He threw down the gauntlet in the first week, when making a BLT sandwich out of cake that would have fooled most customers in a café.
And Steven Carter-Bailey proved last night that his opening triumph on The Great British Bake Off was far from a fluke, as he created a meticulous biscuit chess board which looked good enough to play.
The 34-year-old’s creativity and precision – which saw him top each chess piece with a miniature cake – once again set him apart, making him star baker for the second week in a row.
Steven Carter-Bailey proved last night that his opening triumph on The Great British Bake Off was far from a fluke, as he created a meticulous biscuit chess board which looked good enough to play
He threw down the gauntlet in the first week, when making a BLT sandwich out of cake that would have fooled most customers in a café
Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith appeared dumbfounded by his competency for this stage in the competition, describing his bakes as ‘perfect’ and ‘exquisite’.
Responding to being crowned star baker again, Carter-Bailey said: ‘I don’t think I will ever get used to this feeling, it’s alien to me. I have bullied myself so much in my life that finally I am getting praise, I don’t know what to do with it.’
Although there is no suggestion that the marketing manager from Hertfordshire is anything but a talented home baker, his early performances have led some to question his amateur status.
Some followers on his social media accounts, which are full of photos of other impressive bakes he has made, have gone as far as calling him a secret professional.
Following the first performance, thousands of fans predicted he would win the series, while one said: ‘Everybody else may as well go home.’
Another wrote: ‘Not sure where they got Steven from, he’s got to be a professional, surely?! #GBBO’
Although there is no suggestion that the marketing manager from Hertfordshire is anything but a talented home baker, his early performances have led some to question his amateur status
During last night’s episode, which clashed with BBC1’s drama Doctor Foster for the final 15 minutes, Carter-Bailey was shown in his own kitchen making an intricate pink wedding cake
One upset fan wrote on Twitter: ‘Steven is a fraud. Get him outta here’
Viewer Char Sherm wrote: ‘Of course he is very talented but are we 100% sure that Steve isn’t actually a professional?’
Commenter James Rock joked: ‘That Steven is too good at baking, they should ban him or cut off one hand or something to make it fair’
Kylie Woodgates said: ‘You may as well kick off everyone and give Steve the winning prize now’
During last night’s episode, which clashed with BBC1’s drama Doctor Foster for the final 15 minutes, Carter-Bailey was shown in his own kitchen making an intricate pink wedding cake.
However, he was not the only baker to impress the judges across the three challenges, which included the bakers making 24 sandwich biscuits and 12 fortune cookies.
NHS molecular biologist Yan finished top of the technical challenge for her fortune cookies, and architect Tom Hetherington was praised for his ‘drain pipes and ladders’ game.
But it was not all smiles and compliments, as Miss Leith dished out some strong criticism for some of the bakers, telling one that she feared she would break her teeth on their biscuits.
But Steven also has many fans on the show. One viewer wrote on Twitter: ‘Steven is just a beyond-perfect man in every way’
Marvel-lous: Using the handle Sponge Cake Square Tin, his Instagram account is littered with images of high-quality bakes including wedding and character cakes mastered by the contestant, who walked away with the ‘Star Baker’ crown in week one
Wow! A representative for Channel 4 earlier told MailOnline: ‘The different challenges each week test a huge range of skills over the series and were in place before the bakers identities were known’
Stunning: One of his wedding cakes was of a stunning standard as depicted on his page
The baker’s Instagram account shows even more fantastic creations including a Minion cake and one for a wedding
This incredible cake looks the spitting image of a flower pot filled with white petaled flowers
Another incredible cake on the baker’s Instagram looks just like a Chanel handbag
Last week, the baker wowed judges and viewers with his incredible creations
The winner: The show kicked off last week, to baited breath following its shock move from BBC to Channel 4, yet Steven stole the show with his illusion cake which was styled as a BLT sandwich and loaf of bread
Overjoyed: Viewers were touched when the hunk was seen calling his mum to tell her he had walked away victorious
The 77-year-old reserved her harshest move for cancer survivor Chris Geiger, when she spat out his fortune cookie and said: ‘I don’t think they got to the oven…raw batter is no fun.’
Geiger, who also struggled with the showstopper challenge when the biscuit for his sailing boat game was deemed to be burnt, became the second contestant to be eliminated.
He said: ‘It has been lovely to receive so many messages from cancer patients, I have received congratulations from people that have either been through treatment, or currently having treatment.
‘The letters are so moving, when we read them my wife and I are sobbing away like a couple of babies. Something like that makes a whole sense of the competition, big time.’
‘Because of my illness, we are an incredibly close family. I hope from being on the show, it raises awareness that cancer can be beaten and inspires anyone who is having treatment, that will be enough for me.’
Miss Leith dished out some strong criticism for some of the bakers, telling one that she feared she would break her teeth on their biscuits
The 77-year-old reserved her harshest move for cancer survivor Chris Geiger, when she spat out his fortune cookie and said: ‘I don’t think they got to the oven…raw batter is no fun’
- The Great British Bake Off continues on Channel 4 at 8pm on Tuesdays.