Holiday Baking Championship

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

The first season uses short preliminary heats and larger main heats to move from cookies, classic flavors, pies, and cakes into holiday breakfast baking and a ten-hour gingerbread finale. This guide records all eleven aired challenge briefs across six episodes and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the eggnog challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Holiday cookies

   Holiday Cookie Madness

   Nov 9, 2014

   The opening episode assigns each baker a cookie style through a baking tool, then asks for three full batches built around specified holiday ingredients and a late raspberry-jam twist.

   • Preliminary

     Holiday cookies in an assigned style

     Bake holiday cookies in one hour using the tool drawn to determine the style: spritz, rolled, drop, or layered cookies.

   • Main

     Three dozen holiday cookies in three flavors

     In 90 minutes, make one dozen bittersweet-chocolate cookies, one dozen fresh-orange cookies, and one dozen toffee-bit cookies, then work raspberry jam into one batch; the preliminary winner could replace orange with peppermint.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Eggnog, sugar, and spice

   Classic Holiday Flavors

   Nov 16, 2014

   Classic flavors lead from an eggnog-swirled sweet to a dessert that must combine several holiday spices with two different sugars.

   • Preliminary

     Eggnog-swirled treat

     Create a baked or set sweet with a visible eggnog swirl in one hour.

   • Main

     Sugar-and-spice dessert

     Make a dessert in one hour using at least three classic holiday spices and two kinds of sugar; only the preliminary winner could use an electric spice grinder.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Pies and pastry

   It's Not the Holidays Without Pie

   Nov 23, 2014

   A rapid ready-made-crust challenge rewards invention before the bakers produce three memory-driven pies and select only their two strongest for judging.

   • Preliminary

     Non-pie dessert using ready-made pie crust

     Turn store-bought pie crust into any dessert other than pie in 30 minutes.

   • Main

     Three holiday pies

     Bake three different pies with three different crusts, all inspired by home memories and traditions, in two hours, then present only the best two to the judges.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Fruitcake and yule logs

   The Great Holiday Cake-Over

   Nov 30, 2014

   Two divisive holiday cakes receive makeovers as the bakers first transform packaged fruitcake and then reinterpret the form and flavors of a yule log.

   • Preliminary

     Reinvented fruitcake dessert

     Use a supplied fruitcake as the starting point for a different dessert in 45 minutes.

   • Main

     Yule log-inspired dessert

     Create a dessert inspired by a traditional yule log cake in two hours; the preliminary winner could call on Duff Goldman for ten minutes of help.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Winter nights and holiday breakfast

   Great Holiday Traditions

   Dec 7, 2014

   Peppermint and hot chocolate define the quick first bake, while the main heat expands into a complete breakfast feast of three sweet baked dishes.

   • Preliminary

     Peppermint and hot chocolate dessert

     Combine peppermint and hot chocolate flavors in one dessert within 45 minutes.

   • Main

     Three-dish sweet holiday breakfast

     Prepare a holiday breakfast feast with three distinct sweet baked dishes in two hours; the preliminary winner alone could use a waffle iron and pancake griddle.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Gingerbread finale

   Gingerbread Worlds

   Dec 14, 2014

   The final abandons the preliminary heat for one ten-hour construction in which gingerbread architecture, three ginger bakes, and a personal holiday memory must read as a single edible world.

   • Final

     Gingerbread holiday-memory world

     Build a gingerbread display based on a favorite holiday memory over ten hours, include three ginger-infused baked items, and add marzipan decorations when the mid-round requirement is announced.

   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

Eggnog Cinnamon Swirl Bars

Tender nutmeg-scented bars with a brown-sugar cinnamon ribbon and a thin eggnog glaze.

Time

53 min

Makes

16 bars

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 170 g unsalted butter, softened
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 120 ml prepared eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 220 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 45 g light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 90 g powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons prepared eggnog

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 20 cm square pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
2. Beat the butter and granulated sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in 120 ml eggnog and the vanilla.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until no flour remains.
4. Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Spread half the batter in the pan and scatter the cinnamon sugar evenly over it.
5. Spoon the remaining batter across the surface and gently spread it to cover the filling. Drag a table knife through the batter in three or four broad curves to make a restrained swirl.
6. Bake for 26 to 30 minutes, until the center springs back and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan.
7. Whisk the powdered sugar with enough of the remaining eggnog to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle it over the cooled slab and let it set for 20 minutes.
8. Lift the slab from the pan and cut it into 16 squares.

This is an original Baking Show Guide home adaptation inspired by the episode brief. It is not a contestant recipe and not an official Food Network recipe.

Prepared eggnog varies in sweetness and thickness, so add it to the glaze gradually.

Store the bars airtight at room temperature for two days or refrigerate for up to four days.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, 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

Season two expands to eight episodes and repeatedly adds assigned ingredients or tools during the main heat. Its sixteen challenges cover nuts, candy canes, stuffed bakes, Thanksgiving produce, ginger, Hanukkah pastries, gift baskets, and a cake-centered finale. One original home adaptation draws on the canned-cranberry challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Nuts, chocolate, and pie

   We're Nuts for the Holidays

   Nov 1, 2015

   A nutcracker draw pairs each baker with a nut for a chocolate confection before the field turns to decorated holiday pies.

   • Preliminary

     Nut and chocolate confection

     Use 90 minutes to make a chocolate confection featuring the nut drawn from a tagged nutcracker: pecan, almond, Brazil nut, hazelnut, or walnut.

   • Main

     Decorated holiday pie

     Bake and decorate a holiday pie in two hours; the preliminary winner received additional decorating tools, cutters, and stencils.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Candy canes and wreaths

   Holiday Craftiness

   Nov 8, 2015

   The bakers first feature candy canes in a baked dessert, then construct edible wreaths that must absorb an orange twist without losing their decorative impact.

   • Preliminary

     Candy cane baked dessert

     Create a baked dessert centered on candy canes in one hour.

   • Main

     Edible holiday wreath dessert

     Build an edible wreath dessert in 90 minutes and incorporate orange when it is introduced as the mid-round ingredient.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Filled holiday bakes

   Stuffing Is the Best Part

   Nov 15, 2015

   Holiday whoopie pies take on assigned Thanksgiving decorations before cakes conceal a candy-filled center revealed only when sliced.

   • Preliminary

     Themed holiday whoopie pies

     Make holiday whoopie pies in one hour and decorate them for an assigned theme: turkey, pumpkin, Pilgrim, or fall foliage.

   • Main

     Candy-stuffed cake

     Bake a cake with a hidden candy center in two hours, choosing from the supplied candies so the filling is exposed when the cake is cut.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Thanksgiving ingredients

   Thanksgiving's Just Around the Corner

   Nov 22, 2015

   Canned cranberry sauce drives the first dessert, followed by assigned harvest produce and a flavored-marshmallow interruption in the main heat.

   • Preliminary

     Canned cranberry sauce dessert

     Use canned cranberry sauce as a featured component in a dessert completed within one hour.

   • Main

     Assigned harvest-ingredient dessert

     Make a dessert in 90 minutes using an assigned apple, butternut squash, pomegranate, carrot, sweet potato, corn, or fig, then incorporate a coconut, chocolate, coffee, or salted-caramel marshmallow.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Ginger and family cookies

   Ginger and Spice and Everything Nice

   Nov 29, 2015

   Ginger anchors a dozen miniature desserts, then family cookie traditions are translated into three large batches with an unexpected tool requirement.

   • Preliminary

     Twelve ginger mini desserts

     Make twelve miniature desserts in one hour with ginger as the leading ingredient.

   • Main

     Three dozen family-tradition cookies

     Bake three different cookie varieties, one dozen of each, in 90 minutes and use an assigned meat crusher, muffin tin, or candy thermometer on one variety.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Hanukkah and French pastry

   World Class Classics

   Dec 6, 2015

   Two Hanukkah standards receive updates in the preliminary heat, while the main heat demands a freestanding holiday croquembouche.

   • Preliminary

     Updated rugelach and coconut macaroons

     Bake updated versions of both rugelach and coconut macaroons in 75 minutes.

   • Main

     Holiday croquembouche

     Create a holiday croquembouche from filled choux pastries in two hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Candy apples and gift baskets

   Re-Gifting

   Dec 13, 2015

   The semifinal transforms decorated candy apples into new desserts, then limits each baker to the same three gift-basket foods plus an assigned liqueur.

   • Preliminary

     Candy apple transformation dessert

     Turn an assigned chocolate-coated candy apple with coconut, cinnamon chips, dried cherries, or almonds into a new dessert in 75 minutes.

   • Main

     Pear, pretzel, and chocolate-caramel confection

     In 90 minutes, make one confection using pears, pretzels, and chocolate caramels, then add the assigned brandy, coffee liqueur, orange liqueur, or raspberry liqueur.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Cookie trees and holiday activity cakes

   Holiday Hoopla

   Dec 20, 2015

   The finalists decorate a tree from two dozen cookies before building a five-hour cake around sleigh riding, caroling, or tree trimming.

   • Preliminary

     Two-dozen-cookie holiday tree

     Bake two dozen holiday cookies and use them to decorate a cookie tree in three hours.

   • Main

     Holiday activity cake

     Create a festive cake in five hours based on the assigned activity of taking a sleigh ride, singing carols, or trimming a tree.

   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

Cranberry Orange Crumble Bars

Buttery oat bars layered with a bright filling made from whole-berry cranberry sauce, fresh orange, and tart apple.

Time

1 hr 7 min

Makes

16 bars

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 210 g all-purpose flour
• 90 g rolled oats
• 140 g light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 170 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 340 g canned whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1 small tart apple, peeled and coarsely grated
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 30 g sliced almonds

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 20 cm square pan with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla, then stir until the mixture forms damp clumps.
3. Press two-thirds of the crumble firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes, until the surface looks dry but is not browned.
4. Meanwhile, stir the cranberry sauce, grated apple, orange zest, orange juice, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until glossy and slightly thickened.
5. Spread the warm cranberry filling over the base, leaving a narrow border at the edge.
6. Mix the sliced almonds into the reserved crumble and scatter it over the filling without pressing it down.
7. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges.
8. Cool completely in the pan, then chill for 30 minutes before lifting out and cutting into 16 bars.

This is an original Baking Show Guide home adaptation inspired by the episode brief. It is not a contestant recipe and not an official Food Network recipe.

Use whole-berry rather than jellied cranberry sauce so the filling retains texture.

The bars keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, 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

Season three has seven elimination episodes followed by the Adults vs. Kids Christmas special that the normalized catalog counts as episode eight. Across sixteen challenges, the bakers tackle drink-inspired sweets, cookies, pies, trifles, cupcakes, yule logs, edible gifts, choux trees, finale cakes, and a team dessert display. One original home adaptation is inspired by the toasted-marshmallow heat.

1. Episode 1 · Holiday drinks and wreath cakes

   Signs of the Season

   Nov 6, 2016

   Assigned hot drinks become individual desserts before the bakers fill Bundt cakes, decorate them as wreaths, and add cookie leaves during the main heat.

   • Preliminary

     Hot holiday drink-inspired dessert

     Make a dessert in one hour inspired by an assigned Irish cream latte, pumpkin spice latte, hot cocoa, peppermint mocha, mulled cider, hazelnut latte, chai latte, eggnog cappuccino, or cinnamon mocha.

   • Main

     Filled Bundt cake wreath

     Bake a filled Bundt cake and decorate it as a holiday wreath in two hours, adding edible cookie leaves when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Holiday cookies and handmade pie

   Grandma's Thanksgiving Favorites

   Nov 13, 2016

   Two cookie styles test speed, while the main heat removes electric appliances and adds a second miniature pie in a contrasting flavor.

   • Preliminary

     Two kinds of holiday cookies

     Bake two different holiday cookies in 45 minutes, with one required to be a sandwich cookie.

   • Main

     Handmade Thanksgiving pie and mini pie

     Make a Thanksgiving pie in 90 minutes without electric appliances, then add a miniature pie in a different flavor for the mid-round requirement.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Thanksgiving desserts in disguise

   Thanksgiving Joy

   Nov 20, 2016

   Thanksgiving favorites are layered into trifles, then represented visually by three cupcakes disguised as savory dishes, one of which must contain cranberry.

   • Preliminary

     Thanksgiving trifle

     Combine favorite Thanksgiving dessert flavors and components in an elegant trifle within 45 minutes.

   • Main

     Three Thanksgiving food-imposter cupcakes

     Bake three cupcakes in 90 minutes, each decorated to resemble a different food from a Thanksgiving meal, and incorporate cranberries into one cupcake.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Fireside sweets and yule logs

   Hearth and Home

   Nov 27, 2016

   Toasted marshmallow supplies fireside flavor in the first heat, followed by embellished yule logs that must gain a contrasting crunchy element.

   • Preliminary

     Toasted-marshmallow dessert

     Create a dessert in 45 minutes that prominently features toasted marshmallows.

   • Main

     Blinged-out yule log

     Update and elaborately decorate a classic yule log in two hours, then add a crunchy component when the twist is revealed.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Ugly sweaters and edible gifts

   Sweet Surprises

   Dec 4, 2016

   Wearable holiday kitsch inspires the preliminary desserts before edible gift boxes must hold an assortment of baked treats and incorporate popcorn.

   • Preliminary

     Ugly Christmas sweater dessert

     Make and decorate a dessert inspired by an ugly Christmas sweater in one hour.

   • Main

     Edible gift box filled with baked treats

     Construct an edible gift box and fill it with multiple baked goods in two hours, incorporating popcorn into the treats after the mid-round announcement.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Stockings and cream puff trees

   Christmas Morning

   Dec 11, 2016

   Christmas-morning memories appear first as stocking-shaped desserts, then as tall trees assembled from cream puffs and crowned with chocolate toppers.

   • Preliminary

     Holiday stocking dessert

     Create a dessert shaped and decorated like a holiday stocking.

   • Main

     Cream puff Christmas tree

     Build a colorful Christmas tree from cream puffs, then make and add a chocolate tree topper; only the preliminary winner received pre-tempered chocolate.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · North Pole finale

   Live From the North Pole

   Dec 18, 2016

   The finalists prepare a sweet and savory pair for overlooked North Pole characters, then build large cakes around assigned winter scenes.

   • Preliminary

     Sweet and savory North Pole snacks

     Make one sweet snack and one savory snack in 90 minutes for an assigned reindeer, polar bear, or penguin character.

   • Main

     North Pole winter-scene cake

     Bake and decorate a North Pole-inspired cake in five hours using the assigned Snowman Family Christmas, Elves in the Workshop, or Santa's Sleigh Ride theme.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Adult-and-child crossover special

   Adults vs. Kids

   Dec 25, 2016

   In a post-season special, three Kids Baking Championship bakers face the first three Holiday Baking Championship winners, then pair with the adults to fill a football-dome display with three sweets.

   • Preliminary

     Rich holiday dessert

     Make a rich, decadent holiday dessert in one hour, with the winner choosing the adult-and-child teams for the second heat.

   • Main

     Three-dessert football-dome display

     Working in one-adult, one-child teams, create three different desserts in two hours to fill a small football-dome display and incorporate sprinkles into one treat.

   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 4

Toasted Marshmallow Brownies

Deep chocolate brownies topped with a thin layer of vanilla marshmallow and a crisp oat-cocoa crumble.

Time

1 hr 4 min

Makes

16 brownies

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 170 g unsalted butter
• 180 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 80 g light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 95 g all-purpose flour
• 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 35 g rolled oats
• 25 g all-purpose flour, for the crumble
• 20 g light brown sugar, for the crumble
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for the crumble
• 30 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 100 g mini marshmallows

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 20 cm square pan with baking paper.
2. Melt the 170 g butter and dark chocolate together over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk the granulated sugar and 80 g brown sugar into the chocolate. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, then stir in the vanilla.
4. Sift in 95 g flour, 30 g cocoa, and the salt. Fold just until combined, then spread the batter evenly in the pan.
5. Rub the oats, 25 g flour, 20 g brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa, and cold butter together into coarse crumbs. Scatter the crumble around the edge of the brownie batter, leaving the center mostly open.
6. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still gives slightly when pressed.
7. Scatter the marshmallows over the open center and return the pan to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, until puffed. Toast the topping briefly under a hot broiler, watching continuously, until spotted golden brown.
8. Cool completely before lifting from the pan and cutting with a lightly oiled knife.

This is an original Baking Show Guide home adaptation inspired by the episode brief. It is not a contestant recipe and not an official Food Network recipe.

The crumble supplies the contrasting crunch requested in the episode's later yule-log heat.

Marshmallows brown very quickly under a broiler; do not leave the pan unattended.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

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

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

The fourth season runs seven competition episodes and fourteen challenges, beginning with party sweets and moving through team bakes, Thanksgiving mashups, holiday makeovers, unusual cheesecakes, jelly doughnuts, fruitcake, and a Twelve Days of Christmas finale. One original home adaptation is based on the documented apricot-and-citrus doughnut pairing.

1. Episode 1 · Candy canes and holiday cocktails

   Holiday Party Delights

   Nov 6, 2017

   Unusual candy cane flavors open the season, followed by cocktail-inspired desserts that must also make room for salted peanuts.

   • Preliminary

     Unusual-flavor candy cane dessert

     Make a candy cane dessert in 90 minutes using an assigned green apple, salted caramel, raspberry, caramel macchiato, cherry, orange, blueberry, hot cocoa, or pineapple candy cane.

   • Main

     Holiday cocktail-inspired dessert

     Create a dessert in two hours based on an assigned holiday cocktail, then incorporate salted peanuts when they are introduced during the heat.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Team hand pies and dessert duos

   Season of Sharing

   Nov 13, 2017

   The bakers share both heats with partners, first shaping a dozen hand pies and then creating two complementary desserts from a classic flavor pairing plus eggnog.

   • Preliminary

     Twelve seasonally shaped hand pies

     Working in pairs, bake twelve hand pies in 90 minutes in an assigned maple-leaf, turkey, pumpkin, or acorn shape.

   • Main

     Holiday dessert duo

     In newly selected pairs, make two desserts in 90 minutes around pecan and caramel, chocolate and orange, cranberry and ginger, or peppermint and chocolate, then incorporate eggnog.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Canned fruit and dessert mashups

   Thanksgiving Genius

   Nov 20, 2017

   Mystery canned fruit drives a quick Thanksgiving sweet before each baker combines two familiar desserts and adds sweet potato.

   • Preliminary

     Mystery canned-fruit Thanksgiving dessert

     Make a Thanksgiving dessert in one hour using an assigned canned plum, pumpkin, apricot, cranberry, peach, mandarin orange, or pineapple.

   • Main

     Thanksgiving dessert mashup

     Fuse two assigned desserts into one new sweet in 90 minutes, with combinations including pumpkin pie and brownies or lemon bars and pecan pie, then incorporate sweet potato.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Unexpected holiday makeovers

   A New Holiday Spin

   Nov 27, 2017

   Yellow cake mix must become anything except cake, after which a familiar non-holiday dessert receives festive flavors, decoration, and fresh cherries.

   • Preliminary

     Anything-but-cake dessert from cake mix

     Use boxed yellow cake mix to create any dessert other than cake in one hour.

   • Main

     Holiday makeover of a non-holiday dessert

     Give an assigned coconut cream pie, strawberry shortcake, fruit tart, birthday cake, banana pudding, or red-white-and-blue trifle a holiday transformation in 90 minutes, then add fresh cherries.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Flambe and cheese-board desserts

   Comfort and Joy

   Dec 4, 2017

   Fire supplies drama in the preliminary heat, while the main heat turns assertive cheese-board ingredients and accompaniments into cheesecakes.

   • Preliminary

     Holiday flambe dessert

     Create a holiday dessert with a flambeed component in one hour.

   • Main

     Cheese-board cheesecake

     Make a cheesecake in two hours with assigned goat cheese, feta, blue cheese, cheddar, or Brie, then add a selected cheese-board accompaniment such as nuts, balsamic vinegar, dates, or fig jam.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Hanukkah doughnuts and fruitcake

   Tradition! Tradition!

   Dec 11, 2017

   Jelly doughnuts combine paired sweet and savory flavors before the semifinalists reinvent fruitcake and make butterscotch from scratch.

   • Preliminary

     Twelve paired-flavor Hanukkah jelly doughnuts

     Make twelve jelly doughnuts in 90 minutes using an assigned blueberry and chile, pear and basil, strawberry and ginger, or apricot and citrus pairing.

   • Main

     Reinvented fruitcake dessert

     Reinvent fruitcake as a new dessert in two hours and make butterscotch from scratch to incorporate after the mid-round requirement is announced.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Last-minute gifts and Christmas carol showpieces

   Twelve Days of Christmas

   Dec 18, 2017

   Pairs of last-minute gifts become unified desserts before the finalists interpret lines from The Twelve Days of Christmas as showpieces and add a dozen petit-four presents.

   • Preliminary

     Two-gift holiday dessert

     In 90 minutes, combine an assigned pair of gifts into one dessert: butter cookies and popcorn, Irish cream and peppermint bark, or Pinot Noir and chocolate-caramel-pecan clusters.

   • Main

     Twelve Days of Christmas showpiece dessert

     Create a five-hour showpiece based on twelve drummers drumming, six geese a-laying, or eight maids a-milking, then add twelve petit fours decorated as presents.

   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 6

Apricot Citrus Jelly Doughnuts

Soft yeast doughnuts filled with apricot-orange jam and rolled in lemon-scented sugar.

Time

1 hr 5 min

Makes

12 doughnuts

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 180 ml whole milk, lukewarm
• 7 g instant yeast
• 45 g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 45 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 360 g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Neutral oil, for frying
• 180 g smooth apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 100 g granulated sugar, for coating
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. Whisk the milk, yeast, and 45 g sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg, yolk, melted butter, vanilla, and orange zest.
2. Stir in the flour and salt to form a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place for 60 to 75 minutes, until doubled.
4. Roll the dough to about 1.5 cm thick. Cut twelve 6 cm rounds, rerolling the scraps once, and arrange them on small squares of baking paper.
5. Cover the rounds loosely and proof for 30 to 40 minutes, until visibly puffy. Meanwhile, stir the apricot jam and orange juice until smooth and transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a filling tip.
6. Mix the 100 g sugar and lemon zest in a shallow bowl, rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingertips.
7. Heat 5 cm of neutral oil in a heavy pan to 175 C. Fry the doughnuts in batches for about 90 seconds per side, maintaining the oil temperature between batches.
8. Drain briefly on a rack, then roll the warm doughnuts in the lemon sugar.
9. When cool enough to handle, pierce the side of each doughnut and pipe in apricot filling until the doughnut feels slightly heavy. Serve the same day.

This is an original Baking Show Guide home adaptation inspired by the episode brief. It is not a contestant recipe and not an official Food Network recipe.

Use a thermometer and a deep, stable pan for frying; keep water away from the hot oil and never leave it unattended.

The schema uses bake_minutes for active cooking time even though these doughnuts are fried.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, 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

Season 5 runs through seven complete episodes and fourteen challenges, moving from pumpkin spice and Thanksgiving bakes to rugelach, fruitcake reinventions, edible ornaments, and a surprise-inside gift-cake finale. This guide records each aired brief and includes one original home-kitchen rugelach adaptation.

1. Episode 1 · Pumpkin spice and yule logs

   Holiday Essentials

   Nov 5, 2018

   Pumpkin spice opens the season before each baker combines a yule log with an assigned holiday pie, cookie, or cheesecake and works brandy into the mashup.

   • Preliminary

     Pumpkin spice dessert

     Create an original dessert driven by pumpkin spice in 90 minutes.

   • Main

     Yule log and holiday-treat mashup

     In two hours, combine a yule log with an assigned classic such as pecan pie, Linzer cookies, or cheesecake, then incorporate brandy when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Thanksgiving pies and stuffed cakes

   Plenty of Gratitude

   Nov 12, 2018

   Teams divide one sheet pan into four different pies, then the bakers make cakes stuffed with seasonal fruit and a late addition of mint.

   • Preliminary

     Four-flavor sheet-pan pie

     Working in pairs, bake four distinct pies together in one sheet pan within two hours.

   • Main

     Seasonal stuffed cake

     Bake a cake with a visible fruit filling such as pear, cherry, apple, or blood orange in two hours, then incorporate mint into the finished dessert.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Cranberry and coffee

   Turkey Day Delights

   Nov 19, 2018

   Cranberry is paired with an assigned seasonal flavor before coffee desserts take on unusual syrups and a required biscotti component.

   • Preliminary

     Cranberry and seasonal-flavor dessert

     In 90 minutes, make a dessert pairing cranberry with an assigned flavor such as rosemary, chocolate, pistachio, ginger, pumpkin, lime, or fig.

   • Main

     Coffee and flavored-syrup dessert

     Create a sweet coffee dessert in 90 minutes using an unconventional assigned syrup, then add biscotti when the twist is revealed.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Decorated cream puffs and cakes

   Holiday Artistry

   Nov 26, 2018

   Holiday characters inspire cream-puff family displays, followed by hand-painted eggnog cakes with a separate holly decoration made without fondant or gum paste.

   • Preliminary

     Holiday cream-puff family

     Build a family of cream-puff characters in 90 minutes based on an assigned subject such as Santa, snowmen, elves, penguins, or reindeer.

   • Main

     Hand-painted eggnog cake

     Bake and hand-paint an eggnog cake in two hours, then add a separate edible holly decoration without using fondant or gum paste.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Hanukkah and light desserts

   Light and Inspiring

   Dec 3, 2018

   Rugelach receive unexpected assigned flavors before each baker creates a tiramisu from two favorite ingredients chosen by one judge and a maple-syrup twist.

   • Preliminary

     Two dozen flavored rugelach

     Bake 24 rugelach in 90 minutes using an assigned flavor: chai, grapefruit, guava paste, cardamom, or peanut butter.

   • Main

     Tiramisu with judges' favorite ingredients

     Create a tiramisu in 90 minutes using an assigned pair such as dates and speculoos, vanilla and matcha, bourbon and apple butter, coconut and hazelnut, or coffee and ginger, then add maple syrup.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Reinvented holiday classics

   New Family Classics

   Dec 10, 2018

   Pantry ingredients update chocolate holiday desserts, then fruitcake's familiar fruits and nuts are redirected into new sweets with actual fruitcake added midway.

   • Preliminary

     Updated chocolate holiday classic

     Rework a classic chocolate dessert in 90 minutes using assigned pantry ingredients such as oats, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, potato chips, red wine, or dried fruit.

   • Main

     Fruitcake-ingredient reinvention

     Transform one assigned nut and one assigned dried or candied fruit into a new dessert in 90 minutes, then incorporate actual fruitcake when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Edible ornaments and gift cakes

   Gifts of Greatness

   Dec 17, 2018

   The finalists first produce two dozen edible ornaments, then close the season with decorated gift cakes that conceal a surprise when sliced.

   • Preliminary

     Two dozen edible ornaments

     Create 24 edible holiday ornaments and arrange them as a polished display within two hours.

   • Final

     Surprise-inside holiday gift cake

     In five hours, make a cake decorated as a wrapped gift on the outside and engineered to reveal a surprise inside when cut.

   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

Cardamom Orange Rugelach

Tender cream-cheese pastries rolled around apricot, toasted walnuts, orange zest, and cardamom.

Time

1 hr 2 min

Makes

24 rugelach

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 225 g all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 170 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 170 g full-fat cream cheese, cold and cubed
• 60 g apricot jam
• 70 g toasted walnuts, finely chopped
• 45 g light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

Method

1. Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse just until moist clumps form.
2. Turn out the dough, press it together, and divide it into three equal discs. Wrap and chill for at least two hours.
3. Mix the walnuts, brown sugar, cardamom, and orange zest. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan, and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
4. Roll one disc on a lightly floured surface into a 23 cm circle. Spread with one third of the jam and scatter with one third of the walnut mixture.
5. Cut the circle into eight wedges. Roll each wedge from its wide edge toward the point and place point-side down on a prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
6. Whisk the egg with the water. Brush the pastries lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the sheets once, until the rugelach are deeply golden. Cool on the sheets for five minutes, then transfer to a rack.

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

Keep the unused dough chilled so the butter stays firm and the spirals hold their shape.

The baked rugelach keep in an airtight container at room temperature for three days.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, 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

Season 6 contains eight episodes and sixteen challenges, beginning with edible introductions and a Danish wreath cake before moving through harvest pies, apple cider doughnuts, panettone, Hanukkah gelt, and a plaid-cake finale. One original baked doughnut adaptation brings the season's apple-cider brief into a home kitchen.

1. Episode 1 · Introductions and holiday wreaths

   Gearing Up for the Holidays

   Nov 4, 2019

   The bakers introduce themselves through edible place cards and one-bite signature sweets, then stack Danish almond rings into flavored holiday wreath cakes.

   • Preliminary

     Edible place card and one-bite holiday dessert

     In two hours, make an edible name card and a one-bite signature holiday dessert that serves as a personal introduction.

   • Main

     Holiday kransekake wreath

     Bake and stack a Danish kransekake wreath in two hours using an assigned holiday ingredient, then add an edible bow.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Spiced nuts and harvest pies

   Filling Grateful

   Nov 11, 2019

   Holiday spiced nuts become complete desserts before the bakers build three-tier harvest pie towers with distinct crust designs and flavored whipped cream.

   • Preliminary

     Holiday spiced-nut dessert

     Create a dessert in two hours around an assigned style of holiday spiced nuts.

   • Main

     Three-pie harvest tower

     Bake three pies of different sizes with one assigned harvest filling and three different crust decorations in two hours, then serve a flavored whipped cream alongside.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Fall doughnuts and Thanksgiving roll cakes

   Thanksgiving It My All

   Nov 18, 2019

   A dozen decorated apple cider doughnuts lead into inlaid Thanksgiving roll cakes flavored with an additional fall ingredient.

   • Preliminary

     One dozen fall-themed apple cider doughnuts

     Make 12 elevated apple cider doughnuts in two hours and decorate them to express an assigned fall subject such as apple picking, frost, leaves, or a warm fire.

   • Main

     Inlaid Thanksgiving roll cake

     Turn the yule-log format into an inlaid Thanksgiving roll cake in two hours, then include an assigned fall flavor such as raisin, hazelnut, orange, or dark chocolate.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Brie pies and prepared ingredients

   Trendsetting Turkey Day

   Nov 25, 2019

   Mini pies pair baked Brie with homemade jam, then familiar prepared ingredients are redirected into Thanksgiving desserts with canned cranberry sauce added midway.

   • Preliminary

     Baked Brie and homemade-jam mini pies

     Bake miniature pies in 90 minutes combining Brie with an assigned jam flavor made from scratch.

   • Main

     Prepared-ingredient Thanksgiving dessert

     Use an assigned convenience ingredient, such as pumpkin butter, puff pastry, cake mix, or cookie dough, in a crowd-sized Thanksgiving dessert within 90 minutes, then add canned cranberry sauce.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Repurposed gifts and holiday pajamas

   Gettin' Gifty with It

   Dec 2, 2019

   Panettone is repurposed into a new dessert before filled cupcakes become a pull-apart mosaic based on a pair of holiday pajamas.

   • Preliminary

     Reinvented panettone dessert

     Transform panettone into a distinctly different dessert in 90 minutes.

   • Main

     Filled cupcake pajama mosaic

     In two hours, assemble decorated cupcakes into a pull-apart mosaic inspired by holiday pajamas and fill the cupcakes with an assigned curd, compote, cream, ganache, mousse, or applesauce.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Santa and the North Pole

   North Pole Vaulting

   Dec 9, 2019

   Assigned desserts must resemble Santa Claus, followed by igloo cakes finished with meringue and paired with freshly made ice cream.

   • Preliminary

     Santa-shaped assigned dessert

     In 90 minutes, make an assigned sweet such as mini layer cakes, whoopie pies, macarons, cake pops, or cream puffs and decorate it to look like Santa Claus.

   • Main

     Igloo cake with ice cream

     Create a cake shaped like an igloo and covered with meringue frosting in two hours, then make an ice cream to accompany it.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Hanukkah gelt and ice rinks

   Traditions with a Twist

   Dec 16, 2019

   Chocolate desserts incorporate assigned flavors and handmade gelt before three-flavor cheesecakes become decorated ice-skating rinks with hot cocoa in the mix.

   • Preliminary

     Hanukkah gelt dessert

     Make a chocolate dessert featuring an assigned flavor and produce an original handmade chocolate gelt coin with a different flavor.

   • Main

     Three-flavor ice-rink cheesecake

     In two hours, make a cheesecake with an assigned crust and three flavors, decorate its top as a shiny edible ice rink, and incorporate hot cocoa mix.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Christmas morning and plaid

   Christmas Day Delights

   Dec 23, 2019

   The finalists serve three-item Christmas brunches flavored with gingerbread, cinnamon, or eggnog, then construct celebration cakes with plaid designs inside and out.

   • Preliminary

     Three-item Christmas brunch

     Prepare a generous Christmas-morning brunch of three distinct items in two hours, centering the spread on gingerbread, cinnamon, or eggnog.

   • Final

     Plaid-inside-and-out holiday cake

     In five hours, create a holiday cake in an assigned color palette with a clear plaid pattern both through the sliced interior and across the exterior decoration.

   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 3

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

Soft cider-reduction doughnuts with apple butter, warm spice, and a crisp cinnamon-sugar coat.

Time

42 min

Makes

12 doughnuts

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 360 ml apple cider
• 240 g all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 75 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 90 g light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 80 g apple butter
• 60 ml buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 40 g unsalted butter, melted, for coating
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for coating

Method

1. Simmer the cider in a small saucepan until reduced to 120 ml. Cool to room temperature.
2. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan. Grease two six-cavity doughnut pans.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
4. In another bowl, whisk the 75 g melted butter, brown sugar, egg, apple butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and cooled cider reduction until smooth.
5. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined. Transfer the batter to a piping bag and divide it among the cavities, filling each about three quarters full.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops spring back. Rest in the pans for three minutes, then turn the doughnuts onto a rack.
7. Mix the granulated sugar and remaining cinnamon. Brush the warm doughnuts lightly with the 40 g melted butter and toss them in the cinnamon sugar.

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

Reducing the cider concentrates its flavor without adding excess liquid to the batter.

These are baked home-kitchen doughnuts; the episode brief did not prescribe this exact formula or method.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, 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

Season 7 covers eight episodes and seventeen baked challenges, including a three-stage finale. Its briefs range from quick-bread wreaths, Thanksgiving pies, and Advent-calendar surprises to upside-down cakes, Charlotte royale, macaron towers, and time-period cakes. One original cranberry-orange quick bread adapts the opening challenge for home bakers.

1. Episode 1 · Holiday fashion

   Holiday Style

   Nov 2, 2020

   Assigned flavor pairs shape decorated quick-bread wreaths before the bakers turn winter hats into cakes with embroidered-looking names.

   • Preliminary

     Flavored quick-bread wreath

     In two hours, bake and decorate a wreath-shaped quick bread using an assigned combination such as maple pecan, spiced pear, orange cranberry, ginger citrus, apple cinnamon, or chocolate orange.

   • Main

     Winter hat cake

     Create a cake in two hours that resembles an assigned winter hat, then add the baker's name in a legible embroidered style.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Nuts, seeds, and holiday makeovers

   Holiday Goodie Games

   Nov 9, 2020

   Each baker highlights an assigned nut or seed without making pie, then gives a non-holiday dessert a seasonal identity through festive and tropical additions.

   • Preliminary

     Nut- or seed-centered holiday dessert

     Make a holiday dessert in two hours that showcases an assigned nut or seed; pie is not allowed.

   • Main

     Holiday makeover of a non-holiday dessert

     Turn an assigned dessert such as key lime pie, icebox cake, fruit tart, lemon meringue pie, or ice cream cake into a holiday bake with dried fruit, spice, or spirits, then add strawberry, pineapple, or mango.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Holiday pies

   Take Holiday Pies by Surprise

   Nov 16, 2020

   Mini pies gain cookie toppings and assigned fillings, followed by larger pies that combine a specified fall flavor pair with a particular crust format and eggnog.

   • Preliminary

     Mini pies with holiday-cookie toppings

     Bake miniature pies in two hours with an assigned filling and a holiday-cookie topping.

   • Main

     Assigned fall-flavor holiday pie

     In two hours, make an assigned cream, lattice, slab, double-crust, or custard pie with a specified fall flavor pair, then incorporate eggnog unless exempted by the preliminary advantage.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving

   Hosting the Holidays

   Nov 23, 2020

   Breakfast foods are reimagined as Thanksgiving desserts, then teams draw ingredients from savory Friendsgiving dishes and turn them into sweets with champagne.

   • Preliminary

     Breakfast-inspired Thanksgiving dessert

     In 90 minutes, transform an assigned breakfast item such as French toast, toaster pastries, scones, or crepes into a Thanksgiving dessert.

   • Main

     Friendsgiving potluck-inspired dessert

     Working in teams but judged individually, use a key ingredient from glazed carrots, balsamic Brussels sprouts, creamed corn, or sage-and-sausage stuffing in a dessert, then incorporate champagne.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Surprises and layered flavors

   It's What's on the Inside That Counts

   Nov 30, 2020

   Advent-calendar desserts conceal surprises inside assigned chocolates, while segmented cheesecakes must communicate three flavors through distinct decorations and baking methods.

   • Preliminary

     Chocolate Advent-calendar surprise dessert

     Create an Advent-calendar dessert in 90 minutes using assigned blonde, white, milk, or dark chocolate and conceal a surprise inside.

   • Main

     Three-flavor cheesecake

     Make one cheesecake with three distinct flavor sections in two hours, bake at least two sections, and use three different decorations to identify the flavors.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Hanukkah and upside-down cakes

   Topsy-Turvy Holidays

   Dec 7, 2020

   Teams reinterpret jelly doughnuts through fried dough and jelly components before individual fruit cakes are baked upside down and decorated for assigned holidays.

   • Preliminary

     Jelly-doughnut-inspired dessert

     Working in pairs, make a Hanukkah jelly-doughnut-inspired dessert in 90 minutes that includes both fried dough and jelly.

   • Main

     Holiday upside-down cake

     In two hours, bake an upside-down cake with an assigned fruit and holiday decoration, then incorporate fresh rosemary.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Classic layered desserts

   A Classic Christmas

   Dec 14, 2020

   Holiday trifles establish three contrasting layers before assigned flavors shape Charlotte royale centerpieces fit for Santa Claus.

   • Preliminary

     Three-layer holiday trifle

     Make a holiday trifle in 90 minutes with an assigned flavor and three distinct components: cream or custard, jam or jelly, and cookie or cake.

   • Main

     Santa-worthy Charlotte royale

     Create a Charlotte royale in two hours using an assigned flavor such as raspberry, ginger, praline, chocolate, or pumpkin, then add a baked holly-leaf decoration.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Christmas past, present, and future

   Christmas Windows in Time

   Dec 21, 2020

   Macarons form graduated holiday towers, two bakers face a rapid cookie transformation, and the final cakes express Christmas past, present, or future through period-specific icing.

   • Preliminary

     Tiered holiday macaron tower

     In three hours, build a decorated macaron tower from graduated tiers, with the strongest bakers advancing directly and the bottom two entering a face-off.

   • Face-off

     Transformed classic-cookie dessert

     In one hour, turn either peanut butter cookies or chocolate chip cookies into a new dessert for the final place in the main heat.

   • Final

     Christmas time-period cake

     Create a five-hour cake evoking Christmas past, present, or future and use the assigned era's icing style: marzipan, buttercream, or mirror glaze.

   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

Cranberry Orange Quick Bread Wreath

A tender cranberry-orange quick bread baked in a ring and finished with citrus glaze and pistachios.

Time

1 hr 13 min

Makes

One 25 cm ring, serving 12

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 285 g all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 150 g granulated sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
• 2 large eggs
• 120 ml neutral oil
• 180 ml buttermilk
• 80 ml fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 180 g fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, for glaze
• 30 g shelled pistachios, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Grease and flour a 25 cm ring or Bundt pan, taking care to coat every groove.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Rub the granulated sugar and orange zest together in a large bowl until fragrant. Whisk in the eggs, oil, buttermilk, 80 ml orange juice, and vanilla.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients just until a few flour streaks remain, then fold in the cranberries.
5. Spoon the batter evenly into the pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn the bread onto a rack and cool completely.
7. Whisk the powdered sugar with the remaining orange juice. Drizzle the glaze around the ring and scatter the pistachios over it before the glaze sets.

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

Frozen cranberries can go into the batter without thawing.

A standard Bundt pan creates the wreath shape without requiring a specialty mold.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, 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

Season 8 spans eight episodes and seventeen baked challenges, including a three-stage finale. The season moves from fall-and-winter doughnuts through yule logs, message pies, bread cornucopias, olive oil cakes, updated vintage desserts, and illuminated party cakes. One original lemon-rosemary olive oil cake adapts a documented Hanukkah brief for home baking.

1. Episode 1 · Fall turns to winter

   Falling Into Winter

   Nov 1, 2021

   Two dozen doughnuts capture the transition from fall to winter before apple and cheese are paired in non-pie desserts finished with honey.

   • Preliminary

     Fall and winter doughnuts

     In two and a half hours, make 12 fall-themed doughnuts and 12 winter-themed doughnuts with flavors and decoration appropriate to each season.

   • Main

     Apple and cheese dessert

     Create a non-pie dessert in two hours combining apple with an assigned cheese such as Brie, Havarti, Gruyere, Manchego, cheddar, or Gouda, then add honey.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Cocktails and yule logs

   Yule Be Merry

   Nov 8, 2021

   Teams turn three cocktail components into a dessert, then the bakers execute assigned yule-log forms and flavors with a marzipan woodland creature.

   • Preliminary

     Three-component cocktail dessert

     Working in pairs, make a dessert in two hours from an assigned liquor, mixer-style component, and garnish-style component.

   • Main

     Assigned-style yule log

     In two hours, create a yule log in an assigned traditional, miniature, stump, modern, or birch form with a specified flavor combination, then add a marzipan woodland creature.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Canned fruit and Thanksgiving wishes

   Attitude of Gratitude

   Nov 15, 2021

   Canned fruit drives the first holiday desserts, while Thanksgiving pies carry edible one-word wishes and are served with scratch-made ice cream.

   • Preliminary

     Canned-fruit holiday dessert

     Make a holiday dessert in two hours that features an assigned canned fruit such as pear, pineapple, plum, cherry, peach, rhubarb, nectarine, mango, or apricot.

   • Main

     Thanksgiving wish pie with ice cream

     Bake a Thanksgiving pie in two hours and decorate it with an edible assigned message such as family, harvest, giving, welcome, or gratitude, then make ice cream to accompany it.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Kitchen gadgets and bread cornucopias

   Best Thanksgiving Ever

   Nov 22, 2021

   Black Friday gadgets must play a real role in holiday desserts before teams build edible cornucopias filled with shaped, flavored breads and an accompanying spread.

   • Preliminary

     Kitchen-gadget holiday dessert

     In two hours, make a holiday dessert using an assigned appliance or tool such as a juicer, espresso machine, grill pan, spiral cutter, fryer, sous vide machine, smoking gun, or butter churn.

   • Main

     Holiday bread cornucopia

     Working in pairs for three hours, fill a cornucopia basket with flavored breads shaped like traditional harvest items, then make a dip or spread to serve with the breads.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Hanukkah oil and dreaded desserts

   Gifts That Keep on Giving

   Nov 29, 2021

   Decorated olive oil cakes honor Hanukkah before the bakers rehabilitate assigned holiday desserts and make eggnog from scratch for service alongside.

   • Preliminary

     Flavored olive oil cake

     Bake and decorate an olive oil cake in two hours using an assigned pairing such as lemon rosemary, pomegranate ginger, fig hazelnut, lemon blueberry, apple walnut, apricot almond, or date cardamom.

   • Main

     Reworked dreaded holiday dessert

     Reinvent an assigned dessert such as fruitcake, banana pudding, creme brulee, sugar cookies, whoopie pies, bread pudding, or gingerbread in two hours, then serve homemade eggnog on the side.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Dietary needs and vintage desserts

   Make New Friends, but Keep the Old

   Dec 6, 2021

   The bakers first meet vegan or gluten-free requirements, then modernize assigned vintage desserts and incorporate walnuts preserved in syrup.

   • Preliminary

     Vegan or gluten-free holiday dessert

     Create a holiday dessert in 90 minutes that satisfies an assigned vegan or gluten-free restriction.

   • Main

     Updated vintage holiday dessert

     In two hours, reinterpret an assigned vintage sweet such as a gelatin mold, ambrosia salad, grasshopper pie, bourbon balls, pineapple upside-down cake, or baked Alaska, then use walnuts in syrup.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Kwanzaa and family holiday cards

   Holidays in All the Ways

   Dec 13, 2021

   Sweet potato and spice honor a Kwanzaa feast, followed by rectangular cakes designed as idealized family holiday greeting cards.

   • Preliminary

     Sweet potato and spice dessert

     In 90 minutes, make a dessert honoring the Kwanzaa feast with sweet potato and an assigned spice such as allspice, ginger, cloves, cardamom, or mace.

   • Main

     Family holiday-card cake

     Create a rectangular cake in two hours depicting a polished family holiday-card scene, then add a decorative border that frames the design.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Holiday parties

   Ultimate Holiday Party

   Dec 20, 2021

   Dessert charcuterie boards establish the party theme, a sudden-elimination bake hides a surprise inside a pinata dessert, and the finalists complete illuminated celebration cakes.

   • Preliminary

     Dessert charcuterie board

     Create an abundant dessert charcuterie board suitable for a Christmas open house.

   • Face-off

     Surprise-inside holiday pinata dessert

     The bottom two bakers make festive pinata-style desserts that reveal a fun edible surprise inside.

   • Final

     Illuminated holiday party cake

     Create a large cake based on an assigned holiday party theme such as gift wrapping, a formal gathering, or tree trimming, and incorporate working lights into the design.

   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

Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

A moist citrus olive oil cake with a restrained rosemary note and tart lemon glaze.

Time

1 hr 7 min

Makes

One 23 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 210 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g fine cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 180 g granulated sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 large eggs
• 160 ml mild extra-virgin olive oil
• 120 g plain Greek yogurt
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, for glaze
• 1 small rosemary sprig, for decoration

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Grease a 23 cm springform pan and line its base with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Rub the granulated sugar, lemon zest, and chopped rosemary together in a large bowl until fragrant. Whisk in the eggs until pale and slightly thickened.
4. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then whisk in the yogurt, 60 ml lemon juice, and vanilla.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients just until the batter is smooth. Pour into the pan and level the top.
6. Bake for 40 to 44 minutes, until the center springs back and a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove the ring and cool completely.
7. Whisk the powdered sugar with the remaining lemon juice. Spoon the glaze over the cake and decorate with a few leaves from the rosemary sprig.

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

Use a mild olive oil so the citrus and rosemary remain balanced.

Do not add the woody rosemary stem to the cake; use only finely chopped leaves.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, 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

Season 9 moves from fall pavlova wreaths and Thanksgiving bakes into steakhouse desserts, holiday movies, international sweets, and a vacation-themed finale. This guide records all eighteen aired challenge briefs across eight episodes and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the opening pavlova challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Fall wreaths and pie versus cake

   First Snow

   Nov 7, 2022

   The season opens with colorful fall-flavor pavlova wreaths before two teams settle a holiday pie-versus-cake debate through matched flavors.

   • Preliminary

     Fall-flavor pavlova wreath

     In two hours, create a nontraditional meringue pavlova in wreath form using an assigned fall flavor and visible color.

   • Main

     Holiday pie or cake in an assigned flavor

     Compete as Team Pie or Team Cake with matched flavors including candy cane, eggnog, pecan, apple, butterscotch, and pumpkin, then add snowflake cookies in the mid-round requirement.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Thanksgiving ingredients and gingerbread

   Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

   Nov 14, 2022

   Thanksgiving dinner ingredients become desserts in the first heat, followed by layered and plated sweets that reinterpret gingerbread beyond the familiar cookie.

   • Preliminary

     Thanksgiving-ingredient dessert

     Create a dessert featuring an assigned savory ingredient associated with Thanksgiving dinner, such as carrot, stuffing mix, or sausage.

   • Main

     Gingerbread-inspired layered dessert

     Turn gingerbread into an assigned dessert format such as trifle, mousse cake, Swiss roll, cheesecake, tiramisu, or mousse cake, and add gingerbread cookies as an accompaniment.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Turkey techniques and pie flights

   Feeling Sweet and Thankful

   Nov 21, 2022

   The bakers translate turkey-cooking methods into desserts, then work in pairs on three-pie flights that move through a prescribed sequence of flavor qualities.

   • Preliminary

     Turkey-method-inspired Thanksgiving dessert

     Make a dessert inspired by an assigned turkey preparation: bacon-wrapped, brined, deep-fried, roasted, or smoked.

   • Main

     Three-pie flavor progression

     In teams of two, produce a flight of three pies, with one pie from each baker and one collaborative pie, following an assigned progression such as herbal-buttery-bright or warm-velvety-citrus; add alcohol when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Steakhouse desserts

   Dining Out for the Holidays

   Nov 28, 2022

   Classic steakhouse sweets receive holiday makeovers before the bakers shape and flambe assigned-flavor baked Alaskas as Christmas trees.

   • Preliminary

     Holiday steakhouse dessert

     Transform an assigned steakhouse classic, such as bananas Foster, key lime pie, apple tarte Tatin, brownie sundae, or molten chocolate cake, into a holiday dessert.

   • Main

     Baked Alaska Christmas tree

     Build a Christmas-tree-shaped baked Alaska around an assigned flavor pairing, flambe it for the judges, and complete it with an edible tree topper.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Period drama tea and romantic comedies

   Holiday Movie Magic

   Dec 5, 2022

   A Regency-inspired high tea tests coordinated small sweets, while holiday romantic-comedy tropes drive the flavor and highly festive decoration of the main desserts.

   • Preliminary

     Three-sweet holiday high tea

     Working in pairs, create three different sweet treats for an English-style holiday afternoon tea.

   • Main

     Holiday romantic-comedy dessert

     Create a dessert inspired by an assigned holiday movie trope and its ingredient prompt, decorate it lavishly for the season, and incorporate popcorn when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Kwanzaa and international desserts

   The World of Holidays

   Dec 5, 2022

   Fresh corn anchors a Kwanzaa display before each baker personalizes a holiday dessert from another culinary tradition and pairs it with homemade mulled wine.

   • Preliminary

     Fresh-corn dessert for a Kwanzaa display

     Create a dessert featuring fresh corn and present it as part of a traditional Kwanzaa-themed display.

   • Main

     Personalized international holiday dessert

     Put a personal interpretation on an assigned international holiday sweet, such as Filipino leche flan, Japanese Christmas cake, Puerto Rican guava rolls, or Canadian sugar pie, then make mulled wine and use it in or with the dessert.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Hanukkah, cake makeovers, and choux

   Holiday Rush

   Dec 12, 2022

   The semifinal compresses three heats into one episode: halvah-flavored ugly sweater cakes, rapid store-bought cake transformations, and snowman croquembouche centerpieces.

   • Preliminary

     Halvah ugly sweater cake

     Carve and decorate a Hanukkah ugly sweater cake featuring assigned chocolate, pistachio, or vanilla halvah.

   • Reheat

     Holiday store-bought cake makeover

     In 60 minutes, transform a basic chocolate, vanilla, or confetti birthday cake with new filling, frosting, and decoration, without baking a new cake.

   • Main

     Snowman croquembouche

     Build a snowman-shaped croquembouche from filled choux buns as a polished holiday centerpiece; the planned top-hat twist was canceled by the reheat winner's advantage.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Holiday vacations

   Happy Holiday Getaways

   Dec 19, 2022

   The finale travels from desert succulent tarts to a ski-trip cream tart bake-off and large destination cakes paired with regionally themed cookies.

   • Preliminary

     Desert succulent tart

     In two hours, make a holiday tart decorated with edible succulents and styled around a warm desert vacation.

   • Elimination

     Ski-trip cream tart

     The two lowest-ranked bakers create cream tarts decorated around a holiday ski trip, with only one advancing to the final heat.

   • Main

     Holiday dream-vacation cake with cookies

     In five hours, make a large cake depicting an assigned destination and feature its paired cookie: Swiss Alps with Swedish butter cookies, Paris with macarons, the Caribbean with spice cookies, or New York City with black-and-white cookies.

   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

Maple Cranberry Pavlova Wreath

A crisp-chewy meringue ring topped with lightly sweetened cream, tart cranberry compote, maple syrup, and toasted pecans.

Time

2 hrs 5 min

Makes

One 25 cm wreath, serving 8

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 200 g superfine sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200 g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 75 g granulated sugar
• 60 ml water
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 300 ml heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus more to finish
• 35 g toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 140 C, or 120 C fan. Draw a 25 cm circle and a centered 12 cm circle on baking paper, turn the paper over, and place it on a baking sheet.
2. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the superfine sugar one spoonful at a time, beating until the meringue is thick, glossy, and no longer gritty.
3. Fold in the cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Spoon the meringue between the guide circles and shape it into a continuous wreath with a shallow channel on top.
4. Bake for 90 minutes. Turn off the oven, prop the door slightly open, and let the pavlova cool completely inside.
5. Combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, water, and orange juice in a saucepan. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the berries burst and the compote thickens. Cool completely.
6. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold in 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Carefully transfer the pavlova to a serving plate.
7. Fill the top channel with maple cream and spoon over the cranberry compote. Finish with pecans and a restrained drizzle of maple syrup, then serve immediately.

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

Keep all bowls and beaters free of grease so the egg whites reach full volume.

The undecorated meringue can be kept airtight at room temperature for one day; add cream and fruit shortly before serving.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, 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

Season 10 combines fall coffee flavors, Thanksgiving centerpieces, whimsical cakes, holiday art, and three-stage semifinal and finale episodes. This guide records all eighteen aired challenge briefs across eight episodes and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the coffee-drink cinnamon rolls.

1. Episode 1 · Coffee drinks and Thanksgiving rolls

   Season's Best

   Nov 6, 2023

   Seasonal coffee drinks flavor the opening cinnamon rolls before the bakers turn the yule-log format into fall-themed Thanksgiving Swiss rolls.

   • Preliminary

     Coffee-drink cinnamon rolls

     In two hours, make cinnamon rolls flavored after an assigned seasonal coffee drink.

   • Main

     Thanksgiving Swiss roll

     Create a fall-flavored Swiss roll styled as a Thanksgiving counterpart to a yule log, then make homemade toffee and incorporate it when the twist is announced.

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

2. Episode 2 · Turkey and Thanksgiving tables

   Can't Wait for Turkey Day

   Nov 13, 2023

   Edible turkey domes test modeling and clean assembly, while miniature cakes turn complete Thanksgiving table settings into centerpieces.

   • Preliminary

     Turkey dome dessert

     Create a domed dessert that reads as a turkey, including edible feathers and a modeled head.

   • Main

     Mini Thanksgiving table cake

     Build a miniature centerpiece cake that looks like a set Thanksgiving table, using the selected cake format and adding sage when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Football snacks and pie

   Hallmarks of Thanksgiving

   Nov 20, 2023

   A football-watch-party favorite becomes a seven-layer dessert before blind, head-to-head pie matchups put bakers with the same flavor in direct competition.

   • Preliminary

     Seven-layer holiday dessert

     Create a composed holiday dessert with seven distinct layers, drawing its structure from a seven-layer game-day dip.

   • Main

     Head-to-head half pie

     Bake a half pie against an opponent using the same assigned flavor for blind judging, then incorporate cheese when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Mont Blanc and gravity-defying cakes

   Holiday Whimsy

   Nov 27, 2023

   The bakers first take a colorful, playful approach to Mont Blanc, then make decorated upside-down cakes engineered to hang over clear supports.

   • Preliminary

     Whimsical Mont Blanc dessert

     Reimagine Mont Blanc with playful colors, flavors, and decoration while retaining a recognizable chestnut-centered concept.

   • Main

     Suspended upside-down cake

     Decorate a single-tier cake, flip it upside down, and suspend it from a clear support so the inverted design remains intentional; make marshmallow from scratch for the twist.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Mosaics and wrapping paper

   Holiday Beauty

   Dec 4, 2023

   Small tarts become a collaborative holiday mosaic, followed by tall double-barrel cakes decorated to resemble rolls of festive wrapping paper.

   • Preliminary

     Mini-tart holiday mosaic

     Working in pairs, make an assortment of miniature tarts and arrange them into one coherent image inspired by a holiday museum design.

   • Main

     Double-barrel wrapping paper cake

     Stack and finish a tall double-barrel cake to look like a roll of merry wrapping paper, then add a cookie gift tag unless exempted by the preliminary advantage.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Hanukkah and holiday messages

   Holiday Imagination

   Dec 4, 2023

   Dessert takes on the fried potato structure of latkes before bar desserts become edible letterboards carrying holiday puns.

   • Preliminary

     Latke-inspired dessert

     Make a fried dessert that includes potato and features either apple or sour cream, using the essential elements of a latke as inspiration.

   • Main

     Letterboard holiday bars

     Create a bar dessert decorated as a letterboard with a readable holiday saying, then incorporate eggnog when the flavor twist is assigned.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Kwanzaa, ornaments, and Christmas trees

   Reasons for the Season

   Dec 11, 2023

   The semifinal covers three traditions through assigned plantain desserts, team-built edible ornaments, and savory-or-sweet blitz-puff Christmas tree pull-aparts.

   • Preliminary

     Kwanzaa plantain dessert

     Feature plantain in an assigned dessert form, including Napoleon, upside-down cake, whoopie pie, brownie sundae, crumble, or tarte Tatin.

   • Team

     Large-scale edible holiday ornaments

     Working in teams, construct an oversized display of edible ornaments with unified decoration and stable presentation.

   • Main

     Blitz-puff Christmas tree pull-apart

     Make a Christmas-tree-shaped pull-apart from homemade blitz puff pastry and accompany it with a sauce added during the twist.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Christmas Eve gifts

   Holiday Gifts Galore

   Dec 18, 2023

   Five bakers begin the finale with macaron wreaths, the bottom two face a stocking-eclair elimination bake, and the final four build cakes around moving holiday trains.

   • Preliminary

     Macaron holiday wreath

     Upgrade the traditional plate of cookies for Santa by arranging filled macarons as a polished holiday wreath.

   • Elimination

     Stocking-stuffed eclairs

     The two lowest-ranked bakers make stocking-themed eclairs featuring two selected flavors from sweet potato, cranberry, and bourbon.

   • Main

     Holiday train-stop cake

     Build a large themed cake around a holiday village train stop and engineer an actual model train to run through the display.

   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

Maple Mocha Cinnamon Rolls

Soft coffee-scented rolls with a cocoa-cinnamon filling and a thin maple espresso glaze.

Time

1 hr

Makes

Nine rolls

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 180 ml whole milk
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, divided
• 7 g instant yeast
• 45 g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 55 g unsalted butter, melted and divided
• 360 g strong bread flour
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 90 g light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk

Method

1. Warm 180 ml milk until just lukewarm and dissolve 1 teaspoon espresso powder in it. Mix in the yeast, granulated sugar, egg, and 35 g melted butter.
2. Add the flour and salt. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.
3. Grease a 23 cm square pan. Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, and remaining espresso powder in a small bowl.
4. Roll the dough into a 30 x 38 cm rectangle. Brush with the remaining 20 g melted butter and scatter the filling evenly over the surface.
5. Roll up from a long side into a firm log. Cut into nine equal pieces, arrange them in the pan, cover, and proof for 35 to 45 minutes until puffy.
6. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan. Bake the rolls for 23 to 27 minutes, until browned and cooked through at the center. Cool for 10 minutes.
7. Whisk the powdered sugar with the maple syrup and enough milk to make a pourable glaze. Spoon it over the warm rolls and serve.

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

The milk should feel warm rather than hot; excessive heat can damage the yeast.

For an overnight option, refrigerate the shaped rolls after placing them in the pan, then let them stand at room temperature until puffy before baking.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.com, tv.apple.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, communityimpact.com.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season 11 frames every episode as a holiday party, moving through open-house treats, Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving, Victorian cakes, cookies, office sweets, pajamas, and a gingerbread-house finale. This guide records all eighteen aired challenge briefs across eight episodes and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the cookie-cake challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Open-house treats

   Holiday Open House

   Nov 4, 2024

   The first party turns a savory cheese-ball idea into dessert, then scales the flavors and textures of holiday chocolate bark into inventive host-gift sweets.

   • Preliminary

     Holiday cheese-ball dessert

     In two hours, make a sweet cheese-ball-inspired dessert using an assigned cheese with either nuts or dried fruit.

   • Main

     Large-scale holiday bark dessert

     Create a substantial, inventive dessert inspired by the selected flavors and textures of holiday chocolate bark.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Thanksgiving family table

   Thanksgiving Family Feast

   Nov 11, 2024

   Bakers make exuberant cupcakes worthy of the Thanksgiving kids' table before topping full pies with sculptural three-dimensional holiday scenes.

   • Preliminary

     Over-the-top Thanksgiving cupcakes

     In two hours, create extravagant Thanksgiving cupcakes designed for a kids' table and judged with two Kids Baking Championship alumni.

   • Main

     Thanksgiving pie with 3-D decoration

     In two and a half hours, bake a Thanksgiving pie and finish it with a stable, edible three-dimensional decorative element.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Flavor pairings and fall rivalry

   Friendsgiving

   Nov 18, 2024

   Assigned seasonal flavor partners lead into a team contest that puts apple and pumpkin versions of the same five dessert formats head to head.

   • Preliminary

     Flavor-friends dessert

     In two hours, make a dessert that gives equal purpose to an assigned pair of complementary seasonal flavors.

   • Main

     Apple-versus-pumpkin team desserts

     As Team Apple or Team Pumpkin, make assigned tiramisu, Napoleon, cheesecake, pavlova, and Swiss roll desserts for matched head-to-head tastings.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Victorian Christmas

   Old-Fashioned Christmas Party

   Nov 18, 2024

   Victorian inspiration begins with liquor-soaked fruitcake blend in modern desserts and continues through richly colored Lambeth cakes covered in intricate over-piping.

   • Preliminary

     Fruitcake-blend dessert

     In two hours, build a dessert around a blend of dried fruit marinated with spices and liquor.

   • Main

     Lambeth cake

     In two and a half hours, make an ornate Lambeth-style cake with extensive over-piping, a strong assigned color scheme, and an old-fashioned ingredient added during the twist.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Holiday cookies

   Cookie Exchange Party

   Nov 25, 2024

   A blind-tasted cookie exchange rewards flavor without relying on decorated sugar cookies or gingerbread, then four-layer cakes alternate two kinds of oversized cookie.

   • Preliminary

     Flavor-forward seasonal cookies

     In 90 minutes, make a distinctive seasonal cookie for blind tasting without using decorated sugar cookies or gingerbread.

   • Main

     Four-layer holiday cookie cake

     In two hours, stack at least four large cookie layers using two different cookie types, then incorporate an assigned drink-inspired flavor twist.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Office party sweets

   Office Christmas Party

   Dec 2, 2024

   Teams combine caramel and chocolate into intentionally gooey desserts, followed by individual boozy trifles carrying assigned spirits and personal desk-accessory decorations.

   • Preliminary

     Caramel and chocolate team dessert

     Working in teams for 90 minutes, create an oozy holiday dessert featuring both caramel and chocolate and decorate it with caramel-chocolate candies.

   • Main

     Boozy holiday trifle

     In two hours, build a trifle around an assigned liqueur or spirit and add a desk-accessory decoration that expresses the baker's personality.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Pajamas, trees, and gift exchange

   Holiday Pajama Party

   Dec 9, 2024

   The semifinal moves through footie-pajama macarons, paired cream-puff garlands, and elaborate assigned cakes selected through a white-elephant exchange.

   • Preliminary

     Footie-pajama macarons

     In two hours, make large-scale filled macarons shaped and decorated as recognizable footie pajamas.

   • Tree

     Cream-puff holiday garland

     Working in pairs, assemble filled cream puffs into a cohesive garland-shaped display suitable for decorating a holiday tree.

   • Main

     White-elephant celebration cake

     In two and a half hours, make an assigned Charlotte royale, entremets cake, or dacquoise cake with the flavor selected through a gift exchange, then add a holiday cuddle-toy decoration.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Candy, eggnog, and gingerbread houses

   Gingerbread House Party

   Dec 16, 2024

   The finale disguises desserts as familiar candies, uses flavored eggnog in an elimination heat, and ends with gingerbread-house cakes based on four architectural styles.

   • Preliminary

     Faux candy dessert

     In two hours, create a full dessert that looks and tastes like a selected traditional holiday candy rather than merely using candy as decoration.

   • Elimination

     Flavored eggnog dessert

     The four bakers not protected by the preliminary win have 90 minutes to create a dessert centered on a selected variety of flavored eggnog.

   • Main

     Architectural gingerbread-house cake

     In five hours, construct a cake designed as an assigned Tudor house, cozy cottage, castle, or modern house, using gingerbread-house architecture as the visual focus.

   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

Orange Ginger Cookie Cake

Four tender cookie layers alternating orange shortbread and molasses gingerbread, filled with tangy cream-cheese frosting.

Time

1 hr 25 min

Makes

One 18 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 260 g all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, divided
• 170 g unsalted butter, softened and divided
• 125 g granulated sugar
• 80 g light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, divided
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 225 g full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 85 g unsalted butter, softened
• 240 g powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon orange juice

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Line two baking sheets and trace four 18 cm circles on the paper, leaving space between them.
2. For the orange dough, mix 130 g flour with the baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat 85 g butter with the granulated sugar, then beat in half the egg and the orange zest. Mix in the dry ingredients.
3. For the ginger dough, mix the remaining flour with the baking soda, remaining salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Beat the remaining 85 g butter with the brown sugar, then add the remaining egg and molasses. Mix in the dry ingredients.
4. Press each dough into two traced circles, keeping the layers even and stopping just inside the lines. Chill the trays for 20 minutes.
5. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, rotating the trays once, until the edges are set and the centers no longer look wet. Cool completely on the trays.
6. Beat the cream cheese and 85 g butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange juice, then beat until thick and spreadable.
7. Stack the cookies, alternating orange and ginger layers with an even layer of frosting between each. Pipe or spread the remaining frosting on top and chill for 45 minutes before slicing.

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

Weigh or divide the egg after beating it so each dough receives an equal share.

The cookie layers soften after assembly, so the cake slices most cleanly after at least 45 minutes of chilling.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.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, foodsided.com.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season twelve divides the bakers into Naughty and Nice teams for six episodes before returning to individual competition in the semifinal. This guide records all fourteen aired challenge briefs across eight episodes, including the single-challenge team rounds and three-part semifinal and finale, and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the Chrismukkah platter.

1. Episode 1 · Naughty and Nice holiday village

   Welcome to the Holiday Village

   Nov 3, 2025

   The new team format opens with contrasting warm and frozen desserts, then every baker contributes a separate sweet to a shared edible village display.

   • Preliminary

     Warm or frosty team dessert

     Team Nice makes warm and toasty holiday desserts while Team Naughty makes chill and frosty desserts, with one top bake selected from each team.

   • Main

     Edible holiday village

     Each team builds a cohesive edible holiday village that includes an individual dessert from every baker; the losing team faces elimination.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Cocktails, mocktails, and meringue

   Holiday Cheer

   Nov 10, 2025

   Assigned holiday drinks distinguish the teams in the first bake before meringue desserts express either cheerful Nice character or cheeky Naughty character.

   • Preliminary

     Holiday cocktail or mocktail dessert

     Team Naughty makes cocktail-inspired desserts and Team Nice makes mocktail-inspired desserts using assigned drinks such as hot buttered rum or pumpkin eggnog.

   • Main

     Cheerful or cheeky meringue dessert

     Create a meringue-based dessert whose decoration reads clearly as cheerful for Team Nice or cheeky for Team Naughty.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Holiday wreaths

   Crafting Holiday Magic

   Nov 17, 2025

   A single elimination bake asks each team for varied, oversized wreath desserts while a strategic advantage changes the available equipment or decorations.

   • Main

     Over-the-top holiday wreath dessert

     Each baker creates a large holiday wreath dessert without repeating another dessert on the same team; the prior winning team chooses either exclusive decorations or removal of the other team's stand mixers.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Seasonal holiday pies

   Pies and Shine

   Nov 24, 2025

   Team members avoid duplicate pie flavors, taste one another's work, and decide which two pies will represent them at the judges' table.

   • Main

     Seasonal holiday pie

     Make a seasonal pie in a flavor not repeated within the team, then have the team select only its two strongest pies for judging; a baker from the losing team is eliminated.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Snow-day activities

   Snowed In Sweets

   Dec 1, 2025

   Desserts depict familiar snow-day pastimes while the previous winning team chooses between extra time and changing the team roster.

   • Main

     Snow-day activity dessert

     Create a dessert representing an assigned snow-day activity such as cutting snowflakes, sledding, or snowshoeing; the latest winning team chooses a 15-minute head start or steals a baker from its rival.

   Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Chrismukkah platter

   Jingle Mingle

   Dec 8, 2025

   One mixed-holiday platter combines three specific baked traditions, with a blind tasting determining the last elimination before the semifinal.

   • Main

     Chrismukkah dessert platter

     Assemble a platter containing decorated Christmas cookies, rugelach, and traditional Hanukkah sufganiyot for a blind tasting.

   Make our home version →Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Retro flavors and pantry ingredients

   Retro Christmas

   Dec 15, 2025

   With teams dissolved, the semifinal runs through nostalgic decorating, gelatin-mold flavor combinations, and elevated desserts made from old-fashioned convenience ingredients.

   • First

     Retro Christmas dessert

     Create a dessert with a recognizable retro Christmas concept and add clear holiday flair to the decoration.

   • Second

     Gelatin-mold flavor dessert

     Make a dessert based on an assigned old-school gelatin-mold flavor combination such as lime and cream cheese, peach and buttermilk, or orange and marshmallow.

   • Main

     Retro pantry-ingredient dessert

     Elevate an assigned convenience ingredient such as canned apple-pie filling, canned pineapple, or instant chocolate pudding into a finale-worthy dessert.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Naughty elves and nice Christmas

   Naughty & Nice Christmas

   Dec 22, 2025

   The finale tests difficult savory or bitter flavors, comforting hot cocoa, and a large cake that must tell both sides of the season's Naughty-versus-Nice story.

   • Preliminary

     Naughty elf dessert

     Create an elf-themed dessert around a challenging assigned flavor such as black licorice, sauerkraut, or red curry.

   • Elimination

     Nice hot cocoa dessert

     Turn hot cocoa into a polished dessert, with the weakest baker eliminated before the final challenge.

   • Final

     Naughty-versus-Nice cake

     Make a large-scale, over-the-top cake whose decoration clearly presents both a naughty side and a nice side.

   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 6

Orange Cranberry Rugelach

Tender cream-cheese pastries rolled with cranberry preserves, walnuts, orange zest, and cinnamon.

Time

1 hr 4 min

Makes

32 small pastries

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 225 g full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 225 g unsalted butter, softened
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 120 g cranberry preserves
• 70 g walnuts, finely chopped
• 50 g light brown sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar

Method

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the flour and salt just until a soft dough forms.
2. Divide the dough into four discs, wrap, and chill for at least two hours.
3. Mix the walnuts, brown sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon. Line two baking sheets and heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan.
4. Roll one chilled disc into a 23 cm circle. Spread with one quarter of the preserves and scatter with one quarter of the walnut mixture.
5. Cut the circle into eight wedges. Roll each wedge from the wide edge toward the point and place seam-side down on a prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
6. Whisk the egg with the water. Brush the pastries lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until deep golden. Cool on the sheets for five minutes, then transfer to a rack.

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

Keep the unused dough chilled so the pastries hold their shape.

Thick preserves work better than loose cranberry sauce, which can leak during baking.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. foodnetwork.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, justjared.com.