Sydney copywriter and mother of 3 Ella Rossanis has won The Great Australian Bake Off.
Ella, 36, defeated finalists Aaron Hawton and Nurman Noor for the 2022 title.
The final three bakers faced off in the shed in the ultimate baking showdown creating their Signature Fondant Fancies, then having to conquer Maggie Beer’s technical luscious Torte and finishing with their final Showstopper, to bake their ultimate dream home. Taking out five of the ten technical challenges and two star bakers throughout the season, Ella pulled out all stops in the final Showstopper challenge, baking an extravagant Gateaux Chateau princess castle inspired by her daughter.
Maggie Beer said: “Ella is an absolute star. Her creative mind showed in every one of her bakes – always a mixture of humour and emotion. I am in awe of her ability.”
Matt Moran said: “I am so delighted Ella has won this season she was so consistent week after week, and the showstopper last night was just … wow, one of the best bakes I have ever seen in the shed.”
“I feel so incredibly lucky to have been in the presence of Matt and Maggie and the other 11 amazing bakers that have become my Bake Off family. They are the warmest, loveliest group of people and I learned so much from them all,” she said.
“It was a massive deal for me to leave my three tiny kids (one of whom was still breastfeeding) to do something that was just for me, and I was so close to pulling out! But ultimately, my husband and I decided that it was something I HAD to do! For me, but also for the kids. How can I tell them to take opportunities and embrace amazing experiences, if they don’t see Mummy doing the same thing!? So I guess I’m feeling proud of myself for taking that leap.”
Her win came despite a fountain falling over in the last Showstopper bake due to the temperature inside the Bake Off Shed.
“My fountain was the pièce de resistance of my bake! I had made it at home before and it was glorious, so when it melted, it hurt. The sun will forever be my enemy because of that that!
“I knew pretty early on in the bake that things wouldn’t go to plan because of the heat. Everything took much longer and was messier than I would have liked. I didn’t end up having the time I needed for all those little finishing touches that would have elevated my bake.”
Updated.