Great British Bake Off fans baffled by challenge on Channel 4 show

What did you miss?

Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith sparked debate after setting the contestants a technical challenge that some fans joked was an "outrage".

The Channel 4 programme comprises three rounds: the signature, technical and the showstopper. In the technical, either Leith or fellow judge Paul Hollywood picks a recipe for the bakers to follow.

For the show on Tuesday, 29 October, Leith decided to get the hopefuls to whip up a parkin, a classic Yorkshire ginger cake. However, the example cake that she and Hollywood tucked into was iced which triggered a flurry of social media posts from incredulous cooks.

What, how and why?

This week was Bake Off's Autumn Week, with pies top of the menu. Host Noel Fielding introduced Leith's challenge, telling the bakers that they needed to produce "rich sticky vegan gingerbread sliced into perfectly neat squares with candied ginger on top".

Leith then shared one with Hollywood, explaining that the cake was usually served on Bonfire Night and that it was "autumnal and warming and spicy and delicious".

However, lots of viewers struggled to get past the fact that the cake sat in front of them was slathered with a white icing, with pieces of ginger on top.

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Many then posted messages on social media insisting that the Bake Off version of a parkin wasn't what it should be.

What did viewers say?

"Prue's Parkin is not parkin," said one person on X. "It should be heavy and have a weird oatmealy texture. No icing or other rubbish."

Another posted: "#GBBO absolutely no icing ever on Parkin. Please note Northern Law 426."

Someone else wrote: "In over 65 years, have never seen icing on Parkin." "ICED PARKIN ??!! An outrage," said another.

Someone else quipped: "Prue Leith clearly doesn't know what real parkin is. It has ginger in it and that's it. No cinnamon, no icing. Whatever she wanted them to make was a Southern abomination."

"#GBBO I’ve never seen icing on parkin," remarked somebody else. "Never not once. Lovely sticky top yes... icing no." "You should never ice Parkin!" exclaimed another.

Who was sent home on Bake Off?

Palliative care assistant Nelly was the sixth contestant to leave The Great British Bake Off after failing to impress the judges during autumn week.

Sumayah was named star baker of the week while Nelly was told by co-host Noel Fielding that she would be leaving the show.

The 44-year-old from Dorset said: “It’s not commiseration, it is a positive, I am so ready to leave. I never ever thought I would get to round six! I know my children are so proud. It’s not to teach them to win, it is to teach them to enjoy. Don’t cry! Everyone is crying….

She continued: “I was ready to leave and felt it was my time to go."

The Great British Bake Off airs on Channel 4 at 8pm on Tuesday.