Bake Off quarterfinal on Oct 21 as Dessert Week tests five bakers

Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off reaches its quarterfinal on Tuesday, October 21, when the five remaining amateur bakers will face three Dessert Week challenges in the tent at 8pm. The episode, which will run for roughly 75 minutes, is the eighth of the series and will determine who progresses to the semifinal on October 28.

Producers confirmed that Dessert Week, a recurring theme in the competition, will be the focus for the quarterfinal round. The bakers are scheduled to complete a Basque-style cheesecake for the signature challenge, a gluten-free sponge in the technical, and an elaborate freestanding trifle as the showstopper. As usual, hosts Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding will present the episode while judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will taste and assess the bakes.

Only five contestants remain from the original dozen who entered the tent in episode one. One baker was eliminated in week seven, leaving the current line-up to contend with three more challenges on Tuesday. The series has introduced new theme weeks this year, including back-to-school and meringue challenges, but producers moved Dessert Week later in the schedule than in recent series. The last time...