5 cakes for celeb Paul Hollywood to comfort eat now that his love life's soured

Paul Hollywood, master baker and celebrity judge of The Great British Bake Off, has been in the news, not for his pastry skills, but rather his flaky love life.

In 2013, the so-called Silver Fox had a much-publicised affair with chef Marcela Valladolid, a fellow Bake Off  judge, who he met on the American version of the popular TV baking competition. When it ended, Hollywood's wife, Alexandra, took the baker man back. She said he baked her chocolate croissants to say sorry.

But it didn't take long before Hollywood found himself in another sticky mess, again of his own making.

In 2017, he struck up with barmaid Summer Monteys-Fullam, who is roughly 20 years his junior, after meeting her at his "local".  This time it was forever, so they said, splashing it across the media. He left his wife of nearly 20 years and his only son, Josh, and shacked up with Monteys-Fullam in a grand new home.

Hollywood's life with Monteys-Fullam seemed very rosy until recently. The 24-year-old turned ice cold when the star's lawyer asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement forbidding her to discuss the pair's relationship. 

Monteys-Fullam left Hollywood and has wasted no time in spilling the sordid details, in tasty tidbits, to the media. At the same time, the star's divorce from his wife was finalised. Details of the settlement are yet to come, but Alexandra is rumoured to be claiming half of his £10m fortune. The ever-so-strict Bake Off judge, never one to be at a loss for words, has gone quiet.

What do you do when the chips are down? "You cook, you bake," as a local TV advert once told us. Here are five cakes Hollywood could bake that he might find some comfort in eating:

1. BETTER-THAN-SEX CAKE

Now that Hollywood's young lover has dumped him, this decadent cake might lift his spirits. It's an American creation consisting of a chocolate sponge base topped with condensed milk, caramel sauce, whipped cream and toffee bits.

2. PARIS BREAST

How about sinking his teeth into an indulgent Paris Breast, a dessert cake made of crispy choux pastry filled with hazelnut cream and a light dusting of icing sugar?

3. FINANCIER

A man who could soon be parted from his cash might find some sweet irony in a Financier, a small French almond cake with a light, crisp exterior and a soft filling.

4. BEE STING CAKE

The German delicacy Bienenstich may go some way in helping to take the sting out of a failed relationship. This cake features luscious layers of sweet yeast dough with a silky soft filling of vanilla custard and a topping of caramelised almonds.

5. KING CAKE

To help boost jaded egos, the colourful King cake may be the answer. Traditionally served during Mardi Gras, this cake's sweet dough, with a sugary topping, encloses a filling of almonds, apples, chocolate or pear.