon!

Meet the bakers here