How GBBO's Giuseppe Dell'Anno Really Feels About Creating Confectionary Landmarks
The challenges that contestants face on "The Great British Bake-Off" not only give them the chance to show off their technical baking skills, but also the opportunity to let their creative juices flow and artistic sides shine — especially when it comes to the showstopper challenge featured at the end of each episode. In the semi-finals of Season 12, for example, winner Giuseppe Dell'Anno drew from his unique "Britalian" heritage (as a Brit hailing from Italy) to create the requested thematic display, consisting of an edible centerpiece surrounded by a dozen miniature desserts, per Telly Visions.
Fittingly, Dell'Anno decided to make his centerpiece a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. A tilted cake, you say? What could possibly go wrong? Apparently, Dell'Anno was counting on the less-than-stable nature of the real tower to validate any wobbling. "If it comes out wonky, I've got the justification," he said to the judges (via Facebook).
Dell'Anno has retired from his days as an Italian landmark confectioner
While Dell'Anno's edible rendition of the Leaning Tower of Pisa remained standing — albeit a bit precariously angled — he doesn't think he'll be creating any more confectionary landmarks in the future. In an interview with Vulture, the "GBBO" Season 12 victor revealed he's been asked to bake a Colosseum-shaped cake before — but said it was "not going to happen." Because he's a "home baker," Dell'Anno went on to explain, he's more focused on making baked goods that are tasty rather than showy.
Take, for instance, Dell'Anno's tiramisu slices made from almond, coffee, and marsala mascarpone cream, a technical challenge contribution that earned him a Hollywood Handshake, according to Telly Visions. The bake may have been a creative, elegant take on a classic recipe, but it wasn't over-the-top like his Leaning Tower of Pisa. "If I'm honest, I'm not into elaborately decorated cakes. If you look at my bakes, they're not extravagant or whimsical," Dell'Anno told Vulture. "So, that's my long way of saying, no more Italian landmarks."