The Great British Baking Show (Bake Off)

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

The first series follows six weeks of classic British baking, beginning with cakes and moving through biscuits, bread, puddings, pastry, and a final afternoon tea. This guide records the challenge briefs and pairs each episode with an original home-kitchen recipe inspired by its technical challenge or final brief.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Aug 17, 2010

   The opening episode tests the essentials of cake baking, from a personal signature cake to a precise Victoria sandwich and an ambitious chocolate centerpiece.

   • Signature

     Signature cake

     Bake any cake in three hours, with the judges looking for an even bake, a level rise, and a moist crumb.

   • Technical

     Victoria sandwich

     Reproduce a Victoria sandwich from Mary Berry's recipe, relying on careful mixing, even sponge layers, and a neat finish.

   • Showstopper

     Chocolate celebration cake

     Create a polished chocolate celebration cake that combines sound execution with an original design and personal flair.

   Make our home version →Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Aug 24, 2010

   Biscuit week moves from expressive cookies to a tightly timed batch of scones, then expands into three distinct branches of petit four work.

   • Signature

     Personality biscuits

     Make signature biscuits that express the baker's personality within a two-hour time limit.

   • Technical

     Scones

     Bake scones from Paul Hollywood's recipe in one hour, aiming for a light interior and an even rise.

   • Showstopper

     Three varieties of petit fours

     Produce meringues, choux pastry, and macarons as three different petit fours within four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Aug 31, 2010

   Bread week progresses from a signature loaf to a traditional round cob before finishing with a large assortment of sweet and savory rolls.

   • Signature

     Signature bread loaf

     Prepare a signature loaf in three and a half hours, demonstrating confident dough handling and a well-baked crumb.

   • Technical

     Traditional round cob loaf

     Bake a traditional round cob from Paul Hollywood's recipe within two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Sweet and savory rolls

     Make 12 sweet rolls and 12 savory rolls in six hours, using three flavors in each group.

   Make our home version →Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Puddings

   Puddings

   Sep 7, 2010

   The pudding episode balances comforting baked or steamed desserts with delicate lemon souffles and a demanding trio spanning crumble, bread, and suet puddings.

   • Signature

     Classic steamed or baked pudding

     Bake a personal version of a classic steamed or baked pudding in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Four mini hot lemon souffles

     Use Mary Berry's recipe to make four miniature lemon souffles in 40 minutes, with bakers starting at staggered times.

   • Showstopper

     Three different puddings

     Complete a crumble pudding, a bread pudding, and a suet pudding within five hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Sep 14, 2010

   Pastry week starts with a full savory pie, turns to four traditional pasties under technical conditions, and closes with coordinated platters of savory canapes and sweet tartlets.

   • Signature

     Savory pie

     Bake a savory pie in two and a half hours, managing both the filling and the pastry within the same brief.

   • Technical

     Four Cornish pasties

     Produce four Cornish pasties in 90 minutes, with a sturdy pastry shell and the filling enclosed by a secure crimp.

   • Showstopper

     Pastry platters

     Present two pastry platters containing savory canapes and sweet tartlets after five hours of baking.

   Make our home version →Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Afternoon tea

   Tea Party (Final)

   Sep 21, 2010

   The final is decided across two recorded rounds: a precise collection of miniature cakes followed by a full afternoon-tea spread prepared for 40 guests.

   • Signature

     24 professional miniature cakes

     Bake 24 miniature cakes to a professional standard within two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Afternoon tea for 40 guests

     In five hours, make 24 miniature tarts, 24 scones, 24 choux buns, and 24 brown-and-white bread finger sandwiches for a garden tea party.

   Make our home version →Episode source

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Classic Victoria Sandwich

Two tender vanilla sponge layers filled with raspberry jam and softly whipped cream for a reliable celebration of the episode's first technical bake.

Time

49 min

Makes

One 20 cm cake, serving 8

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 200 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the pans
• 200 g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 150 g seedless raspberry jam
• 150 ml double cream, cold
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Grease two 20 cm round cake pans and line their bases with baking paper.
2. Beat the butter and caster sugar for 3 to 4 minutes until pale and noticeably fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the measured flour if the mixture begins to split, then mix in the vanilla.
3. Sift in the remaining flour and baking powder. Fold gently until only a few flour streaks remain, then fold in the milk.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and level the tops. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until golden, springy in the center, and pulling slightly from the sides.
5. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn the cakes onto a rack, remove the paper, and cool completely.
6. Whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks. Spread the jam over one cake, add the cream in an even layer, and place the second cake on top. Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Weigh the filled cake pans if you want layers of identical depth.

For a more traditional room-temperature filling, omit the cream and increase the jam to 200 g.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 2

Quick Classic Scones

Tall, tender scones with crisp tops and soft centers, designed to come together quickly without overworking the dough.

Time

29 min

Makes

8 scones

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 300 g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 75 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 40 g caster sugar
• 180 ml whole milk, plus up to 1 tablespoon more if needed
• 1 large egg, beaten, for glazing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220 C, or 200 C fan, and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then stir in the sugar.
3. Make a well and pour in the milk. Mix with a table knife just until a shaggy dough forms, adding the extra milk only if dry flour remains at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Fold it over itself twice, then pat it to 3 cm thick without kneading.
5. Cut 8 rounds with a 6 cm cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Place them close together on the sheet and brush only the tops with beaten egg.
6. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until well risen and golden. Transfer to a rack and serve warm.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

A clean downward cut helps the sides rise evenly; twisting the cutter can seal the edges.

Serve on the day of baking, or freeze once cool and reheat briefly in a low oven.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 3

Everyday Round Cob

A straightforward white cob with a deeply browned crust, a resilient crumb, and a shape that holds without a loaf pan.

Time

1 hr 3 min

Makes

One large loaf, about 10 slices

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 7 g instant yeast
• 10 g fine salt
• 20 g unsalted butter, softened
• 325 ml lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil, for the bowl

Method

1. Combine the flour and yeast in a large bowl, then stir in the salt on the opposite side of the bowl. Add the butter and most of the water.
2. Mix with one hand, adding the remaining water as needed, until no dry flour remains and the dough is soft but not soupy.
3. Knead on a lightly oiled surface for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and able to stretch thin without tearing immediately.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, until at least doubled in size.
5. Press out the large air pockets. Draw the edges into the center, turn the dough seam-side down, and drag it against the work surface to form a tight round. Set it on a baking-paper-lined sheet.
6. Cover loosely and proof for 40 to 50 minutes, until the loaf has expanded and a light fingertip press returns slowly. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 220 C, or 200 C fan.
7. Dust the loaf with flour and slash a cross about 1 cm deep across the top. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce the oven to 200 C, or 180 C fan, and bake for another 20 to 23 minutes.
8. Cool completely on a rack before slicing; the base should sound hollow when tapped.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Rising times are approximate; use the dough's volume and response to a fingertip press as the primary guides.

Letting the loaf cool fully prevents the crumb from becoming gummy when sliced.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 4

Mini Lemon Souffles

Four bright individual souffles with crisp sugared edges and a softly set lemon center, scaled for an ordinary home oven.

Time

38 min

Makes

4 individual souffles

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 15 g unsalted butter, softened, for the ramekins
• 70 g caster sugar, divided, plus extra for coating
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 20 g plain flour
• 150 ml whole milk
• Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Icing sugar, for serving

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 C, or 180 C fan, with a baking sheet heating on the middle rack. Brush four 175 ml ramekins with the softened butter using upward strokes, coat the insides with caster sugar, and tap out the excess.
2. Melt the 20 g butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk. Cook until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to hold whisk marks.
3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and 20 g of the measured sugar. Cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time.
4. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Add the remaining 50 g sugar gradually and continue beating to glossy medium peaks.
5. Stir one-quarter of the whites into the lemon base to loosen it. Fold in the rest in two additions, stopping as soon as no large white streaks remain.
6. Divide the mixture among the ramekins. Level the tops, run a clean fingertip around each inner rim, and set the ramekins on the hot baking sheet.
7. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes without opening the door, until risen and golden but still slightly trembling in the center. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Prepare the ramekins before mixing the whites so the finished batter can go straight into the oven.

Souffles naturally settle after baking, so bring them to the table as soon as they are dusted.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 5

Cornish-Style Beef Pasties

Four generous hand pies filled with finely diced beef and root vegetables, wrapped in a robust homemade pastry and crimped along the edge.

Time

1 hr 35 min

Makes

4 large pasties

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 400 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
• 100 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 100 g lard or vegetable shortening, cold and cubed
• 150 to 170 ml ice-cold water
• 300 g beef skirt or chuck, cut into 1 cm dice
• 250 g baking potato, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice
• 150 g swede, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice
• 100 g onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 20 g unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 large egg, beaten, for glazing

Method

1. Mix the flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Rub in the butter and lard until the mixture contains small flakes and pea-sized pieces, then add enough cold water to form a firm dough.
2. Knead the dough briefly until cohesive, flatten it into a disk, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 200 C, or 180 C fan, and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Toss the beef, potato, swede, and onion with the remaining salt and the pepper.
4. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a circle about 22 cm across, using a plate as a trimming guide if desired.
5. Divide the filling across one half of each circle, leaving a 2 cm border. Place a piece of butter on each mound. Brush the edges lightly with water, fold the dough over, and press firmly to seal.
6. Crimp each sealed edge by folding and pinching small sections in sequence. Transfer the pasties to the sheet, brush with beaten egg, and cut a small steam hole in each top.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan, and bake for 28 to 30 minutes more, until deeply golden and the vegetables are tender when tested through a steam hole.
8. Rest for 10 minutes before serving so the filling can finish steaming and the juices can settle.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

The name Cornish-style signals a home adaptation rather than a claim to the protected traditional specification.

Keep the meat and vegetables in small, even dice so the raw filling cooks through at the same rate.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 6

Afternoon-Tea Lemon Scones

Small, fragrant lemon scones sized for an afternoon-tea spread and sturdy enough to split for curd and cream.

Time

31 min

Makes

12 small scones

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 350 g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 75 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 50 g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 190 ml whole milk, plus up to 1 tablespoon more if needed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon milk, for glazing
• Lemon curd and clotted cream, for serving

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220 C, or 200 C fan, and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together between your fingertips until fragrant, then stir them into the flour mixture.
4. Combine the milk and vanilla. Pour them into the dry ingredients and mix gently with a table knife to make a soft dough, adding the extra milk only if needed.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, fold it twice, and pat it to 3 cm thick. Cut 12 rounds with a 5 cm cutter, gathering the scraps gently for the final rounds.
6. Arrange the scones close together on the sheet. Brush the tops with the egg glaze without letting it run down the sides.
7. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until risen and golden. Cool for 10 minutes, then split and serve with lemon curd and clotted cream.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

The smaller cutter gives a tea-table portion; use a 6 cm cutter for 8 larger scones and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake.

For the cleanest rise, handle the dough lightly and avoid twisting the cutter.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 1, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series two settles into a single marquee for eight weeks of cakes, tarts, bread, biscuits, pies, desserts, patisserie, and a final built around precise European classics. This guide records each Signature, Technical, and Showstopper brief and pairs every episode with an original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by its Technical challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Aug 16, 2011

   The series opens with two dozen cupcakes, a geometrically exact coffee-and-walnut Battenberg, and an elaborate tiered chocolate celebration cake.

   • Signature

     24 cupcakes in two flavours

     Bake 24 cupcakes in two hours, with the option to divide the batch between two different flavours.

   • Technical

     Coffee and walnut Battenberg

     Make Mary Berry's coffee-and-walnut Battenberg in two hours, aiming for distinct flavours, symmetrical sponge blocks, and a smooth marzipan exterior.

   • Showstopper

     Chocolate tiered celebration cake

     Create an elaborate, multilayered chocolate celebration cake in five hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Tarts

   Tarts

   Aug 23, 2011

   Tart week moves from a full savoury quiche to a classic lemon tart before finishing with two-flavour collections of miniature sweet tarts.

   • Signature

     Savoury quiche

     Bake a savoury quiche in two hours, balancing a well-cooked pastry shell with a properly set filling.

   • Technical

     Tarte au citron

     Reproduce Mary Berry's tarte au citron in 90 minutes, with crisp pastry and a smooth lemon filling.

   • Showstopper

     24 miniature sweet tarts in two flavours

     Present 24 miniature sweet tartlets split between two different flavour combinations.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Aug 30, 2011

   Bread week tests unsupported loaf shaping, the wet dough and open crumb of focaccia, and an edible bread basket filled with sweet and savoury rolls.

   • Signature

     Free-form flavoured loaf

     Make a flavoured loaf without a tin in three hours and 15 minutes.

   • Technical

     Focaccia

     Bake Paul Hollywood's focaccia in three and a half hours, handling the wet dough carefully to preserve its airy structure.

   • Showstopper

     Bread basket with 24 rolls

     In five hours, build an edible bread basket and fill it with 12 sweet and 12 savoury rolls.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Sep 6, 2011

   The biscuit challenges progress from a baker's-choice dozen to rolled brandy snaps and a display assembled from 120 macarons in three flavours.

   • Signature

     12 biscuits

     Make 12 biscuits of the baker's choice in 90 minutes, with a texture that is neither soft, hard, nor overly crumbly.

   • Technical

     24 brandy snaps

     Produce 24 evenly baked and neatly shaped brandy snaps in 90 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     120-macaron display in three flavours

     Create a freestanding display from 120 macaron shells, forming 60 pairs across three flavours, in five hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Pies

   Pies

   Sep 13, 2011

   Pie week contrasts flaky family pies with set hot-water-crust pork pies and a fruit or custard pie crowned with meringue.

   • Signature

     Family pie with rough puff or flaky pastry

     Bake a hearty family pie using rough puff or flaky pastry in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Six miniature pork pies

     Use Paul Hollywood's recipe to make six hot-water-crust pork pies in two and a half hours; the pies set overnight before judging.

   • Showstopper

     Meringue pie

     Bake a fruit and/or custard pie topped with meringue in three and a half hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Desserts

   Desserts (Quarterfinals)

   Sep 20, 2011

   The quarterfinal begins with baked cheesecake, narrows to a tightly rolled chocolate sponge, and rises into a sculptural croquembouche-inspired centerpiece.

   • Signature

     Baked cheesecake

     Produce a baked cheesecake in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Chocolate roulade

     Make Mary Berry's chocolate roulade in one hour and 45 minutes, rolling the delicate sponge around its filling.

   • Showstopper

     Croquembouche-inspired bake

     Create a croquembouche-inspired centerpiece in five hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semi-final)

   Sep 27, 2011

   The semifinal demands light layered mousse cake, a uniform batch of jam-and-cream iced fingers, and three pastries made from one laminated dough.

   • Signature

     Layered mousse cake

     Bake a layered mousse cake in two hours, combining a light sponge with a rich mousse.

   • Technical

     12 iced fingers

     Make 12 identical iced fingers from Paul Hollywood's recipe, filling each enriched bun with jam and cream.

   • Showstopper

     Three laminated pastries

     Use one laminated dough to make three different pastries or croissants with crisp exteriors and soft interiors.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Final

   Final

   Oct 4, 2011

   The finalists face crisp mille-feuille, a glossy Sachertorte, and three British-summertime petit fours based respectively on meringue, sweet pastry, and sponge.

   • Signature

     12 mille-feuille

     Produce 12 individual mille-feuille in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Sachertorte

     Bake and finish a Sachertorte in two hours and 40 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Three British-summertime petits fours

     In four hours, make three kinds of petits fours on a British-summertime theme: one meringue-based, one sweet-pastry-based, and one sponge-based.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Coffee and Walnut Battenberg

A compact checkerboard sponge flavoured with coffee and walnut, joined with apricot jam and wrapped in marzipan.

Time

1 hr 10 min

Makes

One loaf, serving 8

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 175 g unsalted butter, softened
• 175 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 175 g self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder mixed with 1 tablespoon hot water
• 40 g walnuts, finely ground
• 100 g apricot jam
• 250 g natural marzipan

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 20 cm square pan and divide it into two equal channels with a folded strip of baking paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until pale, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour and divide the batter equally.
3. Mix the coffee into one half and the walnuts into the other. Spread each batter into a separate channel and bake for 22 to 25 minutes.
4. Cool completely, then trim each sponge into two even bars. Warm the jam and use it to join the bars in a checkerboard pattern.
5. Roll the marzipan into a rectangle, brush it with jam, and wrap it snugly around the cake with the seam underneath. Trim the ends before serving.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

A ruler and a serrated knife make the four sponge bars easier to match.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 2

Bright Lemon Tart

A crisp sweet pastry case filled with a smooth, sharp lemon custard for a manageable version of the tart technical.

Time

1 hr 17 min

Makes

One 23 cm tart, serving 8

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 225 g plain flour
• 125 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 50 g icing sugar
• 1 large egg
• 4 large eggs
• 150 g caster sugar
• 150 ml double cream
• Finely grated zest and 120 ml juice of 3 lemons

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar, then mix in the egg to form a dough. Flatten, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan. Roll the pastry into a 23 cm tart pan, prick the base, and chill for 15 minutes.
3. Line with paper and baking beans, bake for 15 minutes, remove the beans, and bake for 8 minutes more. Reduce the oven to 150 C, or 130 C fan.
4. Whisk the eggs, sugar, cream, lemon zest, and juice without creating excessive foam. Pour into the warm case.
5. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until the edge is set and the center still trembles. Cool before slicing.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Strain the filling for the smoothest surface.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 3

Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia

An olive-oil-rich loaf with a springy open crumb, crisp base, rosemary, and flaky salt.

Time

49 min

Makes

One 23 x 33 cm loaf, serving 10

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 10 g fine salt
• 400 ml lukewarm water
• 50 ml olive oil, plus extra for the pan
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, water, and 30 ml oil into a wet dough. Stretch and fold it in the bowl for 5 minutes.
2. Cover and leave for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled and bubbly.
3. Oil a 23 x 33 cm pan generously. Ease the dough into the pan without pressing out all the gas and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 220 C, or 200 C fan. Oil your fingertips and press deep dimples across the dough, then add rosemary, flaky salt, and the remaining oil.
5. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes until deeply golden. Lift from the pan and cool on a rack.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Wet or oiled hands prevent the high-hydration dough from sticking.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 4

Ginger Cream Brandy Snaps

Thin, lacy ginger biscuits rolled while hot and filled with lightly sweetened cream just before serving.

Time

48 min

Makes

12 filled snaps

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 50 g unsalted butter
• 50 g light brown sugar
• 50 g golden syrup
• 50 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 200 ml double cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan, and line two sheets with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, and syrup gently. Cool for 2 minutes, then stir in the flour, ginger, and lemon juice.
3. Drop six level teaspoons well apart on each sheet. Bake one sheet at a time for 7 to 9 minutes, until bubbling and amber.
4. Wait 30 seconds, then lift each round and wrap it around an oiled wooden spoon handle. Slide off once firm and repeat.
5. Whip the cream with icing sugar to soft peaks and pipe it into the cooled snaps immediately before serving.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

If a biscuit hardens before shaping, return it to the oven for about 30 seconds.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 5

Mini Hot-Water-Crust Pork Pies

Six sturdy individual pies with seasoned pork filling and a crisp hot-water-crust shell.

Time

1 hr 35 min

Makes

6 small pies

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 350 g pork shoulder, finely diced
• 150 g pork mince
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 350 g plain flour
• 130 g lard
• 150 ml water
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Mix both forms of pork with sage, pepper, and half the salt. Chill while making the pastry.
2. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan. Warm the lard and water just to a boil, then pour into the flour and remaining salt. Stir into a soft dough.
3. Working while warm, reserve one quarter for lids and press the rest into six deep muffin cups, bringing the pastry above the rims.
4. Pack in the filling. Add pastry lids, pinch firmly to seal, cut steam holes, and brush with egg.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, reduce to 170 C, or 150 C fan, and bake for 28 to 30 minutes more. Cool, then chill before serving.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Check that the center reaches 71 C before cooling.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 6

Chocolate Cream Roulade

A flourless cocoa sponge rolled around vanilla cream, with a naturally rustic cracked surface.

Time

45 min

Makes

One roulade, serving 8

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs, separated
• 150 g caster sugar
• 40 g cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 250 ml double cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 23 x 33 cm Swiss-roll pan.
2. Whisk the yolks with 100 g sugar until thick, then mix in the cocoa and vanilla.
3. Whisk the whites to soft peaks, add the remaining sugar, and whisk to glossy medium peaks. Fold into the cocoa base.
4. Spread in the pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Cover with a clean damp towel and cool in the pan.
5. Whip the cream with icing sugar. Turn the sponge onto paper, remove the lining, spread with cream, and roll from a short end using the paper for support.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

A few surface cracks are characteristic of this flourless style.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 7

Jam and Cream Iced Fingers

Soft enriched buns topped with simple icing and split for raspberry jam and whipped cream.

Time

50 min

Makes

10 buns

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 400 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 40 g caster sugar
• 6 g fine salt
• 40 g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 210 ml lukewarm milk
• 150 g icing sugar
• 150 ml double cream
• 100 g raspberry jam

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and milk into a soft dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Cover and rise for about 75 minutes, until doubled. Divide into 10 pieces and shape into 12 cm fingers.
3. Arrange on a lined sheet with room to expand, cover, and proof for 35 to 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 200 C, or 180 C fan.
4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until golden, then cool completely.
5. Mix the icing sugar with enough water for a thick glaze and spread on top. Once set, split each bun and fill with jam and whipped cream.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Fill the buns shortly before serving so they remain soft rather than soggy.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 8

Home-Kitchen Sachertorte

A dark chocolate cake layered with apricot preserve and finished with a smooth chocolate glaze.

Time

1 hr 18 min

Makes

One 20 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 140 g dark chocolate
• 140 g unsalted butter, softened
• 120 g caster sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 100 g plain flour
• 40 g ground almonds
• 180 g apricot jam
• 120 ml double cream
• 120 g dark chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170 C, or 150 C fan. Grease and line a 20 cm round pan.
2. Melt the first chocolate amount and cool slightly. Beat the butter with 80 g sugar, then beat in the yolks and melted chocolate. Fold in the flour and almonds.
3. Whisk the whites to soft peaks, add the remaining sugar, and whisk until glossy. Fold into the batter and bake for 35 to 38 minutes.
4. Cool, split the cake horizontally, and spread warm jam between the layers and over the top and sides.
5. Heat the cream until steaming, pour over the chopped chocolate, and stir smooth. Cool until slightly thickened, then pour over the cake and leave to set.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Serve thin slices with unsweetened whipped cream.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. bbc.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 2, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series three expands to ten episodes, moving from cakes and bread through tarts, desserts, pies, puddings, sweet dough, biscuits, patisserie, and a three-round final. This guide preserves the documented Signature, Technical, and Showstopper briefs and adds one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by each episode's Technical challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Aug 14, 2012

   Cake week starts upside down, turns to rum-soaked individual yeasted cakes, and ends with large cakes concealing a design inside each slice.

   • Signature

     Fruit upside-down cake

     Bake a fruit-filled upside-down cake in two hours, choosing the fruit and flavour profile.

   • Technical

     Four rum babas

     Make four rum babas from Paul Hollywood's recipe in three hours, finishing them with cream and sliced fruit.

   • Showstopper

     Hidden-design cake

     Create a cake that reveals a concealed design when sliced, within five hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Bread

   Bread

   Aug 21, 2012

   Bread week compares leavened and unleavened flatbreads, tests an eight-strand plait, and finishes with equal batches of sweet and savoury bagels.

   • Signature

     12 flatbreads: six leavened and six unleavened

     In two and a half hours, make 12 flatbreads split evenly between yeast-leavened and unleavened versions.

   • Technical

     Eight-strand plaited loaf

     Use Paul Hollywood's recipe to shape and bake an eight-strand plaited loaf in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     24 bagels: 12 sweet and 12 savoury

     Make 24 bagels in four hours, divided into 12 sweet and 12 savoury examples.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Tarts

   Tarts

   Aug 28, 2012

   The tart challenges range from an inverted tarte Tatin to a woven treacle tart and a large fruit tart polished for a shop-window display.

   • Signature

     Sweet or savoury tarte Tatin

     Complete a classic sweet or savoury tarte Tatin in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Treacle tart with woven lattice

     Bake Mary Berry's treacle tart in two hours, including a woven pastry lattice across the top.

   • Showstopper

     Designer fruit tart

     Create a large fruit tart suitable for a window display in three hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Sep 4, 2012

   Dessert week removes wheat flour from the opening torte, demands carefully unmoulded creme caramels, and builds height through four layers of meringue.

   • Signature

     Wheat-flour-free torte

     Bake a torte more than 20 cm across without conventional wheat flour in three hours.

   • Technical

     Creme caramel

     Prepare Mary Berry's creme caramel in two hours and 45 minutes, setting a smooth custard over liquid caramel.

   • Showstopper

     Four-layer meringue dessert

     Construct a dessert containing four distinct meringue layers.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Pies

   Pies

   Sep 11, 2012

   Pie week wraps savoury fillings in Wellington pastry, shapes hot-water crust by hand, and turns to a family-sized American-style sweet pie.

   • Signature

     Wellington

     Bake a Wellington at least 20 cm long and completely enclosed in pastry within three hours.

   • Technical

     Hand-raised pie

     Make a hot-water-crust pie around a moulding dolly in two hours and 15 minutes; leave it overnight to set before judging.

   • Showstopper

     Family-sized American pie

     Bake a family-sized sweet American-style pie in three and a half hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Puddings

   Puddings

   Sep 18, 2012

   Pudding week begins with two flavours of individual sponge pudding, revisits Queen of Puddings, and stretches pastry into one large sweet or savoury strudel.

   • Signature

     12 sponge puddings in two flavours

     In two hours, make six sponge puddings in each of two flavours, pairing the flavours with different accompaniments.

   • Technical

     Queen of Puddings

     Reproduce Mary Berry's Queen of Puddings, layering breadcrumb custard, jam, and meringue.

   • Showstopper

     Large strudel

     Make one large strudel with a sweet or savoury filling in three and a half hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Sweet dough

   Sweet Dough

   Sep 25, 2012

   Enriched dough drives all three rounds: uniform sweet buns, evenly filled jam doughnuts, and a celebratory loaf allowed an overnight proof.

   • Signature

     24 enriched sweet buns

     Bake 24 equally sized and evenly baked yeast-enriched buns in three hours.

   • Technical

     10 jam doughnuts

     Make 10 jam doughnuts from Paul Hollywood's recipe in two and a half hours, matching their size, colour, shape, and jam distribution.

   • Showstopper

     Celebratory enriched-dough loaf

     Create a celebratory loaf from enriched dough, with the option to proof the dough overnight after beginning it on the first day.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Oct 2, 2012

   The bakers seek snap in savoury crackers, engineer chocolate-coated teacakes in a hot tent, and construct gingerbread architecture that is explicitly not a house.

   • Signature

     48 crackers or crispbreads

     Make 48 thin, evenly baked crackers or crispbreads that snap cleanly, within two hours.

   • Technical

     Six chocolate teacakes

     Use Paul Hollywood's recipe to make six biscuit-based, marshmallow-filled chocolate teacakes in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Gingerbread structure

     Build a gingerbread structure other than a gingerbread house in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semifinal)

   Oct 9, 2012

   The semifinal emphasizes miniature precision before a layered strawberry Fraisier and a final choux gateau assembled at showstopper scale.

   • Signature

     36 petits fours in three types

     Make three kinds of one-bite petits fours, 12 of each, with an exact and refined finish.

   • Technical

     Fraisier cake

     Complete Mary Berry's Fraisier cake in two and a half hours, arranging strawberries around a layered sponge-and-cream interior.

   • Showstopper

     Choux pastry gateau

     Create a gateau whose principal structure is made from choux pastry.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Oct 16, 2012

    The final combines a savoury pithivier, 25 uniformly iced fondant fancies, and a chiffon cake expressing a personal highlight from 2012.

    • Signature

      Savoury pithivier

      Bake a savoury pithivier in two and a half hours.

    • Technical

      25 fondant fancies

      Produce 25 neatly layered and uniformly coated fondant fancies in two and a half hours.

    • Showstopper

      2012 personal-highlights chiffon cake

      In four hours, make a chiffon cake themed around the baker's personal highlights of 2012 for service at the summer fete.

    Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Orange Rum Babas

Small yeasted cakes soaked with orange-rum syrup and topped with vanilla cream.

Time

53 min

Makes

6 babas

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 200 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 25 g caster sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 70 ml lukewarm milk
• 75 g unsalted butter, softened
• 150 g caster sugar
• 200 ml water
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 60 ml dark rum
• 150 ml double cream

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, first sugar amount, salt, eggs, and milk into a sticky dough. Beat in the butter gradually until glossy.
2. Divide among six well-buttered baba moulds, filling each halfway. Cover and rise until the dough nears the rims.
3. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan, and bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Turn out onto a rack.
4. Boil the remaining sugar, water, orange zest, and juice for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the rum.
5. Soak the warm babas in warm syrup, turning until heavy with syrup. Cool and serve with softly whipped cream.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

For an alcohol-free version, replace the rum with more orange juice.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 2

Four-Strand Plaited Loaf

A home-scaled white plait that develops the shaping logic of the eight-strand Technical without requiring an oversized loaf.

Time

1 hr 2 min

Makes

One loaf, about 12 slices

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 10 g fine salt
• 25 g unsalted butter, softened
• 320 ml lukewarm water
• 1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, butter, and water into a dough, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth.
2. Cover and rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled. Deflate gently and divide into four equal pieces.
3. Roll each piece into a 40 cm rope. Join the ropes at one end, then repeatedly move the outer right rope over two strands and back under one until plaited.
4. Pinch both ends underneath, cover, and proof for 40 minutes. Heat the oven to 210 C, or 190 C fan.
5. Brush with egg and bake for 30 to 32 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding underneath.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

This four-strand version is inspired by the documented eight-strand Technical and is deliberately simplified for home shaping.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 3

Lemon Treacle Tart

A crisp shortcrust tart filled with golden syrup, breadcrumbs, and lemon under a simple woven lattice.

Time

1 hr 22 min

Makes

One 23 cm tart, serving 8

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• 150 g cold unsalted butter
• 40 g icing sugar
• 1 large egg
• 400 g golden syrup
• 150 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons double cream

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar, add the egg, and bring together with a little cold water if needed. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan. Roll two thirds of the pastry into a 23 cm tart pan and chill again.
3. Warm the syrup, then stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, juice, and cream. Leave for 5 minutes and spread in the shell.
4. Roll the remaining pastry, cut even strips, and weave them over the filling. Trim and seal the edges.
5. Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is set with a slight wobble. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Fresh breadcrumbs absorb the syrup more evenly than dried crumbs.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 4

Vanilla Creme Caramels

Silky baked custards with a clear amber caramel that releases as a sauce when unmoulded.

Time

1 hr

Makes

6 individual custards

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 140 g caster sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons water
• 500 ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160 C, or 140 C fan. Set six 150 ml ramekins in a deep roasting pan.
2. Cook 80 g sugar with the water without stirring until amber. Divide immediately among the ramekins.
3. Warm the milk and vanilla. Whisk the eggs, yolks, and remaining sugar gently, then whisk in the warm milk and strain.
4. Divide the custard among the ramekins. Add hot water to the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up their sides.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until just set. Chill at least 4 hours, loosen the edges, and invert onto plates.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Avoid boiling the milk or whisking in excess air, both of which can roughen the custard.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 5

Hand-Raised Chicken Pie

A compact hot-water-crust pie shaped around a jar and filled with seasoned chicken and bacon.

Time

2 hrs

Makes

One 15 cm pie, serving 6

Level

Hard

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 450 g boneless chicken thigh, diced
• 150 g smoked bacon, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 400 g plain flour
• 150 g lard
• 170 ml water
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Mix the chicken, bacon, thyme, and pepper and keep chilled. Wrap the outside of a straight-sided 12 cm jar in baking paper.
2. Bring the lard, water, and salt just to a boil and stir into the flour. Reserve one quarter, then shape the warm remaining dough around the wrapped jar.
3. When firm enough to hold, lift out the jar and paper. Pack in the filling, add a lid from the reserved dough, and crimp securely.
4. Chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan, brush with egg, and cut a steam hole.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, reduce to 170 C, or 150 C fan, and bake for about 40 minutes more, until the center reaches 74 C. Cool fully before slicing.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Use a jar with straight sides and no inward lip so it can be removed cleanly.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 6

Raspberry Queen of Puddings

A soft breadcrumb custard layered with raspberry jam and crowned by a lightly browned meringue.

Time

1 hr 7 min

Makes

One 1.5 litre pudding, serving 6

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 500 ml whole milk
• 40 g unsalted butter
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 140 g caster sugar, divided
• 150 g raspberry jam

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170 C, or 150 C fan, and butter a 1.5 litre baking dish.
2. Warm the milk, butter, and lemon zest. Pour over the breadcrumbs and leave for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the yolks with 40 g sugar and stir into the crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes, until just set.
4. Warm the jam and spread it gently over the pudding. Whisk the whites to soft peaks, gradually add the remaining sugar, and whisk until glossy.
5. Spoon the meringue over the jam and bake for 14 to 17 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Spread the jam with the back of a warm spoon to avoid tearing the custard layer.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 7

Raspberry Jam Doughnuts

Light yeast-raised doughnuts fried until evenly golden and filled after cooking for reliable jam distribution.

Time

55 min

Makes

10 doughnuts

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 400 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 50 g caster sugar, plus extra for coating
• 6 g fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 150 ml lukewarm milk
• 60 g unsalted butter, softened
• Neutral oil, for frying
• 180 g seedless raspberry jam

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs, and milk into a dough. Knead in the butter gradually, then continue until smooth and elastic.
2. Cover and rise until doubled, about 75 minutes. Divide into 10 equal balls and place on lightly oiled paper squares.
3. Cover and proof for 35 to 45 minutes, until puffy. Heat 6 cm of oil to 170 C.
4. Fry in batches for about 2 minutes per side. Drain briefly, then roll in caster sugar while warm.
5. Cool until just warm. Make a hole in each side and pipe in the jam until each doughnut feels evenly weighted.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Maintain 165 to 175 C oil so the centers cook before the outsides darken.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 8

Marshmallow Chocolate Teacakes

Crisp biscuit rounds topped with vanilla marshmallow and enclosed in dark chocolate.

Time

1 hr 2 min

Makes

8 teacakes

Level

Hard

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 120 g plain flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 250 g dark chocolate
• 2 large egg whites
• 120 g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour and cocoa, mix in the first sugar amount and yolk, and form a dough. Chill for 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Roll to 4 mm, cut eight 6 cm rounds, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.
3. Melt and temper the chocolate, then brush two coats inside eight silicone dome moulds. Leave some chocolate for sealing.
4. Whisk the whites to soft peaks. Heat the remaining sugar and syrup with 2 tablespoons water to 116 C, pour into the whites while whisking, and beat until thick; add vanilla.
5. Pipe marshmallow into the shells, add a biscuit, and seal with chocolate. Chill briefly, then unmould carefully.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Use pasteurized egg whites if serving anyone vulnerable to foodborne illness.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 9

Strawberry Fraisier Cake

Two thin sponge layers enclose vanilla pastry cream and a visible border of fresh strawberries.

Time

1 hr 28 min

Makes

One 20 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Hard

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 120 g caster sugar
• 120 g plain flour
• 30 g unsalted butter, melted
• 400 ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 egg yolks
• 80 g caster sugar
• 35 g cornflour
• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 500 g strawberries

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan. Whisk the whole eggs and first sugar amount until very thick, fold in the flour and melted butter, and bake in a lined 20 cm pan for 16 to 18 minutes.
2. Warm the milk and vanilla. Whisk the yolks, remaining sugar, and cornflour, add the milk, then cook until thick. Cool to room temperature and beat in the softened butter.
3. Split the cooled sponge into two layers. Place one in a 20 cm cake ring lined with acetate.
4. Halve enough strawberries to line the ring cut-side outward. Pipe cream between and over them, fill the center with more strawberries and cream, and add the second sponge.
5. Chill for at least 4 hours before removing the ring and acetate. Decorate with the remaining berries.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Choose similarly sized strawberries for an even border.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 10

Lemon Fondant Fancies

Small lemon sponge cubes topped with marzipan and coated in a pourable fondant-style icing.

Time

1 hr 24 min

Makes

16 fancies

Level

Hard

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 175 g unsalted butter, softened
• 175 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 175 g self-raising flour
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 3 tablespoons lemon curd
• 150 g marzipan
• 500 g fondant icing sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 20 cm square pan. Beat the butter and sugar until light, add the eggs, then fold in the flour and zest.
2. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes. Cool, trim level, spread with lemon curd, and top with rolled marzipan.
3. Chill for 30 minutes, then cut into 16 equal squares. Set them on a rack over a tray.
4. Mix the fondant icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick but flowing coating.
5. Spoon icing over each cake to cover the top and sides. Recoat any bare patches and leave to set.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Chilling before cutting reduces crumbs in the icing.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. bbc.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 3, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series four runs for ten episodes, beginning with cakes and bread before moving through desserts, pies and tarts, biscuits, sweet dough, pastry, alternative ingredients, French patisserie, and the final. This guide records the documented Signature, Technical, and Showstopper briefs and includes two original home-kitchen adaptations inspired by Technical challenges.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Aug 20, 2013

   The opening week tests filled sandwich cakes, the lift and structure of angel food cake, and chocolate cakes decorated with more than one kind of chocolate.

   • Signature

     Sandwich cake

     Bake a sandwich cake with a filling of the baker's choice in two hours.

   • Technical

     Angel food cake

     Make Mary Berry's angel food cake in two and a half hours, relying on whipped egg whites for its volume and light texture.

   • Showstopper

     Chocolate cake decorated with at least two chocolates

     Create a chocolate cake in four hours and decorate it with at least two different kinds of chocolate.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Bread

   Bread

   Aug 27, 2013

   Bread week begins with long, crisp breadsticks, moves to griddle-cooked English muffins, and finishes with an elaborately shaped decorative loaf.

   • Signature

     36 breadsticks

     Make 36 yeast-raised breadsticks in two hours, each at least 25 cm long and crisp enough to snap.

   • Technical

     Eight English muffins

     Use Paul Hollywood's recipe to make eight English muffins in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Decorative loaf

     Bake an elaborately decorated loaf in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Sep 3, 2013

   Dessert week layers sponge, custard, and fruit in trifle, tests poached meringue floating islands, and ends with two styles of bite-sized petits fours.

   • Signature

     Trifle

     Make a trifle in three hours, using ladyfingers, sponge, or biscuit at the base and including jam or custard in the middle.

   • Technical

     Six floating islands

     Prepare six floating islands from Mary Berry's recipe in 90 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     24 petits fours: 12 biscuit-based and 12 sponge-based

     In three hours, present 12 biscuit-based and 12 sponge-based petits fours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Pies and tarts

   Pies and Tarts

   Sep 10, 2013

   The pastry rounds contrast double-crusted fruit pies with small egg custard tarts before requiring a centerpiece made from scratch-produced filo pastry.

   • Signature

     Double-crusted fruit pie

     Bake a double-crusted fruit pie with a filling of the baker's choice in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 egg custard tarts

     Make 12 traditional egg custard tarts in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Filo pie centerpiece

     Create a pie centerpiece in four hours using filo pastry made from scratch.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Biscuits and traybakes

   Biscuits and Traybakes

   Sep 17, 2013

   The bakers portion from-scratch traybakes, shape two distinct forms of delicate tuile, and engineer biscuit towers at least 30 cm high.

   • Signature

     Traybake cut into identical pieces

     Make a favourite traybake entirely from scratch in two hours and divide it into matching portions.

   • Technical

     18 tuiles: nine curved and nine chocolate-dipped rolls

     Use Mary Berry's recipe to make 18 tuiles in 90 minutes: nine piped in concentric circles and curved, plus nine rolled and dipped in chocolate.

   • Showstopper

     Biscuit tower at least 30 cm high

     Construct a biscuit tower at least 30 cm high in four hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Sweet dough

   Sweet Dough

   Sep 24, 2013

   Sweet dough week moves from yeast-raised tea loaves to a twisted apricot couronne and a two-variety collection of European buns begun the night before.

   • Signature

     Yeasted sweet tea loaf

     Bake a sweet yeast-raised tea loaf, either free-form or in a tin, within three hours.

   • Technical

     Apricot couronne

     Make Paul Hollywood's twisted apricot couronne in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     24 European sweet buns in two varieties

     Produce 12 each of two European sweet-bun varieties; bakers received 30 minutes on day one to begin dough that could proof overnight, followed by four hours on day two.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Oct 1, 2013

   Pastry week modernizes suet pudding, stacks paired choux buns into religieuses, and asks for three coordinated types of sweet puff pastry.

   • Signature

     Modern suet pudding

     Bring a traditional suet pudding up to date in three hours.

   • Technical

     Eight religieuses

     In two hours, make eight religieuses from stacked choux buns filled with creme patissiere and topped with ganache.

   • Showstopper

     36 sweet puff pastries in three types

     Make 12 filled, 12 iced, and 12 baker's-choice sweet puff pastries in four hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Alternative ingredients

   Alternative Ingredients (Quarterfinals)

   Oct 8, 2013

   The quarterfinal replaces standard wheat flour in bread, layers hazelnut meringue with coffee custard, and turns vegetables into dairy-free novelty cakes.

   • Signature

     Wheat-free loaf

     Bake a loaf in three hours without traditional wheat flour, using alternatives such as spelt, rye, potato, or tapioca flour.

   • Technical

     Hazelnut dacquoise

     Make a three-layer hazelnut dacquoise in two hours and 45 minutes, combining coiled meringue, coffee custard, and praline.

   • Showstopper

     Dairy-free novelty vegetable cake

     Create a dairy-free novelty cake featuring vegetables in four hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · French patisserie

   French Week (Semi-final)

   Oct 15, 2013

   The semifinal covers three pastry styles in savoury canapes, moulds Swiss roll and bavarois into a Charlotte Royale, and closes with opera cake.

   • Signature

     36 savoury canapes in three pastry types

     In two and a half hours, make 12 choux canapes, 12 using shortcrust or rough puff, and 12 using a third pastry of the baker's choice.

   • Technical

     Charlotte Royale

     Create a firm, domed Charlotte Royale from Swiss-roll slices surrounding a set bavarois in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Opera cake

     Bake and finish an opera cake in two and a half hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Oct 22, 2013

    The finalists build patterned picnic pies, split a pretzel batch between savoury and sweet finishes, and complete three-tier wedding cakes in six hours.

    • Signature

      Picnic pie

      In three hours, make a self-supporting savoury picnic pie whose sliced filling reveals a creative design.

    • Technical

      12 pretzels: six savoury and six sweet

      Make six rock-salt savoury pretzels and six poppy-seed sweet pretzels with orange zest and glaze in two and a half hours.

    • Showstopper

      Three-tier wedding cake

      Create a three-tier wedding cake in six hours.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 2

Griddled English Muffins

Soft, lightly chewy yeast muffins cooked slowly on a griddle for even browning and a fork-split interior.

Time

52 min

Makes

8 muffins

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 400 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 8 g fine salt
• 20 g caster sugar
• 25 g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 220 ml lukewarm milk
• Fine semolina, for dusting

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, butter, egg, and milk into a soft dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
2. Cover and leave to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled in volume.
3. Roll the dough to 2 cm thick and cut eight 9 cm rounds. Place them on a semolina-dusted tray, dust the tops, cover, and proof for 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Heat a heavy griddle or frying pan over low heat. Cook the muffins in batches for 10 to 12 minutes per side, turning once, until browned and cooked through.
5. Cool on a rack and split with a fork rather than a knife to preserve the craggy interior.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Keep the heat low so the centers cook before the surfaces become too dark.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 6

Apricot Almond Couronne

A twisted enriched bread ring layered with dried apricots, almond filling, and a light citrus glaze.

Time

1 hr 10 min

Makes

One ring, serving 10

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 300 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 5 g fine salt
• 40 g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 120 ml lukewarm milk
• 50 g unsalted butter, softened
• 120 g dried apricots, finely chopped
• 60 g ground almonds
• 40 g light brown sugar
• 25 g unsalted butter, melted
• 80 g icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, caster sugar, egg, and milk into a dough. Knead in the softened butter, then continue kneading until smooth.
2. Cover and rise for about 75 minutes, until doubled. Mix the apricots, almonds, brown sugar, and melted butter for the filling.
3. Roll the dough to a 30 x 40 cm rectangle, spread with the filling, and roll tightly from a long edge. Slice the roll lengthwise to expose the layers.
4. Twist the two lengths together with the cut sides facing up, form a ring, and pinch the ends securely. Cover and proof for 35 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 200 C, or 180 C fan. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes until deep golden, then cool and drizzle with icing sugar mixed with lemon juice.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Chop the apricots finely so the rolled dough can be cut and twisted cleanly.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. bbc.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 4, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series five spans ten weeks of cakes, biscuits, bread, desserts, pies and tarts, European cakes, pastry, advanced dough, patisserie, and a final built around French pastry and a structural centerpiece. This guide records every Signature, Technical, and Showstopper brief and includes two original home-kitchen adaptations inspired by Technical challenges.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Aug 6, 2014

   The series begins with rolled sponge, a cherry cake requiring evenly suspended fruit, and three dozen uniform miniature British cakes.

   • Signature

     Swiss roll

     Make a Swiss roll in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Cherry cake

     Bake Mary Berry's cherry cake in two hours, distributing the cherries evenly through the crumb.

   • Showstopper

     36 miniature classic British cakes

     In three and a half hours, make 36 miniature versions of a classic British cake, all identical in size, shape, and texture.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Aug 13, 2014

   Biscuit week moves from a large savoury batch to delicate chocolate-backed Florentines and then to an ambitious three-dimensional biscuit scene.

   • Signature

     36 savoury biscuits

     Bake 36 savoury biscuits in two hours.

   • Technical

     18 Florentines

     Use Mary Berry's recipe to make 18 Florentines in one hour and 15 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D biscuit scene

     Design and build a three-dimensional biscuit scene or structure in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Aug 20, 2014

   Bread week tests rye rolls, the wet dough and open structure of ciabatta, and a filled loaf transformed into a showpiece centerpiece.

   • Signature

     12 rye bread rolls

     Make 12 rye bread rolls in three and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Four ciabatta loaves

     Use Paul Hollywood's recipe to make four ciabatta loaves in three hours, preserving the wet dough's air so the crumb remains open.

   • Showstopper

     Filled centerpiece loaf

     Create a filled bread centerpiece in four hours, judged for its appearance, design, crust, flavour, and internal bake.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Aug 27, 2014

   Dessert week begins with individual puddings that create their own sauce, layers coffee and cream in a tiramisu cake, and finishes with baked Alaska under hot-tent conditions.

   • Signature

     Eight self-saucing puddings

     Make eight self-saucing puddings in two hours, using either a fondant center or a sponge that forms sauce underneath.

   • Technical

     Tiramisu cake

     Bake and assemble Mary Berry's tiramisu cake in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Baked Alaska

     Create a baked Alaska in four and a half hours, combining sponge, frozen filling, and an insulating meringue exterior.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Pies and tarts

   Pies and Tarts

   Sep 3, 2014

   The pastry rounds cover a family custard tart, rough-puff-wrapped poached pears, and a self-supporting tower of at least three coordinated pies.

   • Signature

     Family-sized custard tart

     Bake a family-sized custard tart in two and a half hours, aiming for a crisp base and silky custard.

   • Technical

     Six miniature pear pies

     In five hours, use Paul Hollywood's recipe to enclose six poached pears individually in rough puff pastry.

   • Showstopper

     Three-tiered pie tower

     Create a self-supporting tower of at least three themed pie tiers in four and a half hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · European cakes

   European Cakes

   Sep 10, 2014

   European cake week uses yeast for the opening cake, compresses a complex Swedish princess cake into the Technical, and modernizes the many-layered Dobos torte.

   • Signature

     Yeast-leavened European cake

     Bake a European-inspired cake leavened with yeast in three hours.

   • Technical

     Prinsesstarta

     Make Mary Berry's Swedish princess cake in two hours and 15 minutes, completing a 14-stage recipe with 26 ingredients.

   • Showstopper

     Contemporary two-tier Dobos torte

     In five hours, make a contemporary Dobos torte with at least two tiers and prominent caramel sugar work.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Sep 17, 2014

   Pastry week begins with uniform savoury parcels, introduces the laminated Breton kouign-amann, and fills two flavours of classic choux eclairs.

   • Signature

     12 savoury pastry parcels

     Make 12 uniform, well-filled savoury pastry parcels in one hour and 45 minutes, sealing them well enough to prevent leaks.

   • Technical

     12 kouign-amann

     Use Paul Hollywood's recipe to produce 12 identical kouign-amann in three and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     24 eclairs in two flavours

     Make 12 eclairs in each of two flavours within four hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Advanced dough

   Advanced Dough (Quarterfinals)

   Sep 24, 2014

   The quarterfinal handles free-form enriched fruit loaves, a tightly layered povitica, and a large two-flavour assortment of doughnuts.

   • Signature

     Free-form enriched fruit loaf

     Bake a free-form sweet fruit loaf from enriched dough in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Povitica

     Make a tightly rolled, filled povitica in two and a half hours, baking its many layers fully through.

   • Showstopper

     36 doughnuts in two varieties

     In four hours, make 18 doughnuts in each of two different varieties.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semi-final)

   Oct 1, 2014

   The semifinal begins with two kinds of handmade-filo baklava, counts 20 grilled layers in schichttorte, and finishes with two refined entremets.

   • Signature

     24 baklava in two varieties

     Make 24 portions across two baklava varieties in three and a half hours, including filo pastry made from scratch.

   • Technical

     20-layer schichttorte

     Use Paul Hollywood's recipe to build a 20-layer schichttorte in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     24 entremets in two varieties

     In five hours, make 12 each of two small, refined entremets suitable for a French patisserie window.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Oct 8, 2014

    The final moves from two kinds of viennoiserie to a stripped-back trio of British basics, then ends with a freestanding piece montee.

    • Signature

      Two varieties of viennoiserie

      Make two different kinds of viennoiserie in three and a half hours.

    • Technical

      12 mini Victoria sandwiches, 12 mini tartes au citron, and 12 mini scones

      In two hours and from only three instructions, produce 12 miniature Victoria sandwiches, 12 miniature lemon tarts, and 12 miniature scones.

    • Showstopper

      Freestanding piece montee

      Create a self-supporting piece montee in five hours.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 2

Dark Chocolate Florentines

Thin caramelized almond-and-fruit biscuits backed with dark chocolate and finished with a simple forked pattern.

Time

39 min

Makes

16 Florentines

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 50 g unsalted butter
• 50 g light brown sugar
• 50 g golden syrup
• 50 g plain flour
• 60 g flaked almonds, roughly chopped
• 40 g candied peel, finely chopped
• 40 g dried cranberries, finely chopped
• 150 g dark chocolate

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan, and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, and golden syrup gently. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, almonds, peel, and cranberries.
3. Drop level teaspoons onto the sheets, leaving at least 7 cm between them. Flatten each mound slightly.
4. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until spread, lacy, and amber at the edges. Cool on the sheet until firm.
5. Melt and temper the chocolate. Spread it over each flat underside, allow it to thicken slightly, then draw wavy lines through it with a fork and leave to set.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Bake a single test biscuit first; if it spreads too far, cool the mixture for a few minutes before portioning the rest.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 3

Home-Oven Ciabatta

Two broad, open-crumb loaves made from a high-hydration dough with gentle folds instead of heavy kneading.

Time

53 min

Makes

2 loaves

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 500 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 10 g fine salt
• 420 ml lukewarm water
• 30 ml olive oil
• Fine semolina, for dusting

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, water, and oil into a very wet dough. Beat with a sturdy spoon for 3 minutes, then cover for 20 minutes.
2. With wet hands, lift and fold the dough over itself from all four sides. Repeat the fold twice more at 20-minute intervals.
3. Leave covered until doubled and visibly bubbly, about 60 minutes after the final fold.
4. Heat the oven to 230 C, or 210 C fan, with a heavy baking sheet inside. Tip the dough onto a heavily floured surface, divide it in two, and ease each piece into a rough rectangle without pressing out the gas.
5. Transfer to semolina-dusted baking paper, slide onto the hot sheet, and bake for 25 to 28 minutes until deeply browned and hollow-sounding underneath. Cool fully before slicing.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

The dough should remain soft and sticky; extra flour during mixing will close the crumb.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. bbc.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 5, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series six runs through ten themed weeks, moving from foundational cakes, biscuits, and bread into alternative ingredients, Victorian baking, patisserie, chocolate, and the final. This guide records all three challenge briefs for every episode and pairs each week with an original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by its technical challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Aug 5, 2015

   Cake week begins with a restrained Madeira cake, raises the precision level with a layered walnut technical, and finishes with an extravagant Black Forest gateau.

   • Signature

     Madeira cake

     Bake a Madeira cake in two hours, keeping the classic domed shape and characteristic crack while adding only a measured personal variation.

   • Technical

     Walnut cake

     Produce Mary Berry's three-layer walnut cake in one hour 45 minutes, finished with meringue coating and caramelised walnuts.

   • Showstopper

     Black Forest gateau

     Create an extravagant Black Forest gateau in three and a half hours with the scale and finish expected of a showpiece.

   Make our home version →Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Aug 12, 2015

   The bakers move from uniform twice-baked biscotti to delicate cinnamon arlettes before engineering a presentation box and its entire biscuit collection.

   • Signature

     24 biscotti

     Make 24 identical biscotti in two hours, with freedom over their shape, size, and flavour.

   • Technical

     8 arlettes

     Bake eight thin, crisp cinnamon arlettes in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     36 biscuits and an edible biscuit box

     Present 36 biscuits inside a box made from a different biscuit dough, completing the construction in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Aug 19, 2015

   Bread week contrasts quick, free-form loaves with carefully fermented baguettes, then asks for a large edible sculpture built from several doughs.

   • Signature

     2 quick breads

     Make two free-form quick breads without loaf tins in one and a half hours.

   • Technical

     4 baguettes

     Bake four identical crusty baguettes from Paul Hollywood's brief in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     3D bread sculpture

     Build a three-dimensional bread sculpture in five hours using three dough types, including at least one filled dough.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Aug 26, 2015

   Dessert week tests gently set custards, a structured Austrian meringue torte, and tall self-supporting stacks of three differently flavoured cheesecakes.

   • Signature

     12 creme brulees

     Make 12 set creme brulees in two hours and caramelise their tops without using a blowtorch.

   • Technical

     Spanische Windtorte

     Construct a Spanische Windtorte in four hours from French and Swiss meringue, forming a round shell filled with cream and fruit.

   • Showstopper

     Three-tiered cheesecake

     Create a self-standing three-tier tower of sweet cheesecakes with distinct flavours in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Alternative ingredients

   Alternative Ingredients

   Sep 2, 2015

   Each round removes a familiar baking staple: refined sugar from cake, gluten from pita, and dairy from the ice cream inside a rolled frozen dessert.

   • Signature

     Sugar-free cake

     Bake a cake without sugar in two and a half hours, finding sweetness and structure through alternative ingredients.

   • Technical

     12 gluten-free pita breads

     Make 12 identical gluten-free pita breads in two hours, aiming for evenly inflated pockets.

   • Showstopper

     Dairy-free ice-cream roll

     Create a rolled sponge dessert around dairy-free ice cream in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Sep 9, 2015

   Pastry week moves from open shortcrust frangipane tarts to Cypriot cheese pastries and finally a large assortment of sweet and savoury vol-au-vents made with homemade puff pastry.

   • Signature

     Frangipane tart

     Bake an open-topped frangipane tart with shortcrust pastry in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 flaounes

     Make 12 Cypriot cheese-filled flaounes in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     48 vol-au-vents

     Produce two varieties of vol-au-vent using homemade puff pastry in three hours 45 minutes, for 48 pieces overall.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Victorian baking

   Victorian

   Sep 16, 2015

   The historical week demands ornate hot-water-crust pies, a decorated tennis fruit cake, and a grand Charlotte Russe enclosed by ladyfingers.

   • Signature

     Raised game pie

     Make an ornate raised game pie with a thin hot-water-crust shell in three hours.

   • Technical

     Tennis cake

     Complete a Victorian tennis fruit cake in three hours, using royal icing, sugar paste, and gelatine decoration.

   • Showstopper

     Charlotte Russe

     Build and decorate a Charlotte Russe in five and a half hours, enclosing sponge, jelly, and cream with ladyfingers.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Quarterfinals)

   Sep 23, 2015

   The quarterfinal compresses three pastry-shop disciplines into cream horns, coffee-finished miniature genoise cakes, and a freestanding tower of oversized eclairs.

   • Signature

     24 cream horns

     Make 24 cream horns in two flavours using puff, rough-puff, or flaky pastry in three and a half hours.

   • Technical

     9 mokatines

     Produce nine neat mokatines in two hours: small genoise cakes filled with coffee buttercream and finished to patisserie-window standard.

   • Showstopper

     Religieuse a l'ancienne

     Construct a freestanding religieuse a l'ancienne from upright oversized eclairs and buttercream in four hours, without dowels.

   Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Chocolate

   Chocolate (Semifinals)

   Sep 30, 2015

   The semifinal centers chocolate in an ornate tart, a staggered technical souffle, and a freestanding centerpiece that must also include white chocolate and biscuit work.

   • Signature

     Chocolate tart

     Make an ornate, intricate, strongly flavoured chocolate tart in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Chocolate souffle

     Bake a chocolate souffle in one hour 15 minutes under staggered-start judging.

   • Showstopper

     Chocolate centrepiece

     Create a freestanding chocolate centerpiece in four hours, incorporating both white chocolate and a biscuit element.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Oct 7, 2015

    The finalists revisit enriched buns, laminated pastry, and classic British cake, with exacting quantities and presentation standards across all three rounds.

    • Signature

      16 iced buns

      Make 16 iced buns in two distinct varieties within three hours.

    • Technical

      6 raspberry mille-feuille

      Produce six raspberry mille-feuille with puff pastry and fondant icing from Paul Hollywood's brief in two hours.

    • Showstopper

      Classic British cake

      Present a classic British cake with at least three layers in four hours.

    Episode source

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Coffee-Walnut Layer Cake

A manageable two-layer walnut sponge with coffee buttercream and crisp caramel walnut pieces, inspired by the opening technical.

Time

1 hr 5 min

Makes

One 20 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 180 g unsalted butter, softened
• 180 g light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 160 g self-raising flour
• 80 g walnuts, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 150 g icing sugar
• 75 g unsalted butter, softened, for the frosting
• 40 g caster sugar and 8 walnut halves, for the garnish

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Grease and line two 20 cm round pans.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until pale. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour, chopped walnuts, and half the espresso dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water.
3. Divide between the pans and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
4. Beat the frosting butter with the icing sugar and remaining dissolved espresso until smooth, then use half to sandwich the cakes and half on top.
5. Melt the caster sugar in a small pan to amber. Add the walnut halves, turn them onto baking paper to cool, then arrange them on the cake.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

The caramel is extremely hot; move the coated nuts with utensils and let them cool fully.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 2

Cinnamon Arlettes

Paper-thin spirals of puff pastry and cinnamon sugar, baked between trays for an even, glassy crispness.

Time

43 min

Makes

12 biscuits

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 320 g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• 70 g caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 20 g icing sugar, for rolling
• 1 pinch fine salt

Method

1. Mix the caster sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Unroll the pastry, scatter it evenly with the mixture, and roll it tightly from a short edge.
2. Chill the log for 25 minutes, then cut it into 12 equal rounds.
3. Dust the worktop with icing sugar and roll each round into a very thin oval, turning often to prevent sticking.
4. Place the biscuits between two sheets of baking paper and sandwich them between two flat baking trays.
5. Bake at 200 C, or 180 C fan, for 15 minutes. Remove the top tray and paper and bake 2 to 3 minutes more until caramelised, then cool flat.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Keep the pastry cold between rolling batches so its layers remain distinct.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. bbc.co.uk, thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 6, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series seven spans ten weeks of cake, biscuits, bread, batter, pastry, botanical baking, desserts, Tudor food, patisserie, and a royal-picnic final. This guide preserves every challenge brief and offers one original home-kitchen adaptation for each episode, based on its documented technical bake.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Aug 24, 2016

   The opening week moves from moist drizzle cakes to uniform chocolate-and-orange Jaffa cakes, then demands a flawless reflective finish on a genoise-based showpiece.

   • Signature

     Drizzle cake

     Bake a drizzle cake in two hours, ensuring the flavouring liquid permeates a moist sponge.

   • Technical

     12 Jaffa cakes

     Make 12 Jaffa cakes from Mary Berry's brief with fatless sponge, orange jelly, and patterned tempered chocolate.

   • Showstopper

     Mirror glaze cake

     Create a genoise cake fully covered by a bright, highly reflective mirror glaze in three hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Aug 31, 2016

   Biscuit week balances detailed icing, piped Viennese whirls, and a large gingerbread scene that must combine height, structure, and multiple edible figures.

   • Signature

     24 iced biscuits

     Make 24 crisp, uniform iced biscuits in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     12 Viennese whirls

     Pipe and bake 12 clearly defined Viennese whirls, sandwiching them with jam and buttercream in one and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     3D gingerbread scene

     Build a gingerbread scene at least 30 cm tall with at least eight characters or objects in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Sep 7, 2016

   Chocolate-enriched loaves open bread week before steamed German buns and an elaborate savoury braided centerpiece test very different dough-handling skills.

   • Signature

     Chocolate loaf

     Bake a loaf containing chocolate in some form within two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     12 dampfnudel

     Make 12 steamed dampfnudel with two accompanying sauces in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Savoury plaited bread centrepiece

     Construct a savoury braided centerpiece in four hours using at least three different flours.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Batter

   Batter

   Sep 14, 2016

   The first batter week runs from filled Yorkshire puddings to one-chance lace pancakes and finally a large batch of sweet fried churros.

   • Signature

     24 filled Yorkshire puddings

     Bake 24 Yorkshire puddings with savoury fillings and flavours in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 heart-shaped lace pancakes

     Draw 12 heart-shaped lace pancakes in one hour, with only one practice pancake allowed.

   • Showstopper

     36 churros

     Make and present 36 sweet churros in three hours.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Sep 21, 2016

   Laminated breakfast pastries lead into a precise feathered Bakewell tart, followed by dozens of tiny sweet and savoury filo bites.

   • Signature

     24 breakfast pastries

     Prepare 24 breakfast pastries from two different dough batches, 12 of each type, in three and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Feathered Bakewell tart

     Make a classic Bakewell tart with a feathered icing finish in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     48 filo amuse-bouche

     Create 24 savoury and 24 sweet filled filo amuse-bouche in four hours.

   Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Botanical baking

   Botanical

   Sep 28, 2016

   Citrus, herbs, and flowers shape the week through a meringue pie, leaf-shaped fougasse, and a large floral tiered cake.

   • Signature

     Citrus meringue pie

     Bake a meringue pie featuring citrus fruit in two hours.

   • Technical

     2 herb fougasse

     Make two leaf-shaped herb fougasse loaves in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Three-tier flower cake

     Create a three-tier flower-themed cake in four hours, with floral decoration and either matching or distinct tier flavours.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Oct 5, 2016

   Dessert week calls for a cleanly rolled family sponge, a layered nut-meringue marjolaine, and two flavours of miniature mousse cakes.

   • Signature

     Family-sized roulade

     Make a family-sized roulade in one and a half hours with a light sponge, even filling, and clean spiral.

   • Technical

     Marjolaine

     Construct a marjolaine in three hours from nut meringue layers, ganache, and nuts.

   • Showstopper

     24 mini mousse cakes

     Produce 24 miniature mousse cakes in four hours, split evenly between two flavours.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Tudor baking

   Tudor (Quarterfinals)

   Oct 12, 2016

   The quarterfinal looks to Tudor food with shaped savoury pies, two traditional forms of spiced jumble, and a sculptural marchpane centerpiece.

   • Signature

     Shaped savoury pies

     Make shaped savoury pies with Tudor-inspired flavours in three hours, using any pastry and filling.

   • Technical

     12 jumbles

     Bake 12 jumbles in one and a half hours: six knot balls and six Celtic knots.

   • Showstopper

     3D marchpane cake

     Create a Tudor-themed three-dimensional marchpane, or marzipan, cake in three and a half hours.

   Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semi-final)

   Oct 19, 2016

   The semifinal combines savoury laminated palmiers, a syrup-soaked yeasted savarin, and 36 meticulously covered fondant fancies.

   • Signature

     24 savoury palmiers

     Bake 24 palmiers in three hours using two different savoury fillings and shapes.

   • Technical

     Savarin

     Make a liqueur-soaked yeasted savarin in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     36 fondant fancies

     Produce 36 neat fondant fancies in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Royal picnic

    Royal Picnic (Final)

    Oct 26, 2016

    The final opens with layered meringue crowns, strips a Victoria sandwich back to pure baking memory, and closes with a five-part picnic spread fit for the Queen.

    • Signature

      Filled meringue crown

      Make a filled crown with at least three meringue layers in three hours.

    • Technical

      Victoria sandwich

      Bake a Victoria sandwich without a supplied recipe or method in one and a half hours.

    • Showstopper

      Picnic fit for the Queen

      In five hours, make one chocolate celebration cake plus 12 sausage rolls, 12 mini quiches, 12 savoury scones, and 12 fruit-and-custard tarts.

    Episode source

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Orange Jaffa Cakes

Small fatless sponges topped with bright orange jelly and a thin dark-chocolate cap.

Time

45 min

Makes

12 cakes

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 1 small orange jelly tablet, about 135 g
• 150 ml boiling water
• 2 large eggs
• 50 g caster sugar
• 50 g plain flour
• 150 g dark chocolate

Method

1. Dissolve the jelly in the boiling water, pour into a shallow lined tray, and chill until firm.
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and pale, fold in the flour, and spoon into 12 greased shallow bun-tin wells.
3. Bake at 190 C, or 170 C fan, for 8 to 10 minutes, then cool and turn out.
4. Cut 12 jelly rounds slightly smaller than the cakes and place one on each sponge.
5. Melt and cool the chocolate until barely fluid. Spoon it over the jelly, mark each top with a fork, and leave to set.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Cool chocolate will sit on the jelly instead of melting it.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 2

Raspberry Viennese Whirls

Tender piped butter biscuits paired with raspberry jam and light vanilla buttercream.

Time

44 min

Makes

12 sandwich biscuits

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 200 g unsalted butter, very soft
• 50 g icing sugar
• 200 g plain flour
• 40 g cornflour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 75 g seedless raspberry jam
• 75 g icing sugar and 35 g butter, for filling

Method

1. Beat the butter, 50 g icing sugar, and vanilla until smooth, then mix in the flour and cornflour.
2. Pipe 24 equal rosettes onto lined trays with a large star nozzle and chill for 20 minutes.
3. Bake at 190 C, or 170 C fan, for 12 to 14 minutes until lightly golden. Cool fully.
4. Beat the filling butter with 75 g icing sugar until fluffy.
5. Pair the biscuits by size and sandwich each pair with buttercream and a small spoonful of jam.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

The dough must be soft enough to pipe but cold enough to retain ridges.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. bbc.co.uk, thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 7, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series eight introduces a new judging and presenting lineup across ten weeks of cakes, biscuits, bread, caramel, puddings, pastry, Italian baking, forgotten bakes, patisserie, and a final. Every challenge is recorded here alongside an original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by that episode's technical bake.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Aug 29, 2017

   Fresh-fruit cakes begin the series before peppermint mini rolls test uniformity and illusion cakes turn sponge and icing into convincing everyday objects.

   • Signature

     Fresh fruit cake

     Bake a cake using fresh fruit, with no dried fruit, in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 chocolate mini rolls

     Make 12 chocolate mini rolls with peppermint cream from Prue Leith's brief in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Illusion cake

     Create a cake that convincingly resembles a different object in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Sep 5, 2017

   Sandwich biscuits and delicate fortune cookies lead to a fully edible board game built at centerpiece scale.

   • Signature

     24 sandwich biscuits

     Make 24 sandwich biscuits in two hours 15 minutes.

   • Technical

     12 fortune cookies

     Bake 12 fortune cookies in two hours, six almond and six orange.

   • Showstopper

     Biscuit board game

     Build an edible board game at least 40 cm across with at least eight elements in three and a half hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Sep 12, 2017

   Enriched teacakes precede a two-tier cottage loaf and a naturally coloured bread sculpture with multiple shades of dough.

   • Signature

     12 teacakes

     Bake 12 teacakes in two hours 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     Cottage loaf

     Make a traditional two-tier cottage loaf in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Multicoloured bread sculpture

     Create a bread sculpture in four and a half hours with at least three colours derived from natural ingredients.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Caramel

   Caramel

   Sep 19, 2017

   Caramel week progresses from layered shortbread bars to syrup-filled stroopwafels and tall cakes crowned with spun sugar.

   • Signature

     18 millionaire shortbreads

     Make 18 identical millionaire shortbread bars in two hours 15 minutes.

   • Technical

     12 stroopwafels

     Make 12 thin waffles sandwiched with caramel in one hour 45 minutes, with only one test waffle.

   • Showstopper

     Caramel cake

     Create a cake with at least three sponge layers and spun-sugar decoration in three and a half hours.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Puddings

   Puddings

   Sep 26, 2017

   Steamed school puddings are followed by timed molten chocolate centers and elaborate terrines combining baked, creamy, and jellied layers.

   • Signature

     Steamed school pudding

     Make a steamed school pudding with an accompaniment such as custard or compote in three hours.

   • Technical

     6 molten chocolate puddings

     Bake six molten chocolate puddings with peanut-butter centers in one hour under staggered judging.

   • Showstopper

     Ornamental trifle terrine

     Build a decorative terrine in four and a half hours with a baked element, set custard or mousse, and jelly.

   Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Oct 3, 2017

   Decorative shortcrust pies, flaky Portuguese custard tarts, and a fruit-topped raised banquet pie cover three distinct pastry methods.

   • Signature

     4 decorative savoury pies

     Make four shortcrust savoury pies with different designs sharing one theme in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     12 pasteis de nata

     Produce 12 Portuguese custard tarts with rough-puff pastry in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Family-sized hand-raised pie

     Create a savoury hot-water-crust pie topped with glazed fruit in four hours.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Italian baking

   Italian

   Oct 10, 2017

   The first Italian week covers filled cannoli, a spare margherita pizza, and highly laminated sfogliatelle in two flavours.

   • Signature

     18 cannoli

     Make 18 Sicilian cannoli with three different fillings in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Pizza Margherita

     Bake a thin, crisp Pizza Margherita from Prue Leith's brief in one and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     24 sfogliatelle

     Produce 24 sfogliatelle with two different fillings in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Forgotten bakes

   Forgotten Bakes (Quarterfinals)

   Oct 17, 2017

   The quarterfinal revives dual-filled Bedfordshire clangers, a rum-soaked Cumberland tart, and molded Victorian Savoy cakes.

   • Signature

     4 Bedfordshire clangers

     Make four suet-crust clangers in two hours, each with a savoury filling at one end and sweet filling at the other.

   • Technical

     Cumberland rum nicky

     Bake a lattice-topped shortcrust tart with rum-soaked dried fruit and smooth rum butter in one and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Victorian Savoy cake

     Bake a molded Victorian Savoy sponge with a hard sugar coating or crust as a banquet centerpiece in three and a half hours.

   Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semi-final)

   Oct 24, 2017

   The semifinal pairs two finishes of choux buns with layered almond-and-coffee slices and a mixed-meringue dessert centerpiece.

   • Signature

     24 choux buns

     Make 24 choux buns in two and a half hours: 12 with craquelin and 12 with icing.

   • Technical

     9 Les Miserables slices

     Produce nine layered Les Miserables slices from Prue Leith's brief in three hours.

   • Showstopper

     Meringue centrepiece

     Create a centerpiece containing at least two meringue types and a dessert element in four hours 45 minutes.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Oct 31, 2017

    The finalists make three styles of small bread, intricately iced ginger biscuits, and a large glazed entremet with at least five elements.

    • Signature

      12 small loaves

      In three hours make four shaped loaves, four flavoured loaves, and four loaves using an alternative grain.

    • Technical

      10 ginger biscuits

      Make five oval and five square ginger biscuits with a crisp snap and two intricate icing patterns in two and a half hours.

    • Showstopper

      Large entremet

      Create a large entremet with at least five elements including sponge, covered in glaze or ganache, in five hours.

    Episode source

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Peppermint Chocolate Mini Rolls

Small chocolate sponge rolls with peppermint cream and a thin chocolate coating.

Time

50 min

Makes

10 mini rolls

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 90 g caster sugar
• 70 g plain flour
• 20 g cocoa powder
• 150 ml double cream
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 200 g dark chocolate
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil

Method

1. Whisk eggs and sugar to a thick ribbon, fold in flour and cocoa, and spread in a lined 23 by 33 cm tray.
2. Bake at 200 C, or 180 C fan, for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn onto sugared paper, roll from a short edge, and cool.
3. Whip the cream with peppermint, unroll the sponge, spread with cream, and roll again.
4. Chill, trim, and cut into ten equal pieces.
5. Melt chocolate with oil, coat each roll, and leave to set on baking paper.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Use peppermint sparingly; its strength varies by brand.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 2

Orange-Almond Fortune Cookies

Thin orange-scented cookies folded around handwritten messages while still warm.

Time

48 min

Makes

12 cookies

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 70 g caster sugar
• 55 g plain flour
• 40 g melted butter
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 pinch salt

Method

1. Write 12 short messages on narrow paper strips. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan.
2. Whisk the whites and sugar until foamy, then whisk in flour, butter, zest, almond extract, and salt.
3. Spread two 9 cm circles of batter very thinly on a silicone-lined tray.
4. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes until the rims brown. Working quickly, place a message on each, fold in half, and bend over a cup rim.
5. Cool in a muffin tin to hold the shape and repeat in small batches.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Bake only two at a time because they firm within seconds.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 8, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series nine opens with biscuits before moving through cakes, bread, desserts, spice, pastry, vegan baking, Danish baking, patisserie, and the final. This guide records the complete challenge brief for every episode and includes two original home-kitchen adaptations drawn from documented technical challenges.

1. Episode 1 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Aug 28, 2018

   The series begins with place-specific regional biscuits, a chocolate-coated childhood favorite, and upright self-portraits built entirely from biscuit layers.

   • Signature

     24 regional biscuits

     Bake 24 identical biscuits in two hours that represent the baker and a place in the British Isles.

   • Technical

     8 Wagon Wheels

     Make eight Wagon Wheels from Paul Hollywood's brief in two hours 15 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D biscuit self-portrait

     Construct a layered biscuit self-portrait in four hours that can be judged standing upright on an easel.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Sep 4, 2018

   Cake week moves from precisely portioned traybakes to a pistachio-and-spinach French cake before finishing with tall chocolate-collar constructions.

   • Signature

     16 traybakes

     Create a traybake cut into 16 identical pieces in two hours.

   • Technical

     Le Gateau Vert

     Make Le Gateau Vert in two hours 15 minutes, combining pistachio genoise, pistachio creme au beurre, and spinach-coloured green fondant.

   • Showstopper

     Chocolate collar cake

     Build a technically demanding cake of at least two tiers enclosed by a chocolate collar in four hours.

   Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Sep 11, 2018

   Bread week covers enriched Chelsea buns, quickly grilled garlic naan, and a highly decorated three-tier celebratory korovai.

   • Signature

     12 Chelsea buns

     Bake 12 Chelsea buns in three hours.

   • Technical

     8 non-yeasted garlic naan

     Make eight non-yeasted garlic naan in one hour, grilling them and finishing with garlic ghee and coriander.

   • Showstopper

     Three-tiered korovai

     Create an elaborately decorated three-tier korovai for a celebration in five hours.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Sep 18, 2018

   Dessert week combines a meringue roulade, raspberry blancmange with delicate biscuits, and a chocolate sphere designed to melt under hot sauce and reveal a hidden dessert.

   • Signature

     Meringue roulade

     Make a meringue roulade in one hour 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     Raspberry blancmange with 12 langues de chat

     Produce a raspberry blancmange served with 12 langues de chat biscuits from Prue Leith's brief in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Melting chocolate ball dessert

     Create a chocolate sphere in three hours that melts under hot sauce to reveal a dessert inside.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Spice

   Spice

   Sep 25, 2018

   Spice week starts with ginger cake, turns to molded and hand-pinched Middle Eastern pastries, and ends with suspended biscuit chandeliers.

   • Signature

     Ginger cake

     Bake a ginger cake in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 ma'amoul

     Make 12 ma'amoul in one and a half hours: six walnut-filled molded pastries and six date-filled pastries decorated with tongs.

   • Showstopper

     Spiced biscuit chandelier

     Construct a gravity-defying spiced biscuit chandelier in four hours.

   Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Oct 2, 2018

   Sweet and savoury samosas precede caramelised puff-pastry wells, followed by shaped banquet pies intended to command a Tudor table.

   • Signature

     12 samosas

     Make six savoury and six sweet samosas with a complementary dip in two hours.

   • Technical

     6 puits d'amour

     Produce six puits d'amour, or wells of love, from Prue Leith's brief in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Shaped banquet pie

     Create a decoratively shaped centerpiece pie for a Tudor banquet in three and a half hours.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Vegan baking

   Vegan

   Oct 9, 2018

   The show's first vegan week tests egg- and butter-free tartlets, aquafaba meringue, and fully plant-based celebration cakes.

   • Signature

     8 savoury vegan tartlets

     Make eight savoury vegan shortcrust tartlets in two hours, split between two fillings and using no butter or eggs.

   • Technical

     Vegan tropical fruit pavlova

     Make a tropical-fruit pavlova with aquafaba meringue from Prue Leith's brief in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Vegan celebratory cake

     Create a fully vegan celebration cake in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Danish baking

   Danish (Quarterfinals)

   Oct 16, 2018

   The quarterfinal uses homemade rye bread for open sandwiches, then turns to filled spherical pancakes and an elaborate person-shaped Danish birthday pastry.

   • Signature

     2 types of smorrebrod

     Bake a rye loaf and use it to make two styles of smorrebrod in three and a half hours.

   • Technical

     14 aebleskiver

     Make 14 aebleskiver with apple-cinnamon filling and strawberry jam dipping sauce in one hour.

   • Showstopper

     Kagemand or kagekone

     Create a person-shaped Danish-pastry birthday cake based on someone recognizable, using at least three confectionery skills, in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semi-final)

   Oct 23, 2018

   The semifinal progresses from two kinds of dipped madeleine to a seven-layer chocolate-hazelnut technical and a full Parisian pastry-window assortment.

   • Signature

     24 dipped madeleines

     Make 24 dipped madeleines in two designs and flavours within one and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Torta Setteveli

     Construct a seven-layer Torta Setteveli in three and a half hours with chocolate genoise, hazelnut bavarois, praline crunch, chocolate mousse, and mirror glaze.

   • Showstopper

     Parisian patisserie window

     Present 36 pastries in five hours across three types: choux pastry, pate sucree, and puff-pastry mille-feuille.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Oct 30, 2018

    The final covers filled and ring doughnuts, pita baked over an outdoor fire with three dips, and expansive dessert landscapes combining several distinct elements.

    • Signature

      12 iced doughnuts

      Make 12 iced doughnuts in three hours, divided between filled doughnuts and ring doughnuts.

    • Technical

      6 campfire pita breads

      Bake six pita breads outdoors over a campfire in 90 minutes and serve them with baba ghanoush, smoked-garlic salsa verde, and burnt-pepper salsa.

    • Showstopper

      Landscape dessert

      Create an edible dessert landscape containing at least three different elements in four and a half hours.

    Episode source

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Homemade Wagon Wheels

Crisp round biscuits sandwiching raspberry jam and vanilla marshmallow, finished with a thin dark-chocolate coating.

Time

1 hr 4 min

Makes

8 sandwich biscuits

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 180 g plain flour
• 30 g icing sugar
• 100 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 80 g seedless raspberry jam
• 8 large vanilla marshmallows, halved
• 250 g dark chocolate
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar, add the yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water, and bring the dough together. Chill for 25 minutes.
2. Roll the dough to 4 mm thick, cut 16 rounds with a 7 cm cutter, and bake at 180 C, or 160 C fan, for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Spread eight biscuits with jam. Arrange two marshmallow halves on each and warm under a low grill just until soft.
4. Press the remaining biscuits on top and chill the sandwiches for 15 minutes.
5. Melt the chocolate with the oil, coat each sandwich, drain on a rack, and leave to set on baking paper.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Watch the marshmallows continuously under the grill because they colour quickly.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 7

Aquafaba Tropical Pavlova

A crisp vegan meringue shell topped with coconut cream, mango, passion fruit, and lime.

Time

2 hrs 15 min

Makes

One 20 cm pavlova, serving 8

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 150 ml aquafaba from unsalted canned chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 250 g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 400 ml full-fat coconut cream, chilled
• 1 ripe mango, diced
• 2 passion fruits
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime

Method

1. Heat the oven to 130 C, or 110 C fan, and draw a 20 cm circle on baking paper.
2. Whisk the aquafaba and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Add the sugar one spoonful at a time and continue whisking until thick and glossy, then fold in the cornflour and vanilla.
3. Shape the meringue inside the circle with a shallow well in the center. Bake for one hour 45 minutes, switch off the oven, and cool inside with the door slightly open.
4. Scoop the firm coconut cream from the can and whip it until smooth and aerated.
5. Top the cooled shell with coconut cream, mango, passion-fruit pulp, and lime zest immediately before serving.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Use unsalted aquafaba and a scrupulously grease-free bowl for the strongest foam.

Assemble shortly before serving so the fruit does not soften the shell.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 9, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series 10 marks a decade of Bake Off with ten themed weeks and 30 challenges, moving from fruit cakes and biscuit sculpture to festival baking, patisserie, and a final illusion picnic. This guide records each broadcast brief and pairs every episode with an original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by its technical challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Aug 27, 2019

   The anniversary series opens with fruit cake, precise layered angel slices, and a childhood birthday cake realized as a full showpiece.

   • Signature

     Fruit cake

     Bake and lavishly decorate a dried-fruit cake in any chosen shape within two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     6 angel cake slices

     Produce six matching genoise slices layered with Italian meringue buttercream and finished with feathered icing in one hour and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Childhood dream birthday cake

     Create in four hours the birthday cake the baker wished for as a child.

   Make our home version →Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Sep 3, 2019

   Biscuit week tests uniform chocolate bars and nostalgic fig rolls before asking the bakers to engineer freestanding edible sculpture.

   • Signature

     12 decorated chocolate biscuit bars

     Make twelve identical chocolate biscuit bars with a decorative finish in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     12 fig rolls

     Bake twelve fig rolls that match in size and shape within 90 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D biscuit sculpture

     Construct an artistic three-dimensional biscuit sculpture in four hours.

   Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Sep 10, 2019

   Bread week moves from a filled sharing loaf to burger baps with handmade vegetable patties, then finishes with a display of decoratively scored loaves.

   • Signature

     Filled tear-and-share loaf

     Shape a filled tear-and-share loaf from yeasted dough in three hours.

   • Technical

     8 white burger baps and 4 veggie burgers

     Make eight white baps and four vegetable burgers to fill half of them in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Decorative scored-loaf display

     Present at least two artistically scored decorative loaves after five hours.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Dairy

   Dairy

   Sep 17, 2019

   The first Dairy Week puts cultured dairy into cake, revives Tudor-era curd tarts, and explores the many textures of milk-based Indian sweets.

   • Signature

     Cultured dairy cake

     Bake a cake whose batter contains a cultured dairy product in two hours and 15 minutes.

   • Technical

     12 Maids of Honour

     Make twelve Tudor-era Maids of Honour curd tarts in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Display of mishti

     Build a display of milk-based Indian sweets in three and a half hours.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · The Roaring Twenties

   The Roaring Twenties

   Sep 24, 2019

   A 1920s theme frames decorated custard pies, delicate fried choux beignets with zabaglione, and tiered cocktail cakes inspired by Prohibition.

   • Signature

     4 decorated custard pies

     Produce four elaborately decorated custard pies with a 1920s theme in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     18 beignet souffles with raspberry jam and zabaglione

     Deep-fry eighteen choux beignet souffles, fill them with raspberry jam, and serve them with zabaglione in 90 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Prohibition-era cocktail cake

     Create a cocktail-inspired cake of at least two tiers in four hours.

   Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Oct 1, 2019

   Dessert week balances crisp meringue, carefully layered glasses, and a frozen celebratory bombe whose finish must be as controlled as its interior.

   • Signature

     Layered meringue cake

     Make a shareable meringue cake with at least three layers in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     6 layered verrines

     Assemble six identical multi-layered verrines in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Celebratory bombe

     Produce a dramatic celebratory bombe in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Festivals

   Festivals

   Oct 8, 2019

   Festival baking ranges across celebratory buns, Sicilian fried pastries, and the intricate colored layers of a Sarawak-style cake.

   • Signature

     24 festival buns

     Bake 24 buns themed to a festival or holiday from anywhere in the world in three hours.

   • Technical

     12 Sicilian cassatelles

     Make twelve deep-fried Sicilian cassatelles, traditionally associated with Carnevale, in one hour and 15 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Kek lapis Sarawak

     Construct an intricately patterned Malaysian layered cake in four hours and 15 minutes.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Pastry

   Pastry (Quarterfinals)

   Oct 15, 2019

   The quarterfinal turns pastry conventions around with savory tarte tatins, hand-stretched warka pastry, and ambitious pies built upward rather than outward.

   • Signature

     Savory tarte tatin

     Give the usually sweet French upside-down tart a savory treatment in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Moroccan pie

     Recreate a Moroccan pie using handmade warka, also called brik pastry, in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Vertical pie

     Build a vertical structure containing at least two separate pies in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semifinal)

   Oct 22, 2019

   The semifinal demands exact domed tarts, a cream-filled French choux and puff-pastry classic, and a sugar-glass case sturdy enough to display fine patisserie.

   • Signature

     8 domed tarts

     Make eight identically decorated domed tarts in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Gateau Saint Honore

     Combine puff pastry, choux, caramel, and cream fillings in a Gateau Saint Honore within three and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Sugar-glass patisserie display case

     Create a clear sugar display case enclosing lavish baked goods in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Oct 29, 2019

    The finalists revisit chocolate cake, tackle twice-baked cheese souffles with crisp lavash, and finish with an illusion picnic assembled from several baking disciplines.

    • Signature

      Ultimate chocolate cake

      Bake a richly chocolate, beautifully decorated cake in two hours.

    • Technical

      6 twice-baked Stilton souffles with lavash crackers

      Make six twice-baked Stilton souffles, each served with a lavash cracker, in one hour and 10 minutes.

    • Showstopper

      Illusion picnic basket feast

      Use cakes, biscuits, and enriched breads to create a deceptive picnic-basket feast in four and a half hours.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Layered Angel Cake Slices

Neat vanilla and lemon genoise fingers layered with a light buttercream and feathered icing.

Time

1 hr 3 min

Makes

6 slices

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 90 g caster sugar
• 90 g plain flour
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 120 g unsalted butter, softened
• 180 g icing sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pink food coloring

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan, and line a 20 cm square pan.
2. Whisk the eggs and caster sugar until very thick, fold in the flour and zest, and bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Beat the butter with 120 g icing sugar and slice the sponge into three equal strips. Stack with buttercream, chill briefly, then cut into six bars.
4. Mix the remaining icing sugar with lemon juice. Spread over the bars, pipe thin pink lines across it, and drag a skewer in alternating directions.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Chilling the layered sponge makes clean portions easier to cut.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 8

Chicken and Almond Moroccan Pie

A crisp layered filo pie with warmly spiced chicken, herbs, and toasted almonds.

Time

1 hr 15 min

Makes

One 23 cm pie, serving 6

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless chicken thighs
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 75 g toasted almonds, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 8 sheets filo pastry
• 75 g melted butter

Method

1. Brown the chicken and onion, add the spices and 150 ml water, then simmer until tender. Shred the chicken and reduce the liquid.
2. Stir two beaten eggs into the hot reduced liquid until softly set, then combine with the chicken, almonds, and parsley.
3. Layer buttered filo in a 23 cm springform tin with the edges overhanging. Add the filling and fold the pastry over, topping with more buttered filo.
4. Brush with the remaining beaten egg and bake at 200 C, or 180 C fan, for 30 to 35 minutes until deeply crisp.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation using accessible filo, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Cool the filling before assembling so the pastry remains crisp.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, channel4.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 10, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series 11 was filmed in a production bubble and delivered ten weeks of progressively demanding baking, including the show's first Japanese Week and a heat-struck 1980s episode. This guide records all 30 challenge briefs and offers one original home-kitchen adaptation for each episode.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Sep 22, 2020

   Cake week begins with patterned Battenbergs, compresses a retro fruit cake into miniature form, and ends with sculpted portraits of personal heroes.

   • Signature

     Battenberg cake

     Create an intricately patterned Battenberg in two hours.

   • Technical

     6 miniature pineapple upside-down cakes

     Bake six matching miniature pineapple upside-down cakes in 90 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Celebrity hero cake bust

     Sculpt a three-dimensional cake bust of a personal celebrity hero in four hours.

   Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Sep 29, 2020

   Uniform florentines and two differently finished coconut macaroons lead into an architectural biscuit table setting based on a remembered meal.

   • Signature

     36 chocolate florentines

     Make 36 identical chocolate florentines in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 hand-shaped coconut macaroons

     Produce six mango-curd macaroons and six chocolate-filled and drizzled macaroons in one hour and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D biscuit table setting

     Mold a three-dimensional biscuit table setting that recalls a memorable meal in four hours.

   Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Oct 6, 2020

   Quick soda breads with handmade butter precede brightly colored bagels and a large decorative bread plaque modeled on harvest sheaves.

   • Signature

     2 soda bread loaves with butter

     Make one sweet and one savory freeform soda bread plus an accompanying butter in one hour and 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     6 rainbow-colored bagels

     Shape, boil, and bake six rainbow-colored bagels in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Large bread plaque

     Create a decorative harvest-sheaf-style bread plaque showing something for which the baker is grateful in three and a half hours.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Chocolate

   Chocolate

   Oct 13, 2020

   Chocolate Week returns to brownie fundamentals, introduces a tightly twisted babka, and scales up to a polished two-tier white chocolate celebration cake.

   • Signature

     18 chocolate brownies

     Bake eighteen chocolate brownies in 90 minutes.

   • Technical

     Chocolate babka

     Make a traditional chocolate babka in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Two-tier white chocolate celebration cake

     Produce a spectacular two-tier celebration cake centered on white chocolate in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Oct 20, 2020

   Pastry week reworks the Cornish pasty, demands two precise flavors of eclair, and encloses a sweet tart beneath an intricate freestanding lattice cage.

   • Signature

     8 pasties

     Put an original spin on eight pasties in two hours.

   • Technical

     6 eclairs: 3 raspberry and 3 salted caramel

     Make three raspberry and three salted-caramel eclairs in two hours and 15 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Caged tart

     Hide a sweet tart beneath a latticed pastry cage in three hours and 45 minutes.

   Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Japanese

   Japanese

   Oct 27, 2020

   The first Japanese Week pairs characterful steamed buns with a many-layered matcha crepe cake and a kawaii-inspired cake using Japanese flavors.

   • Signature

     8 steamed buns

     Make eight decorated steamed buns with either a savory or sweet filling in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Matcha crepe cake

     Layer twelve matcha crepes with white chocolate ganache buttercream and strawberries, then finish with fruit and edible flowers in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Kawaii cake

     Create a cake inspired by Japanese kawaii culture and incorporating Japanese flavors in four hours.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · The '80s

   The '80s

   Nov 3, 2020

   The 1980s theme revives quiche and finger doughnuts before an unusually hot tent turns ice cream cake into a race against melting.

   • Signature

     8 quiches in 2 flavors

     Make eight classic-style quiches split between two savory flavors in two hours.

   • Technical

     6 custard and jam finger doughnuts

     Deep-fry six identical finger doughnuts and fill them with custard and jam in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Ice cream cake

     Assemble an ice cream cake in four and a half hours despite the heat in the tent.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Desserts

   Desserts (Quarterfinals)

   Nov 10, 2020

   The quarterfinal tests small baked cheesecakes and old-fashioned suet puddings, then asks for suspended jelly art above mousse and sponge.

   • Signature

     12 mini baked cheesecakes

     Bake twelve miniature cheesecakes in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     2 Sussex pond puddings with creme anglaise

     Make two suet-pastry Sussex pond puddings and serve them with creme anglaise in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Jelly art design cake

     Combine an artistic clear-jelly design, mousse, and a baked sponge element in four and a half hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semifinals)

   Nov 17, 2020

   The semifinal calls for syrup-soaked savarins, a towering Danish almond-ring cornucopia, and 25 sharply finished cube cakes.

   • Signature

     12 pate a savarin

     Make twelve pate a savarin in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     Danish kransekage cornucopia cake

     Build a Danish kransekage cornucopia from graduated almond rings in two hours and 15 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     25 mini cube-shaped cakes

     Produce 25 precise cube-shaped patisserie cakes in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Nov 24, 2020

    The final moves from crisp custard slices to chocolate-coated walnut whirls, then asks each baker to summarize a range of skills in a towering dessert display.

    • Signature

      8 custard slices

      Make eight beautifully decorated custard slices in two and a half hours.

    • Technical

      8 walnut whirls

      Create eight matching chocolate cones with marshmallow filling, biscuit bases, and walnut tops in two hours.

    • Showstopper

      Dessert tower

      Construct a large dessert tower with a cake base and at least three sections representing different baking disciplines in four and a half hours.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 4

Chocolate Hazelnut Babka

A rich twisted loaf with dark chocolate, toasted hazelnuts, and a glossy syrup finish.

Time

1 hr 15 min

Makes

One loaf, serving 10

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 350 g strong white bread flour
• 7 g instant yeast
• 50 g caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 100 ml whole milk
• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 120 g dark chocolate
• 75 g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 50 g sugar for syrup

Method

1. Knead the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, and 75 g butter until smooth. Cover and chill after it doubles.
2. Melt the chocolate with remaining butter. Roll the dough into a rectangle, spread with chocolate, scatter with nuts, and roll tightly.
3. Split the log lengthwise, twist cut sides upward, and place in a lined loaf tin. Proof for 45 minutes.
4. Bake at 190 C, or 170 C fan, for 35 to 40 minutes. Brush with a syrup made from the remaining sugar and 50 ml water.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Chilled dough is easier to cut and twist cleanly.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 8

Individual Sussex Pond Puddings

Steamed suet puddings enclosing lemon, butter, and brown sugar that form a sharp caramel sauce.

Time

2 hrs 30 min

Makes

4 puddings

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 200 g self-raising flour
• 100 g shredded vegetable suet
• Pinch of salt
• 120 ml whole milk
• 2 small unwaxed lemons
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 120 g light brown sugar

Method

1. Mix flour, suet, salt, and milk into a soft dough. Reserve one-quarter and roll the rest to line four buttered 300 ml pudding basins.
2. Pierce each lemon several times and halve it. Put half a lemon, 25 g butter, and 30 g sugar into each basin.
3. Top with dough lids, seal, cover with pleated baking paper and foil, and tie securely.
4. Steam over gently simmering water for 2 hours, topping up as needed, then rest for 5 minutes before turning out.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Keep the water below the basin rims and never let the pan boil dry.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, channel4.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 11, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series 12 returns to the Bake Off bubble for ten episodes spanning classic cake and bread skills, a first German Week, caramel and free-from baking, and a Mad Hatter final. This guide records the 30 televised briefs and adds one original home-kitchen adaptation per episode.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Sep 21, 2021

   The opening week miniaturizes decorative rolls, revisits malt loaf with freshly made butter, and asks anti-gravity cakes to hold a precious memory aloft.

   • Signature

     12 decorative mini rolls

     Make twelve decorative miniature cake rolls in two hours.

   • Technical

     Malt loaf with homemade butter

     Bake a malt loaf and serve it with freshly made butter in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Anti-gravity illusion cake

     Create an anti-gravity illusion cake representing a precious memory in four hours.

   Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Sep 28, 2021

   Biscuit week combines lacy brandy snaps, jam-and-buttercream sandwich biscuits, and interactive three-dimensional replicas of childhood toys.

   • Signature

     24 brandy snaps

     Make 24 identical brandy snaps in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 sandwiched jammy biscuits

     Bake twelve matching sandwich biscuits filled with jam and buttercream in one hour and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D interactive childhood toy

     Build a three-dimensional biscuit replica of a favorite childhood toy with an interactive element in four hours.

   Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Oct 5, 2021

   Italian and Greek flavors frame focaccia and chewy ciabatta breadsticks before soft milk bread becomes material for a three-dimensional display.

   • Signature

     Focaccia

     Bake a flavored and decorated focaccia in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     15 olive and cheese ciabatta breadsticks with tzatziki

     Make fifteen olive-and-cheese ciabatta breadsticks and a tzatziki dip in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Themed milk bread display

     Create a three-dimensional themed display from milk bread in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Oct 12, 2021

   Dessert week moves from crisp pavlova to plated sticky toffee puddings, then wraps multiple dessert elements in a decoratively patterned joconde sponge.

   • Signature

     Decorated pavlova

     Make a beautifully decorated pavlova in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     4 sticky toffee puddings with sauce, tuiles, and creme anglaise

     Plate four individual sticky toffee puddings with sauce, two tuile triangles each, and creme anglaise in 90 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Joconde imprime dessert

     Wrap at least two dessert elements in a highly decorated joconde sponge in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · German

   German

   Oct 19, 2021

   The first German Week starts with two varieties of decorated biscuit, builds an eight-layer chocolate torte, and finishes with grand tiered yeasted cakes.

   • Signature

     24 German biscuits in 2 varieties

     Make twelve each of two German biscuit varieties, all dipped, coated, or decorated, in two hours and 15 minutes.

   • Technical

     Prinzregententorte

     Layer eight thin genoise sponges with chocolate cream, coat with ganache, and decorate with rosettes and tempered chocolate crowns in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Two-tier yeast-leavened cake

     Produce a cake of at least two tiers inspired by German yeasted cakes in four and a half hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Oct 26, 2021

   Pastry week crosses choux and doughnuts, layers hand-cut baklava into a star, and encloses patterned savory fillings in decorated terrine pies.

   • Signature

     12 chouxnuts

     Make two batches of six glazed or iced chouxnuts, one filled and one unfilled, in two hours.

   • Technical

     Large star-shaped baklava

     Layer filo with pistachio and walnut filling and cut it into a star design in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Terrine pie

     Bake a decoratively encased terrine pie with a neat internal pattern in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Caramel

   Caramel

   Nov 2, 2021

   Caramel Week tests tart filling, layered biscuit bars, and the control needed to enclose a composed dessert beneath a transparent sugar dome or sphere.

   • Signature

     Sharing-size caramel tart

     Produce a decorative sharing-size caramel tart in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     10 caramel biscuit bars

     Make ten matching caramel biscuit bars in 90 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Domed or sphered caramel dessert

     Create a caramel-flavored dessert covered by a sugar-work dome or sphere in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Free-from

   Free-from (Quarterfinals)

   Nov 9, 2021

   The quarterfinal removes a different staple in each round: dairy from ice cream sandwiches, animal products from sausage rolls, and gluten from a tiered celebration cake.

   • Signature

     8 dairy-free ice cream sandwiches

     Bake and assemble eight dairy-free ice cream sandwiches in three hours.

   • Technical

     8 vegan sausage rolls with red onion chutney

     Make eight identical vegan sausage rolls and sticky red onion chutney in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Two-tier gluten-free celebration cake

     Create a gluten-free celebration cake with at least two tiers in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semifinals)

   Nov 16, 2021

   The semifinal demands identical layered slices, a composed Sable Breton tart, and a banquet of individual entremets arranged around an edible centerpiece.

   • Signature

     8 patisserie-style layered slices

     Produce eight refined layered slices in three hours.

   • Technical

     Sable Breton tart

     Top a Sable Breton base with raspberry conserve, pistachio creme mousseline, berries, meringue kisses, and chocolate curls in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Themed banquet display

     Create an edible centerpiece surrounded by at least twelve individual entremets in five hours.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Nov 23, 2021

    The finalists tackle carrot cake and lightly instructed Belgian buns before showing four baking disciplines in a whimsical sweet-and-savory Mad Hatter tea party.

    • Signature

      Carrot cake

      Make a carrot cake in two hours and 15 minutes.

    • Technical

      12 Belgian buns

      Create twelve Belgian buns filled with sultanas and lemon curd from only two written instructions in two and a half hours.

    • Showstopper

      Mad Hatter tea party display

      Build a whimsical spread of sweet and savory afternoon-tea treats using at least four baking disciplines in four and a half hours.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 5

Six-Layer Prinzregententorte

A home-scaled version of the German torte with thin sponge layers and chocolate buttercream.

Time

1 hr 51 min

Makes

One 20 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Hard

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 180 g caster sugar
• 180 g plain flour
• 60 g melted butter
• 250 g unsalted butter, softened
• 200 g icing sugar
• 150 g dark chocolate, melted
• 150 ml double cream
• 150 g dark chocolate for glaze

Method

1. Whisk eggs and caster sugar until thick, fold in flour and melted butter, and divide into six equal portions.
2. Spread each portion into a thin 20 cm round and bake at 200 C, or 180 C fan, for about 6 minutes. Cool.
3. Beat softened butter and icing sugar, then add melted chocolate. Stack the six sponges with thin buttercream layers and chill.
4. Heat cream, pour over glaze chocolate, stir smooth, and coat the chilled cake.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation with six layers for a domestic oven, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Draw circles on baking paper to keep every sponge the same diameter.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 8

Mushroom Lentil Sausage Rolls

Flaky vegan rolls around a savory mushroom, lentil, and herb filling.

Time

58 min

Makes

8 rolls

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 250 g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 200 g cooked green lentils, drained
• 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 320 g vegan puff pastry
• 2 tablespoons oat milk
• Sesame seeds

Method

1. Cook onion and mushrooms in oil until browned and dry. Stir in lentils, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, and thyme, then cool.
2. Halve the pastry lengthwise and shape filling down the center of each strip.
3. Brush the edges with oat milk, roll closed, seal, and cut each log into four.
4. Brush with oat milk, add sesame seeds, and bake at 210 C, or 190 C fan, for 25 to 28 minutes.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Cooking moisture out of the mushrooms prevents a damp pastry base.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, channel4.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 12, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series 13 returns to Welford Park for ten weeks that range from classic cake, biscuit, and bread challenges to the show's first Mexican and Halloween weeks. This guide records all 30 broadcast briefs and includes two original home-kitchen adaptations based on documented technical challenges.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Sep 13, 2022

   The series opens with miniature sandwich cakes, a precisely layered red velvet cake, and detailed cake replicas of homes that carry personal memories.

   • Signature

     12 mini sandwich cakes

     Bake twelve identical miniature sandwich cakes in two hours.

   • Technical

     6-layer red velvet cake

     Build a six-layer red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting between the layers and red crumbs on top in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Cake replica of a former home

     Create a detailed three-dimensional cake version of a home where the baker once lived in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Sep 20, 2022

   Biscuit week disguises macarons as other objects, adds a feathered chocolate finish to Garibaldi biscuits, and turns molded biscuit into wearable masks.

   • Signature

     18 decorative illusion macarons

     Make eighteen decorative macarons designed to resemble something other than macarons in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 feathered-chocolate Garibaldi biscuits

     Bake twelve Garibaldi biscuits and finish them with feathered chocolate in one hour and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D biscuit mask

     Construct a three-dimensional biscuit mask in four hours.

   Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Sep 27, 2022

   Bread week starts with two sharing pizzas, tests laminated pain aux raisins, and interprets the Swedish smorgastarta as an elaborate savory bread centerpiece.

   • Signature

     2 sharing-size pizzas

     Make two sharing-size pizzas in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 pain aux raisins

     Produce twelve laminated pain aux raisins in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Smorgastarta

     Create an original version of the decorated Swedish sandwich cake in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Mexican

   Mexican

   Oct 4, 2022

   The first Mexican Week pairs decorated pan dulce with hand-pressed corn tacos, then scales the baking back up for four-layer tres leches cakes.

   • Signature

     12 pan dulce

     Bake twelve individual Mexican sweet breads in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     8 hand-pressed corn tacos with fillings

     Press and cook eight corn tacos and prepare their fillings in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     4-layer tres leches cake

     Create a four-layer sponge cake soaked with three milks in four hours.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Oct 11, 2022

   Dessert week covers individual steamed puddings and a classic lemon meringue pie before hiding a surprise inside a complex multi-element mousse dessert.

   • Signature

     8 individual steamed puddings

     Make eight individual steamed puddings with an accompaniment of the baker's choice in two hours.

   • Technical

     Lemon meringue pie

     Bake a classic lemon meringue pie in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Hidden-surprise mousse dessert

     Produce a three-element mousse dessert with a surprise center and three additional dessert elements in four and a half hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Halloween

   Halloween

   Oct 18, 2022

   The first Halloween Week decorates apple cake, turns a campfire snack into a technical test, and suspends sweet-filled edible lanterns above the benches.

   • Signature

     Decorated apple cake

     Bake and decorate an apple cake in two hours.

   • Technical

     8 toasted marshmallow and chocolate s'mores

     Make eight campfire-style s'mores with toasted marshmallow and chocolate in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Edible hanging Halloween pinata lantern

     Construct a hanging edible Halloween lantern filled with sweet treats in four hours.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Custard

   Custard

   Oct 25, 2022

   Custard Week explores poached meringue in creme anglaise, churned pistachio and praline ice cream, and elaborate multi-layered gateaux with a set custard component.

   • Signature

     8 floating islands

     Prepare eight floating islands in 90 minutes.

   • Technical

     6 pistachio and praline ice cream cones

     Make six cones filled with pistachio and praline ice cream in staggered starts over two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Custard gateau

     Bake a multi-layered gateau featuring a set custard in four hours.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Pastry

   Pastry (Quarterfinals)

   Nov 1, 2022

   The quarterfinal fills vol-au-vents with sweet flavors, fries crisp spring rolls, and tells a childhood story through a scene assembled from multiple pies.

   • Signature

     12 sweet vol-au-vents

     Make twelve vol-au-vents with sweet fillings in two hours.

   • Technical

     8 spring rolls with dipping sauce

     Prepare eight crisp deep-fried spring rolls and a dipping sauce in one hour and 20 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D storybook pie scene

     Create a three-dimensional scene inspired by a childhood story or nursery rhyme using at least eight pies in four hours.

   Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semi-final)

   Nov 8, 2022

   The semi-final begins with miniature Charlottes, turns shortcrust tart layers vertically, and ends with towering Swedish krokan structures made from almond biscuit dough.

   • Signature

     6 mini Charlottes

     Make six miniature Charlotte desserts in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     4 chocolate, hazelnut, and raspberry vertical tarts

     Precisely assemble four shortcrust vertical tarts flavored with chocolate, hazelnut, and raspberry in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Krokan

     Build a multi-tiered Swedish krokan creation from almond biscuit dough in four hours.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Nov 15, 2022

    The finalists make a complete seasonal picnic, reuse their signature bread in a summer pudding bombe, and finish with planet-themed edible sculptures demonstrating several baking skills.

    • Signature

      Seasonal picnic

      Use seasonal British ingredients to make six mini cakes, six individual vegetarian pies, six finger sandwiches, and the white loaf needed for those sandwiches in three hours.

    • Technical

      Summer pudding bombe

      Make a summer pudding bombe in two hours, using the unused white loaf from the signature for its outer shell.

    • Showstopper

      Large planet-themed edible sculpture

      Create a large edible sculpture on the theme Our Beautiful Planet with a cake base and three additional baking skills in four and a half hours.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 1

Home-Kitchen Red Velvet Cake

Three red cocoa sponge layers with tangy cream cheese frosting and a fine red crumb finish, scaled for an ordinary oven.

Time

1 hr 13 min

Makes

One 20 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• 20 g cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring
• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 275 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 400 g full-fat cream cheese, cold
• 150 g unsalted butter for frosting, softened
• 175 g icing sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Grease and line three 20 cm cake pans.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Stir the buttermilk and coloring together separately.
3. Beat the butter and caster sugar until pale, add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla, then fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture.
4. Divide among the pans and bake for 24 to 28 minutes. Cool completely and trim a thin layer from one cake to make crumbs.
5. Beat the frosting butter and icing sugar until smooth, then briefly beat in the cold cream cheese. Layer and coat the cakes, and press the reserved red crumbs around the top edge.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation with three domestic-oven layers, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Stop mixing as soon as the cream cheese is incorporated so the frosting remains firm.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 5

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

A crisp pastry shell filled with sharp lemon custard and topped with a tall, lightly browned meringue.

Time

1 hr 32 min

Makes

One 23 cm pie, serving 8

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 250 g plain flour
• 125 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 40 g icing sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 4 tablespoons cornflour
• 175 g caster sugar, divided
• Finely grated zest and 150 ml juice from 3 to 4 lemons
• 250 ml water
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 40 g unsalted butter

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar, add the egg yolk and enough cold water to form a dough, then chill for 30 minutes.
2. Roll into a 23 cm tart tin, chill again, and blind bake at 190 C, or 170 C fan, for 18 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for 6 minutes more.
3. Whisk cornflour with 75 g caster sugar, lemon zest, juice, and water. Cook until thick, remove from the heat, and beat in the four egg yolks and butter. Pour into the warm shell.
4. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, gradually add the remaining 100 g sugar, and beat to a glossy firm meringue. Spread over the hot filling, sealing it to the pastry edge.
5. Bake at 180 C, or 160 C fan, for 15 to 18 minutes until lightly browned. Cool fully before slicing.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Adding the meringue while the filling is hot helps the layers bond and reduces weeping.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, channel4.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 13, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series 14 moves through ten weeks of cake, biscuits, bread, chocolate, pastry, botanical baking, desserts, party food, patisserie, and a final. This guide records every challenge brief and includes one original home-kitchen biscuit adaptation inspired by the series.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Sep 26, 2023

   Cake Week opens with an upright striped sponge, recreates the chocolate-and-raspberry cake from the programme titles, and finishes with sculpted animal cakes.

   • Signature

     Vertical layer cake

     Make a vertical layer cake from sponge and icing in two hours, revealing upright stripes when sliced.

   • Technical

     The Great British Bake Off chocolate cake

     Recreate the cake from the programme titles in two hours: two moist chocolate sponge layers finished with chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries.

   • Showstopper

     3D animal cake

     Build a three-dimensional replica of an animal in four hours, with the structure made predominantly from sponge.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Oct 3, 2023

   Biscuit Week combines marshmallow-filled favourites, an exacting custard-cream technical, and illusion displays modelled on favourite meals.

   • Signature

     12 marshmallow biscuits

     Produce twelve marshmallow biscuits in any form in two and a half hours, balancing crisp biscuit with a clean marshmallow filling or topping.

   • Technical

     12 custard creams

     Make twelve matching custard-cream sandwich biscuits in 90 minutes, including patterned biscuits and a smooth custard-flavoured filling.

   • Showstopper

     Illusion biscuit display

     Create an edible biscuit illusion of a favourite meal in four hours, using biscuit work to disguise the display as savoury food.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Oct 10, 2023

   Bread Week starts with a traditional cottage loaf, moves to cream-filled Devonshire splits, and culminates in a two-flour plaited centrepiece.

   • Signature

     Cottage loaf

     Bake a classic two-tier cottage loaf in two hours and 45 minutes, joining the stacked rounds securely while preserving a well-risen crumb.

   • Technical

     8 Devonshire splits

     Make eight soft split buns in two and a half hours, filling each with jam, clotted cream, and strawberries.

   • Showstopper

     Plaited centrepiece loaf

     Create a sweet or savoury plaited bread centrepiece in four hours, incorporating two different types of flour.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Chocolate

   Chocolate

   Oct 17, 2023

   Chocolate Week tests flourless tortes, small caramelised-white-chocolate cheesecakes, and boxes made from chocolate that must also hold chocolates and cake.

   • Signature

     Flourless chocolate torte

     Make a luxurious chocolate torte without wheat flour in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     6 caramelised white chocolate and blackcurrant cheesecakes

     Produce six individual baked cheesecakes pairing caramelised white chocolate with blackcurrant in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Edible chocolate box cake

     Construct an edible chocolate box in four hours that contains a chocolate cake and filled moulded chocolates.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Oct 24, 2023

   Pastry Week moves from hot-water-crust picnic pies to a rough-puff potato pithivier and a decorative collection of sweet pies.

   • Signature

     12 savoury picnic pies

     Bake twelve individual savoury picnic pies with hot-water-crust pastry in two hours.

   • Technical

     Dauphinoise pithivier with blue cheese sauce

     Enclose layered dauphinoise potatoes in rough-puff pastry and serve the pithivier with blue cheese sauce in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Decorative sweet pie display

     Present at least three decorative sweet pies in four hours, each built with a sweet pastry case.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Botanical

   Botanical

   Oct 31, 2023

   The first Botanical Week uses aromatic spices, herbs, fruit, and flowers across enriched buns, a drizzle cake, and elaborate floral desserts.

   • Signature

     12 spiced buns

     Make twelve individual enriched buns featuring spices in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     Lemon and thyme drizzle cake

     Bake a lemon-and-thyme drizzle cake in 90 minutes, finishing it with crystallised lemon peel and thyme.

   • Showstopper

     Floral dessert

     Create a dessert celebrating flowers in both flavour and design in four and a half hours, including at least one substantial baked element.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Nov 7, 2023

   Dessert Week revisits creme caramel and steamed treacle pudding before asking the bakers to hide a composed dessert inside a meringue shell.

   • Signature

     8 creme caramels

     Make eight individual creme caramels in two hours and 45 minutes, with set custard and fluid caramel.

   • Technical

     6 orange and ginger treacle puddings

     Produce six individual steamed treacle puddings flavoured with orange and ginger in 90 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Meringue bombe

     Build a meringue bombe in four hours around a dessert of the baker's choice, keeping the outer shell intact and the filling distinct.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Party

   Party (Quarterfinal)

   Nov 14, 2023

   Party Week covers sausage rolls and a nostalgic chocolate caterpillar before a large, colourful buffet mixing sweet and savoury party food.

   • Signature

     12 sausage rolls

     Make twelve sausage rolls in two hours, choosing the pastry and filling while delivering even, well-baked rolls.

   • Technical

     Chocolate caterpillar cake

     Recreate a chocolate caterpillar celebration cake in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Anything But Beige buffet

     Create a colourful decorative buffet in four and a half hours with a mixture of sweet and savoury party foods and at least twelve of each item.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semifinal)

   Nov 21, 2023

   The semifinal demands matching financiers, a precise apple-and-frangipane tart, and a tall Italian celebration pastry built from many layers of puff pastry.

   • Signature

     24 decorated financiers

     Make two batches of twelve decorated financiers in two hours, keeping the small almond cakes uniform.

   • Technical

     Tarte aux pommes

     Bake a tarte aux pommes in two and a half hours with buttery pastry, almond frangipane, apple puree, and neatly glazed apple slices.

   • Showstopper

     Millefoglie

     Produce a highly decorated Italian celebration cake in four hours with at least four crisp, flaky layers of puff pastry.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Nov 28, 2023

    The finalists make two flavours of eclair, tackle laminated lardy cake, and reinterpret the first cake they ever baked as a polished tiered celebration cake.

    • Signature

      8 eclairs in 2 flavours

      Make eight highly decorated eclairs across two flavours in two hours and 15 minutes.

    • Technical

      9 lardy cake slices

      Bake and portion nine slices of laminated lardy cake in three hours.

    • Showstopper

      First-bake celebration cake

      Create an elegant celebration cake of at least three tiers in four and a half hours, reimagining the first cake the baker remembers making.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 2

Vanilla Custard Sandwich Biscuits

Crisp custard-powder biscuits paired with a simple vanilla buttercream for an approachable home version of the week's technical idea.

Time

49 min

Makes

12 sandwich biscuits

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 175 g plain flour
• 40 g custard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 140 g unsalted butter, softened
• 70 g caster sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 75 g unsalted butter, softened, for the filling
• 130 g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon whole milk

Method

1. Whisk the flour, custard powder, and salt together. In a second bowl, beat 140 g butter and the caster sugar until smooth, then beat in the egg yolk and half the vanilla.
2. Mix in the dry ingredients just until a dough forms. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan, and line two baking sheets. Roll the dough to 4 mm thick and cut 24 rounds with a 5 cm cutter.
4. Arrange the rounds on the sheets, prick each once with a fork, and chill for 10 minutes. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges are pale gold, then cool completely.
5. Beat the filling butter with the icing sugar, milk, and remaining vanilla until light. Pipe or spread the filling over 12 biscuits and top with the remaining biscuits.

This is an original Baking Show Guide home adaptation inspired by the challenge brief, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

The straightforward buttercream avoids the hot-syrup filling used in the televised technical and is better suited to a casual home bake.

Keep the unfilled biscuits airtight for up to four days; fill them on the day they will be served for the crispest texture.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. channel4.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 14, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series 15 spans cake, biscuits, bread, caramel, pastry, autumn, desserts, 1970s baking, patisserie, and a final. This guide records all thirty challenge briefs and adds one original mint-chocolate biscuit adaptation designed for a home kitchen.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Sep 24, 2024

   Cake Week elevates the everyday loaf cake, introduces a taste-and-bake Battenberg technical, and closes with hyperrealistic illusion cakes.

   • Signature

     Elevated loaf cake

     Create an elevated version of a signature loaf cake in two hours, combining a dependable crumb with a polished finish.

   • Technical

     8 mini Battenbergs

     After five minutes to inspect and taste an example but with no recipe, make eight symmetrical mini Battenbergs in two hours and 15 minutes, with light sponge, buttercream, apricot jam, and marzipan.

   • Showstopper

     Hyperrealistic illusion cake

     Make a cake that convincingly resembles a non-cake object in four hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Oct 1, 2024

   Biscuit Week pairs delicate Viennese sandwiches with a layered mint-chocolate biscuit and an edible puppet theatre built for drama.

   • Signature

     12 Viennese whirl sandwiches

     Pipe and sandwich twelve Viennese whirls in two hours, choosing the shape, flavour, and filling while keeping the biscuits consistent.

   • Technical

     12 mint chocolate biscuits

     Make twelve biscuits in two hours, each with a buttery base, smooth peppermint layer, and tempered dark-chocolate coating.

   • Showstopper

     Biscuit puppet theatre

     Construct a biscuit puppet theatre with edible biscuit puppets, using the display to present a dramatic scene.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Oct 8, 2024

   Bread Week tests enriched savoury buns, seven-strand plaiting after a judge's demonstration, and cornucopia displays filled with contrasting breads.

   • Signature

     12 savoury buns

     Make twelve identical savoury buns from enriched yeasted dough, with the flavour and shape left to each baker.

   • Technical

     Seven-strand plaited wreath

     Watch a demonstration of seven-strand plaiting, then reproduce the bread wreath in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Bread cornucopia display

     Build a bread cornucopia, or horn of plenty, and fill it with at least two different kinds of bread.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Caramel

   Caramel

   Oct 15, 2024

   Caramel Week applies caramel to matching biscuits, a pear tarte tatin with frozen accompaniment, and mousse cakes decorated with more than one form of caramel.

   • Signature

     12 caramel biscuits

     Make twelve identical caramel biscuits, controlling both the caramel and the biscuit texture.

   • Technical

     Pear tarte tatin with walnut praline ice cream

     Prepare a pear tarte tatin and walnut praline ice cream in three hours.

   • Showstopper

     Caramel mousse cake

     Create a caramel mousse cake in four and a half hours and finish it with at least two different kinds of caramel decoration.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Oct 22, 2024

   Pastry Week covers small frangipane tarts, hand-made filo spiralled around a spinach filling, and ambitious Paris-Brest centrepieces.

   • Signature

     12 frangipane tarts

     Bake twelve individual frangipane tarts in two hours, keeping the pastry, almond filling, and finish consistent.

   • Technical

     Spiral spanakopita

     Make a spiral spanakopita in two and a half hours, including the filo pastry and savoury spinach-and-cheese filling.

   • Showstopper

     Paris-Brest centrepiece

     Produce a Paris-Brest centrepiece with an edible stand in four hours, demonstrating controlled choux pastry and a stable display.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Autumn

   Autumn

   Oct 29, 2024

   The new Autumn Week brings seasonal flavours to decorative pies, a vegan Yorkshire parkin, and festival cakes that incorporate vegetables.

   • Signature

     Decorative autumn pie

     Make a decoratively finished pie with autumnal flavours in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Technical

     Vegan parkin

     Bake a vegan version of traditional parkin in 90 minutes, aiming for the characteristic ginger-and-oat flavour and moist texture.

   • Showstopper

     Autumn festival vegetable cake

     Create a cake celebrating an autumn festival in four hours and include at least one vegetable in the cake.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Nov 5, 2024

   Dessert Week starts with filled meringue nests, returns to a steamed suet pudding and custard, and asks for personal versions of tiramisu.

   • Signature

     8 filled meringue nests

     Make eight miniature meringue nests with two fillings in two hours and 15 minutes.

   • Technical

     Spotted dick and custard

     Steam a traditional currant-studded suet pudding and prepare custard to serve with it.

   • Showstopper

     Reimagined tiramisu

     Create a personal interpretation of tiramisu in four and a half hours while retaining recognisable layered dessert elements.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

8. Episode 8 · 1970s

   The 1970s (Quarterfinal)

   Nov 12, 2024

   The quarterfinal revisits towering profiteroles, banoffee pie with almost no method, and elaborately tiered gateaux in a deliberately retro style.

   • Signature

     Decorative profiterole stack

     Create a decorated stack of at least thirty profiteroles.

   • Technical

     Banoffee pie

     Make a banoffee pie from supplied ingredient quantities but no written method, relying on baking knowledge for every stage.

   • Showstopper

     1970s-style tiered gateau

     Produce a tiered gateau that embraces the flavours and decorative style associated with 1970s celebration cakes.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semifinal)

   Nov 19, 2024

   The semifinal tests overnight lamination in two breakfast-pastry batches, the many precise layers of opera cake, and fruit-shaped entremets.

   • Signature

     16 laminated breakfast pastries

     Prepare two batches of eight rich laminated breakfast pastries, with one batch filled or topped; the bakers receive an additional hour the previous evening to start their dough.

   • Technical

     Opera cake

     Assemble a classic opera cake with precise, even layers of almond sponge, coffee syrup, coffee buttercream, chocolate ganache, and glaze.

   • Showstopper

     12 fruit-shaped entremets

     Make twelve individual entremets in four and a half hours, disguising the refined mousse cakes as realistic fruit.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Nov 26, 2024

    The final returns to scones and a compact afternoon-tea spread before a structural finale of three suspended celebration-cake tiers.

    • Signature

      Sweet and savoury scones

      Create delicate scones in both sweet and savoury flavours, showing consistent rise, light texture, and balanced flavour.

    • Technical

      Afternoon tea display

      In three hours, make four strawberry tartlets, four miniature lemon cakes, and four plaited bread rolls filled with egg and cress.

    • Showstopper

      Three-tier hanging celebration cake

      Build a three-tier celebration cake in four and a half hours, suspending the tiers as a centrepiece for a summer garden party.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 2

Dark Chocolate Mint Shortbread

Tender cocoa-edged shortbread rounds topped with a thin peppermint icing and dark chocolate, simplified for ordinary equipment and relaxed home baking.

Time

46 min

Makes

12 biscuits

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 150 g plain flour
• 25 g rice flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 120 g unsalted butter, softened
• 55 g caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 90 g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 120 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil

Method

1. Whisk the plain flour, rice flour, and salt. Beat the butter, caster sugar, and vanilla just until creamy, then mix in the dry ingredients to form a soft dough.
2. Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper to 6 mm thick. Chill for 25 minutes, then cut twelve 6 cm rounds and arrange them on a lined baking sheet.
3. Heat the oven to 170 C, or 150 C fan. Chill the cut biscuits for 10 minutes, then bake for 14 to 16 minutes until firm and faintly golden at the edges. Cool completely.
4. Stir the icing sugar with the peppermint extract and enough milk to make a thick spreadable icing. Spread a thin circle over each biscuit and leave for 20 minutes.
5. Melt the dark chocolate with the oil. Spoon a thin layer over the mint icing, leaving a narrow border, and let the chocolate set at cool room temperature.

This is an original Baking Show Guide home adaptation inspired by the challenge brief, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

This version uses a simple peppermint icing instead of the technical's butter-and-white-chocolate fondant and does not require tempering.

Use peppermint extract sparingly; brands vary considerably in strength.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. channel4.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 15, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series 16 runs from Cake Week through biscuits, bread, school baking, chocolate, pastry, meringue, desserts, patisserie, and the final. This guide documents every round and adds one original, streamlined chocolate-oat biscuit adaptation for home bakers.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Sep 2, 2025

   Cake Week begins with patterned Swiss rolls, removes the recipe entirely for fondant fancies, and scales up to four-hour edible landscapes.

   • Signature

     Inlay-design Swiss roll

     Make a Swiss roll in two hours with a decorative inlay baked into the outer sponge.

   • Technical

     9 raspberry and almond fondant fancies

     After five minutes to inspect and taste an example, make nine fondant fancies in two hours and 15 minutes without a recipe, identifying the intended ingredients among decoys.

   • Showstopper

     Landscape cake

     Create an edible landscape cake in four hours, combining convincing scenery with stable cake construction.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Sep 9, 2025

   Biscuit Week tests patterned slice-and-bake dough, caramel-layered chocolate oat biscuits, and personal time capsules containing edible keepsakes.

   • Signature

     12 slice-and-bake biscuits

     Produce twelve slice-and-bake biscuits in two hours, designing the chilled dough so a pattern appears consistently in every slice.

   • Technical

     12 chocolate caramel hobnobs

     Make twelve oat biscuits in two hours with a caramel layer and two different feathered chocolate finishes.

   • Showstopper

     Biscuit time capsule

     Build a biscuit time capsule in four hours and fill it with five edible biscuit mementos.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Sep 16, 2025

   Bread Week moves from pull-apart savoury monkey bread to glazed ring doughnuts and tall celebratory breads made from enriched dough.

   • Signature

     Savoury monkey bread

     Produce a savoury pull-apart monkey bread in two hours, baking the individual pieces into one cohesive loaf.

   • Technical

     12 glazed ring doughnuts

     Make twelve fried ring doughnuts in two hours, glazing six with strawberry glaze and finishing the other six as directed.

   • Showstopper

     Celebratory tiered sweet bread

     Create a celebratory sweet bread of at least three tiers in five hours, using enriched dough and a stable stacked design.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Back to School

   Back to School

   Sep 23, 2025

   The new school-themed week revisits flapjacks, iced sponge with custard, and crowded summer-fete displays containing both a centrepiece and small bakes.

   • Signature

     12 flapjacks

     Make twelve flapjacks in two hours, giving the canteen favourite a personal flavour and decorative finish.

   • Technical

     16 school cakes with custard

     Bake sixteen portions of vanilla school cake in two hours, top them with white glace icing and homemade sprinkles, and serve them with a jug of custard.

   • Showstopper

     Summer fete school display

     Create a summer-fete display in four and a half hours containing one large bake and two separate batches of twelve small bakes.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Chocolate

   Chocolate

   Sep 30, 2025

   Chocolate Week starts with edible mousse cups, removes both recipe and prescribed flavour from a white-chocolate tart, and ends with interactive fondue displays.

   • Signature

     6 chocolate mousse cups

     Make six decorated chocolate cups in two and a half hours, each holding mousse and including at least one baked element.

   • Technical

     White chocolate tart

     Make a shortcrust tart with set white-chocolate ganache in two and a half hours without a recipe, selecting the needed ingredients and flavourings from a larger choice.

   • Showstopper

     Chocolate fondue display

     Create a decorated chocolate centrepiece in four and a half hours with an edible dipping pot, chocolate sauce, and items suitable for dipping.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Oct 7, 2025

   Pastry Week requires laminated savoury plaits, a traditional raised gala pie and piccalilli, and sculptural sweet tarts designed to stand out visually.

   • Signature

     Savoury pastry plait

     Produce a laminated pastry plait with a savoury filling in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Gala pie with piccalilli

     Make a traditional gala pie and accompanying piccalilli in two and a half hours, enclosing the patterned filling in a well-baked pastry case.

   • Showstopper

     Sculpted tart

     Create a visually striking sculpted sweet tart in four hours, making the pastry and fillings part of a stable three-dimensional design.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Meringue

   Meringue

   Oct 14, 2025

   The first dedicated Meringue Week covers small filled pies, staggered raspberry souffles, and frozen vacherin desserts enclosed by decorative meringue.

   • Signature

     12 mini meringue pies

     Make twelve miniature pastry pies in two hours, filling them and finishing each with a meringue topping.

   • Technical

     4 raspberry souffles

     Bake four raspberry souffles with leaf-shaped tuiles on staggered start and finish times, aiming to present each one fully risen.

   • Showstopper

     Vacherin glace

     Create a decorated vacherin glace in four and a half hours, enclosing ice cream within a shaped meringue shell.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Desserts

   Desserts (Quarterfinal)

   Oct 21, 2025

   The quarterfinal moves from burnt-top Basque cheesecake to gluten-free steamed puddings and an engineered trifle that must stand without a bowl.

   • Signature

     Decorated Basque cheesecake

     Bake a Basque-style cheesecake with a highly decorated finish, preserving the characteristic dark top and softly set centre.

   • Technical

     6 gluten-free orange and cardamom puddings

     Make six gluten-free steamed orange-and-cardamom upside-down puddings, drizzle them with golden syrup, and serve with creme anglaise.

   • Showstopper

     Free-standing celebratory trifle

     Construct an elaborate celebratory trifle in four and a half hours that stands independently without a conventional trifle bowl.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semifinal)

   Oct 28, 2025

   The semifinal demands laminated cream horns, a framboisier under a fragile sugar dome, and high edible structures carrying dozens of macarons.

   • Signature

     12 cream horns in 2 flavours

     Bake twelve laminated cream horns across two flavours in two hours and 45 minutes, filling and finishing them to patisserie standard.

   • Technical

     Framboisier with sugar dome

     Make a layered raspberry framboisier, top it with a fondant rose, and enclose it beneath a clear sugar-glass dome.

   • Showstopper

     Macaron centrepiece

     Build an edible structure at least 45 cm high depicting something meaningful, and display at least thirty filled macarons on it.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Nov 4, 2025

    The final revisits British iced buns, assembles an ombre tower of filled madeleines, and concludes with the longest cakes yet attempted in the tent.

    • Signature

      12 iced finger buns

      Make twelve classic British iced finger buns across two flavours, demonstrating enriched dough, even shaping, and neat filling and icing.

    • Technical

      31 white chocolate and lemon madeleines

      Bake thirty-one lemon madeleines, fill them with lemon curd, coat them in five shades of white chocolate, and assemble them as an ombre tower.

    • Showstopper

      1.2 metre table cake

      Create an elegant table-runner cake at least 1.2 metres long in four and a half hours, making the largest cake format used in the competition.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

These are original Baking Show Guide adaptations for a home kitchen. They are inspired by the challenge briefs, not the contestants' recipes or an official recipe from the show.

Inspired by Episode 2

Quick Chocolate Oat Biscuits

Crisp-edged oat biscuits with a simple dark-chocolate cap, keeping the familiar oat-and-chocolate idea while leaving the technical's caramel and feathered tempering for another day.

Time

34 min

Makes

12 biscuits

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 100 g rolled oats
• 90 g plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 55 g light brown sugar
• 35 g caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 120 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 15 g white chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan, and line two baking sheets. Pulse half the oats briefly so they are coarse rather than powdery, then combine them with the remaining oats, flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
2. Beat the butter and both sugars until smooth. Beat in the golden syrup and milk, then stir in the dry mixture until no flour remains.
3. Divide the dough into twelve equal balls. Space them well apart on the sheets and flatten each to a disc about 7 mm thick.
4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the sheets once, until the edges are golden and the centres are set. Leave on the sheets for 5 minutes, then cool on a rack.
5. Melt the dark chocolate and spoon a thin cap over each cooled biscuit. Melt the white chocolate, drizzle narrow lines over the dark chocolate, and drag a cocktail stick through the lines for a loose feathered finish. Leave to set.

This is an original Baking Show Guide home adaptation inspired by the challenge brief, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

The adaptation intentionally omits caramel and formal chocolate tempering, reducing the equipment and time needed at home.

For crisper biscuits, return them to the switched-off oven for five minutes after the main bake, then cool completely before adding chocolate.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. channel4.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 16, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.