Spring Baking Championship

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

The first season moves through six spring occasions, pairing a short preliminary heat with a larger main heat in every episode. This guide records all twelve aired challenge briefs, from flower cupcakes and citrus desserts to picnic pies and wedding cakes, and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the honey challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Flowers and farm-fresh fruit

   Spring Bounty

   Apr 26, 2015

   The opening heats move from flower-inspired cupcakes to fruit upside-down cakes, with the preliminary winner controlling access to pineapple in the main heat.

   • Preliminary

     One dozen flower-inspired cupcakes

     Bake twelve cupcakes inspired by flowers in 75 minutes, with the finished cupcakes intended for a Food Network Magazine feature.

   • Main

     Fresh-fruit upside-down cake

     Make an upside-down cake highlighting fresh fruit in 75 minutes; pineapple was reserved for the preliminary winner.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Honey and citrus

   Sweet and Tart

   May 3, 2015

   A single-sweetener honey dessert tests restraint before the bakers produce separate lemon and lime desserts in the main heat.

   • Preliminary

     Honey-sweetened dessert

     Create a dessert in one hour using honey as the only sweetener and make the selected honey variety a clear feature.

   • Main

     One lemon dessert and one lime dessert

     Prepare two distinct citrus desserts in 90 minutes, one centered on lemon and the other on lime.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Coffee, cream, and brunch

   Mother's Day

   May 10, 2015

   Mother's Day begins with coffee-and-cream sweets, then expands into a brunch pairing that must contain both a sweet bake and a savory bake without relying on quiche.

   • Preliminary

     Coffee-and-cream dessert

     Bake a Mother's Day dessert in one hour that makes both coffee and cream prominent.

   • Main

     Sweet and savory Mother's Day brunch

     Create one sweet baked dish and one savory baked dish in 90 minutes for a Mother's Day brunch; quiche was not permitted.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Birthday party desserts

   Birthday Blast

   May 17, 2015

   Portable desserts on sticks open the birthday party before the bakers combine a celebration cake with homemade ice cream under limited machine access.

   • Preliminary

     Dessert on a stick

     Make a complete dessert served on a stick in one hour.

   • Main

     Birthday cake with homemade ice cream

     Produce a birthday cake and a complementary ice cream in two hours; the preliminary winner had a private ice cream machine while the other bakers shared one.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Picnic and patriotic desserts

   Memorial Day Madness

   May 25, 2015

   The semifinal asks for a picnic-ready pie, then gives the bakers freedom of form as long as the final dessert reads clearly in red, white, and blue.

   • Preliminary

     Spring picnic pie

     Bake a pie suited to a spring picnic in 90 minutes.

   • Main

     Red, white, and blue dessert

     Create a patriotic dessert in 90 minutes that visibly features red, white, and blue; the preliminary winner received a ten-minute head start.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Wedding dessert bar and cake

   Wedding Season

   May 31, 2015

   The finalists first stock a wedding dessert bar with three different bakes, then build spring wedding cakes around vanilla, chocolate, or lemon, the judges' selected flavors.

   • Preliminary

     Three-bake wedding dessert bar

     Make three different wedding-inspired baked goods for a dessert bar in three hours.

   • Main

     Spring wedding cake

     Create a centerpiece spring wedding cake in four hours using an assigned judge-favorite flavor: vanilla, chocolate, or lemon.

   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

Orange Blossom Honey Cakes

Small olive-oil cakes sweetened only with honey and finished with orange zest, pistachios, and a light honey glaze.

Time

38 min

Makes

12 small cakes

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 180 g all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 170 g orange blossom honey, divided
• 120 ml whole milk
• 80 ml mild olive oil
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 35 g shelled pistachios, finely chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Grease a 12-hole muffin pan and line the bases with small rounds of baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs with 140 g honey until slightly thickened. Whisk in the milk, olive oil, orange zest, and vanilla.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared holes.
5. Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until the cakes spring back and a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for five minutes, then turn onto a rack.
6. Warm the remaining 30 g honey until fluid. Brush it over the warm cakes and scatter with chopped pistachios. Cool before serving.

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 cakes use honey as their only sweetener, matching the central restriction of the preliminary heat.

Use a mild olive oil so the orange blossom honey remains the dominant flavor.

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, screenrant.com.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season two adds main-heat twists to six episodes built around fruit, outdoor food, rainbows, farm ingredients, Mother's Day, and destination weddings. This guide records all twelve aired challenge briefs and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the berry-free shortcake challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Shortcake and berry cakes

   Berry Naked

   Apr 10, 2016

   The season opens by withholding berries from a shortcake makeover, then reverses the rule for tiered naked cakes in which berries must lead and key lime arrives as a twist.

   • Preliminary

     Berry-free shortcake makeover

     Reinvent shortcake in one hour using fruit other than berries.

   • Main

     Tiered berry naked cake

     Build a tiered naked cake centered on berries in two hours and incorporate key lime when it is announced mid-round; strawberries were reserved for the preliminary winner.

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

2. Episode 2 · Ballpark and barbecue

   Great Outdoors

   Apr 17, 2016

   Outdoor favorites become desserts twice: first through assigned ballpark snacks, then as complete barbecue-plate impostors that must look savory while tasting sweet.

   • Preliminary

     Ballpark-snack dessert

     Make a dessert in one hour inspired by an assigned stadium snack such as popcorn, root beer, peanuts, sweet potato fries, tortilla chips, churros, or pretzels.

   • Main

     Barbecue dessert impostor

     Create a dessert in two hours that convincingly resembles an assigned barbecue main and side, including combinations such as ribs with corn, steak with bean salad, or sausage with potato salad.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

3. Episode 3 · Dessert dips and rainbow colors

   Bake the Rainbow

   Apr 24, 2016

   A dessert fondue supplies the pot of gold before the main heat demands five rainbow colors and then adds black as a contrasting sixth color.

   • Preliminary

     Dessert fondue with dipper

     Prepare a dessert fondue and a complementary item for dipping in 45 minutes.

   • Main

     Five-color rainbow dessert

     Create a dessert featuring red, orange, yellow, green, and blue in up to two hours, then add black when the mid-round twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

4. Episode 4 · Farmstand vegetables and breakfast

   Sweet Toothed Farmer

   May 1, 2016

   Farmstand vegetables drive individual desserts before a farmhouse-breakfast main heat combines bacon, eggs, and a late coffee-flavor requirement.

   • Preliminary

     Farmstand-vegetable dessert

     Make a dessert in one hour using an assigned vegetable: beet, fennel, summer squash, zucchini, or tomato.

   • Main

     Bacon-and-egg dessert

     Bake a dessert featuring both bacon and eggs in 90 minutes, then add coffee flavor when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

5. Episode 5 · Mother's Day gifts and chocolate

   Moms Love Chocolate

   May 8, 2016

   Mother's Day gift boxes inspire the first desserts, while the main heat pairs chocolate with a difficult assigned flavor and then calls for a sugar decoration.

   • Preliminary

     Gift-inspired Mother's Day dessert

     Create a Mother's Day dessert in one hour inspired by an assigned gift object: a coffee mug, bracelet, purse, or perfume bottle.

   • Main

     Chocolate dessert with an unusual pairing

     Bake a chocolate dessert in 90 minutes paired with assigned Gorgonzola, aromatic bitters, Earl Grey tea, or curry powder, then add a sugar-work element.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

6. Episode 6 · Wedding welcome baskets and travel cakes

   Destination Wedding

   May 15, 2016

   The finale begins with a groomsmen's welcome basket containing sweet and savory snacks, then assigns Hawaii, Mexico, and Italy as the visual and flavor settings for destination wedding cakes.

   • Preliminary

     Groomsmen's welcome basket

     Make two sweet treats and one savory snack for a destination-wedding welcome basket in 90 minutes, incorporating bourbon into one item when the twist is announced.

   • Main

     Destination wedding cake

     Create a wedding cake in five hours inspired by an assigned destination: Hawaii, Mexico, or Italy.

   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 1

Peach Ginger Shortcakes

Tender ginger biscuits layered with juicy peaches and lightly sweetened vanilla cream for a berry-free shortcake.

Time

48 min

Makes

6 shortcakes

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 35 g granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for finishing
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 85 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 160 ml cold heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
• 3 ripe peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 240 ml heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 C, or 180 C fan. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, 35 g sugar, baking powder, salt, and ginger. Rub in the cold butter until the largest pieces are the size of peas.
3. Stir in 160 ml cream just until a rough dough forms. Pat it 2 cm thick and cut six rounds, pressing scraps together once as needed.
4. Place the rounds on the sheet, brush with cream, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake for 16 to 19 minutes until risen and golden, then cool for 15 minutes.
5. Toss the peaches with lemon juice and let stand for ten minutes. Whip the remaining cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks.
6. Split each biscuit. Spoon peaches and their juice over the bases, add vanilla cream, and replace the tops.

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 recipe deliberately uses no berries to reflect the preliminary heat restriction.

Firm-ripe peaches hold their shape best; very soft fruit can be spooned on immediately before serving.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

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

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season three stretches to seven episodes and uses Easter, vacations, the Kentucky Derby, Mother's Day, spring rain, and Memorial Day as its settings. This guide records all fourteen aired challenge briefs, including team heats and mid-round additions, and offers one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the mint julep dessert challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Easter eggs and bunnies

   Easter Treats

   Mar 12, 2017

   Decorative dessert eggs must sit in edible nests before the bakers move to sculpted bunny cakes and an added litter of matching bunny cupcakes.

   • Preliminary

     Dessert egg in an edible nest

     Make a decorative egg-shaped dessert and an edible nest to hold it in 90 minutes.

   • Main

     Bunny cake with baby bunny cupcakes

     Create a bunny-shaped cake in three hours, then add twelve baby bunny cupcakes when the twist is announced; chocolate cake was reserved for the preliminary winner.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

2. Episode 2 · Tropical fruit and travel

   Sweet Vacations

   Mar 12, 2017

   Teams share an assigned tropical fruit in the opening heat, then the bakers work individually on vacation-themed doughnuts and matching doughnut holes.

   • Preliminary

     Team tropical-fruit dessert

     Working in pairs, make a tropical dessert in 90 minutes using assigned banana, mango, key lime, or pineapple.

   • Main

     Vacation doughnuts and doughnut holes

     Make twelve doughnuts in two hours inspired by an assigned vacation destination, then add six decorated doughnut holes that continue the same theme.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

3. Episode 3 · Kentucky Derby

   Derby Desserts

   Mar 19, 2017

   The Kentucky Derby theme begins with mint julep flavors, then turns three cookie varieties into a wearable spring garland with rose added for the Run for the Roses.

   • Preliminary

     Mint julep-inspired dessert

     Create a dessert in one hour inspired by the mint julep.

   • Main

     Three-cookie spring garland

     Make a decorative garland containing three different kinds of cookies in up to 90 minutes, then incorporate a rose element when the twist is announced.

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

4. Episode 4 · Lighter classics

   Springtime Remodeling

   Mar 26, 2017

   Dense brownies receive a spring makeover before classic French Napoleons are rebuilt with seasonal character and assigned flavored liqueurs.

   • Preliminary

     Spring-remodeled brownie

     Give a brownie a lighter, springtime makeover in one hour.

   • Main

     Springtime Napoleon

     Reimagine a classic French Napoleon as a spring dessert in 90 minutes, incorporating assigned cherry, raspberry, almond, orange, lemon, or elderflower liqueur when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

5. Episode 5 · Mother's Day tarts and classics

   Momcentric

   Apr 2, 2017

   Colorful fruit tarts come with personal poems before five old-fashioned desserts are modernized and tied together by a maraschino-cherry twist.

   • Preliminary

     Mother's Day fruit tart

     Make a colorful fruit tart in one hour and write and recite a short poem dedicated to one's mother.

   • Main

     Modernized old-fashioned dessert

     Update an assigned peach cobbler, bread pudding, chocolate cream pie, pineapple upside-down cake, or lemon meringue dessert in 90 minutes, then include maraschino cherries.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

6. Episode 6 · Garden creatures and spring rain

   Rainy Day Sweets

   Apr 9, 2017

   Whoopie pies become assigned garden creatures, while colorful drip cakes turn spring rainfall into decoration and finish with a three-dimensional edible rainbow.

   • Preliminary

     Garden-creature whoopie pies

     Make twelve whoopie pies in one hour decorated as assigned butterflies, bumblebees, caterpillars, or ladybugs.

   • Main

     Spring-rain drip cake

     Create a colorful drip cake in 90 minutes as an homage to spring rain, then top it with a three-dimensional edible rainbow.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2Episode source 3

7. Episode 7 · Memorial Day picnic and flags

   Memorial Day Delights

   Apr 9, 2017

   The finale balances sweet and savory items in a patriotic picnic before the last three bakers commit five hours to red, white, and blue American flag desserts.

   • Preliminary

     Three-item Memorial Day picnic

     Prepare two sweet items and one savory item for a Memorial Day picnic in two hours.

   • Main

     American flag dessert

     Create a large American flag-themed dessert in five hours; only the preliminary winner had access to special star molds and cutters.

   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 3

Mint Lime Bourbon Bars

Buttery lime bars with a restrained bourbon custard and fresh mint sugar inspired by mint julep flavors.

Time

1 hr 7 min

Makes

16 bars

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 170 g unsalted butter, softened
• 65 g powdered sugar
• 220 g all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 large eggs
• 250 g granulated sugar, divided
• 120 ml fresh lime juice
• Finely grated zest of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 12 fresh mint leaves

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 20 cm square pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang.
2. Beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in 180 g flour and the salt, then press the dough evenly into the pan.
3. Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.
4. Whisk the eggs with 225 g granulated sugar. Whisk in the remaining 40 g flour, lime juice, zest, and bourbon until smooth.
5. Pour the filling onto the hot crust and bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until the center is just set. Cool completely, then chill for one hour.
6. Rub the mint leaves into the remaining 25 g sugar until fragrant and green-flecked. Lift out the slab, cut into sixteen bars, and sprinkle lightly with mint sugar just before serving.

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 bourbon is baked into the filling; use one tablespoon water instead for an alcohol-free version.

Add the mint sugar at serving time so it stays aromatic and does not draw moisture from the bars.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

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

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

Full cast

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

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, actionnewsjax.com.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season four expands to eight episodes and moves through vivid color, flowers, picnics, eggs, berries, desert plants, changing seasons, and hidden beauty. This guide records all sixteen aired challenge briefs with their assigned ingredients and mid-round additions, and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the agave-only challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Fruit, color, and fresh herbs

   Spring Colorburst

   Mar 12, 2018

   Fruit flavors run through miniature tie-dye cheesecakes before herbs and color gradients shape naked ombre cakes with sculpted chocolate accents.

   • Preliminary

     Fruit tie-dye mini cheesecakes

     In 90 minutes, make miniature tie-dye cheesecakes featuring an assigned spring fruit such as mango, blueberry, rhubarb, cherry, fig, plum, peach, raspberry, strawberry, or nectarine.

   • Main

     Herb and color ombre cake

     In two hours, make a naked ombre cake using an assigned herb and color gradient, then add a three-dimensional chocolate decoration.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Flower gardens

   Blooming Delicious

   Mar 19, 2018

   Cupcakes become floral arrangements flavored with flower essences, followed by glossy spherical desserts planted in fully edible gardens.

   • Preliminary

     Flower-arrangement cupcakes

     In 90 minutes, arrange decorated cupcakes as flowers and feature an assigned floral essence such as hibiscus, rose, orange blossom, honeysuckle, magnolia, lavender, elderflower, violet, or jasmine.

   • Main

     Mirror-glazed garden gazing ball

     In two hours, make an edible mirror-glazed gazing-ball dessert, plate it in an edible garden, and add an edible garden gnome.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Outdoor pies and picnic baskets

   A Perfect Spring Day

   Mar 26, 2018

   Teams first share a miniature-pie category, then partners draw savory picnic-basket ingredients and must produce complementary but different desserts with matching ice cream.

   • Preliminary

     Team mini pies

     Working in pairs for 90 minutes, make twelve miniature pies in an assigned nut, cream, fruit, or custard category.

   • Main

     Picnic-basket ingredient desserts

     Each partner has 90 minutes to make a different but cohesive dessert using all three ingredients in a shared picnic basket, such as peaches, potato chips, and salami or breadsticks, goat cheese, and mushrooms, then add ice cream that complements both desserts.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Spring eggs and baskets

   Spring Eggspressions

   Apr 2, 2018

   Eclairs take on spring scenes hidden inside plastic eggs before edible baskets hold two baked treats, hard-boiled eggs, and a jelly-bean flavor.

   • Preliminary

     Spring-themed eclairs

     In 90 minutes, make twelve eclairs decorated for an assigned spring theme such as honeybees, sunshine, rainbows, spring greens, cherry blossoms, or wildflowers.

   • Main

     Edible spring goodie basket

     In two hours, create an edible basket filled with two different baked treats, use hard-boiled egg in one treat unless exempted by the preliminary advantage, and incorporate an assigned jelly-bean flavor.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Tiny berry desserts and patterns

   Berrylicious

   Apr 9, 2018

   Tiny portions concentrate an assigned berry flavor before patterned roll cakes switch to a second berry and gain matching cookies.

   • Preliminary

     Tiny berry desserts

     In one hour, make twelve tiny desserts centered on an assigned blueberry, golden berry, raspberry, huckleberry, strawberry, or blackberry.

   • Main

     Patterned berry roll cake

     In two hours, make a spring-patterned roll cake with a different berry from the preliminary heat, then add six patterned cookies that coordinate with the cake.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Agave and desert plants

   Desert Desserts

   Apr 16, 2018

   Agave supplies the only sweetness in assigned dessert formats before seed and spice flavors support sculptural succulent cakes with prickly pear.

   • Preliminary

     Agave-only desert dessert

     In 90 minutes, make an assigned flourless cake, ice cream sandwich, cupcake, doughnut, or tart using agave syrup as the only sweetener and a desert-inspired presentation.

   • Main

     Succulent cake

     In two hours, make a realistic succulent-themed cake using an assigned dry flavor such as pink peppercorn, caraway, sesame, black pepper, or anise, then incorporate prickly pear.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Avocado and winter makeovers

   Seasons Change

   Apr 23, 2018

   Avocado is paired with a contrasting flavor before heavy winter favorites receive lighter spring identities and a coffee addition.

   • Preliminary

     Avocado pairing dessert

     In one hour, make a dessert that pairs avocado with assigned orange, chocolate, lime, or ginger.

   • Main

     Spring-remodeled winter dessert

     In 90 minutes, transform an assigned pumpkin pie, pecan pie, bread pudding, or peppermint-swirl brownie into a spring dessert, then incorporate coffee.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Unusual fruit and geodes

   Hidden Beauty

   Apr 30, 2018

   The finalists reveal the appeal of paired unusual fruits, then make geode cakes with colored sugar crystals produced from scratch.

   • Preliminary

     Two-fruit hidden-beauty dessert

     In 90 minutes, combine an assigned pair of unusual fruits, such as finger lime and dragon fruit, jackfruit and rambutan, or cherimoya and horned melon, in one polished dessert.

   • Final

     Geode cake with handmade crystals

     In five hours, make a vibrant geode cake in an assigned blue, amber, or purple color and create the rock-candy sugar crystals from scratch.

   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

Agave Lime Cupcakes

Soft lime cupcakes sweetened only with agave and topped with a tangy agave cream-cheese frosting.

Time

43 min

Makes

12 cupcakes

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 190 g all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 160 g light agave syrup
• 120 ml neutral oil
• 120 ml whole milk
• Finely grated zest of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 225 g full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 55 g unsalted butter, softened
• 75 g light agave syrup, for frosting
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, for frosting

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper cases.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, 160 g agave, oil, milk, lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Divide the batter evenly among the cases.
5. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until the tops spring back. Cool in the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
6. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the remaining agave and lime zest, then chill for 20 minutes if the frosting is soft.
7. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving.

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

Agave is the only sweetener in both the cake and frosting, reflecting the preliminary heat restriction.

The frosting remains softer than a powdered-sugar buttercream, so keep the finished cupcakes cool.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. multivu.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, sacurrent.com.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season five builds eight episodes around spring animals, a county fair, team mashups, Southern baking, Easter, Earth Day, the Kentucky Oaks, and Mother's Day. This guide records all sixteen aired challenge briefs, including assigned flavors and every documented mid-round addition, and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the walnut-and-honey challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Spring animals and watercolor

   Spring Has Sprung

   Mar 18, 2019

   A dozen doughnuts take the shape of native spring animals before watercolor cakes feature seasonal produce and a three-dimensional edible model.

   • Preliminary

     Spring animal doughnuts

     In 90 minutes, make twelve doughnuts based on an assigned spring animal such as a swan, fox, chipmunk, otter, beaver, or black bear.

   • Main

     Spring produce watercolor cake

     In two hours, create a watercolor-decorated cake featuring assigned spring fruit or vegetables, then sculpt a three-dimensional version of that produce from an assigned edible medium such as gum paste, fondant, marzipan, isomalt, or modeling chocolate.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Blue ribbons and fair food

   Spring at the County Fair

   Mar 25, 2019

   Every baker receives rhubarb for a decorative blue-ribbon pie before familiar midway foods are rebuilt as oversized desserts with a bacon twist.

   • Preliminary

     Decorative rhubarb pie

     In 90 minutes, bake a blue-ribbon-worthy rhubarb pie with a decorative crust.

   • Main

     Oversized fair-food dessert

     In two hours, make a larger-than-life dessert inspired by an assigned fair food such as churros, funnel cake, caramel apple, fried cookie dough, or cheesecake on a stick, then incorporate chocolate-covered bacon.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Dessert mashups and spelling

   Spring Dream Teams

   Apr 1, 2019

   Pairs combine two familiar bakes into one treat, then spell spring words with letter-shaped cream tart cakes in multiple flavors.

   • Preliminary

     Team dessert mashup

     Working in pairs for 90 minutes, make two dozen treats that combine an assigned pair such as Bundt cake and blondie, whoopie pie and upside-down cake, brownie and cupcake, or sandwich cookie and muffin.

   • Main

     Spring-word cream tart cakes

     As a team in two hours, make four letter-shaped cream tart cakes in two flavors so the letters spell a spring word, then incorporate assigned coconut, Brazil nut, green tea, or ginger.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Southern desserts and pantry flavors

   Southern Spring Bakeover

   Apr 8, 2019

   Canned biscuit dough and Southern drinks lead into classic regional cakes remade for spring with pantry ingredients ranging from pepper jelly to cola.

   • Preliminary

     Southern drink biscuit-dough dessert

     In one hour, turn canned biscuit dough into one large dessert or twelve small desserts flavored with assigned sweet tea, lemonade, or bourbon.

   • Main

     Spring-remodeled Southern cake

     In two hours, give an assigned red velvet, poke, Lane, coconut layer, hummingbird, Texas sheet, or tunnel-of-fudge cake a spring makeover, then include an assigned Southern pantry ingredient such as sesame, pickled peach, sorghum molasses, pepper jelly, boiled peanut, cola, or apple butter.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Marshmallows and Easter bonnets

   Easter Delights

   Apr 15, 2019

   Brightly colored marshmallow desserts begin the Easter celebration before tropical flavors and malted milk fill wearable-looking bonnet desserts.

   • Preliminary

     Colorful marshmallow dessert

     In one hour, make an ooey-gooey marshmallow dessert using an assigned pink, yellow, green, orange, blue, or purple Easter color.

   • Main

     Tropical Easter-bonnet dessert

     In two hours, create a dessert that looks like an Easter bonnet and features assigned lychee, pineapple, mango, key lime, kiwi, or passion fruit, then add chocolate malt balls, malted milk eggs, or malted milk powder.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Honey, walnuts, and wild berries

   Marvelous Mother Nature

   Apr 22, 2019

   Earth Day starts with walnut desserts carrying distinct flower honeys and bee decorations, then wild berries flavor enchanted woodland cakes with edible moss.

   • Preliminary

     Walnut and flower-honey desserts

     In 90 minutes, make six individual walnut desserts featuring assigned orange blossom, acacia, clover, wildflower, or heather honey and decorate them with bees.

   • Main

     Wild-berry enchanted forest cake

     In two hours, make an enchanted spring forest cake flavored with assigned huckleberry, gooseberry, marionberry, boysenberry, or lingonberry, then add edible moss.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Rose wine and the Kentucky Oaks

   Pretty in Pink

   Apr 29, 2019

   Rose wine meets a range of cheeses in individual sweets before all-pink Kentucky Oaks desserts combine naturally pink produce with a floral rose element.

   • Preliminary

     Rose-and-cheese mini desserts

     In 90 minutes, make six individual desserts featuring rose wine and assigned Manchego, blue cheese, chevre, or triple-cream Brie.

   • Main

     All-pink Kentucky Oaks dessert

     In two hours, create an all-pink party dessert using assigned pink pluot, pink lemon, pink grapefruit, or pink dragon fruit, then add a rose-flavored or rose-decorated element.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Cocktails, coffee, and gifts

   Mother's Day Party

   May 6, 2019

   The finalists turn one cocktail into two kinds of baked party treats, then pair a coffeehouse flavor with a personalized Mother's Day gift cake.

   • Preliminary

     Two cocktail-inspired baked treats

     In two hours, make two dozen baked items consisting of two different treats inspired by an assigned mimosa, mojito, or mai tai.

   • Final

     Coffee-drink Mother's Day gift cake

     In five hours, make a cake flavored as assigned dirty chai latte, salted-caramel macchiato, or cafe mocha and decorate it with a personalized gift the chosen mother would enjoy.

   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

Walnut Orange Blossom Tea Cakes

Small browned-butter walnut cakes brushed with orange blossom honey and finished with crisp walnuts.

Time

43 min

Makes

12 small cakes

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 115 g unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
• 100 g walnuts
• 90 g all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 large egg whites
• 110 g light brown sugar
• 70 g orange blossom honey, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, for finishing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Butter a 12-hole muffin pan.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook until the milk solids turn amber and smell nutty. Pour into a bowl and cool for ten minutes.
3. Pulse the 100 g walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Whisk them with the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Whisk the egg whites, brown sugar, 45 g honey, vanilla, and orange zest until foamy but not whipped. Whisk in the browned butter.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients. Divide the batter among the muffin holes and bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until the centers spring back.
6. Cool in the pan for five minutes, then turn the cakes onto a rack. Warm the remaining 25 g honey and brush it over the warm cakes.
7. Scatter the finely chopped walnuts over the glazed tops and cool before serving.

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

Orange blossom honey should taste floral but not perfumed; substitute a mild local honey if needed.

Grinding the walnuts with short pulses prevents them from turning into walnut butter.

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, wwmt.com.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season six runs nine episodes through natural transformations, spring skies, pets, outdoor team challenges, colorful music, decluttering, flowers, Mother's Day travel, and graduation. This guide records all eighteen aired challenge briefs with their assigned themes and twists, and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the cherry-and-herb challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Fruit geometry and transformation

   Spring's Natural Wonders

   Mar 9, 2020

   Precisely patterned fruit tarts open the season before fault-line cakes reveal one spring state transforming into another and absorb a flavored-salt twist.

   • Preliminary

     Geometric spring-fruit tart

     In two hours, make one precisely patterned geometric tart featuring two selected spring fruits from kiwi, strawberry, rhubarb, mango, and lemon.

   • Main

     Spring-transformation fault-line cake

     In three hours, make a fault-line cake showing an assigned transformation such as bare trees to blossoms, hibernation to activity, nest to hatched eggs, rain to sun, or caterpillar to butterfly, then incorporate flavored salt.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Equinox skies and stargazing

   Spring Skies

   Mar 16, 2020

   Blinged-out doughnuts capture sunrise or sunset before celestial desserts depict night-sky phenomena under a ten-minute time loss.

   • Preliminary

     Sunrise or sunset doughnuts

     In 90 minutes, make twelve highly decorated doughnuts themed to either sunrise or sunset.

   • Main

     Celestial spring-night dessert

     In three hours, create a dessert representing an assigned Milky Way, Northern Lights, supermoon, shooting star, or meteor shower, then lose ten minutes when the clock springs forward.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Cats, dogs, and outdoor play

   The One About Puppies and Kitties

   Mar 23, 2020

   Orange cat flavors shape whimsical eclairs before dog breeds and their favorite activities become sporty desserts with edible bones.

   • Preliminary

     Orange kitty eclairs

     In 90 minutes, make twelve cat-themed eclairs flavored with assigned butterscotch, marmalade, clementine, or ginger.

   • Main

     Sporting-dog dessert

     In two hours, make a dessert depicting an assigned dog breed and spring activity, such as a flying-disc Australian shepherd, tennis-playing Labrador, skateboarding dachshund, or kayaking poodle, then add an edible dog bone unless exempted by the preliminary advantage.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Hiking and cycling

   Spring in the Great Outdoors: Team Challenges

   Mar 30, 2020

   Pairs coordinate portable fruit treats for a hike, then build bicycle scenes from individual Paris-Brest wheels and shared trail backdrops.

   • Preliminary

     Paired hiking treats

     Working in pairs for 90 minutes, make complementary hand-held hiking treats using a shared assigned pineapple, blueberry, raspberry, or peach flavor.

   • Main

     Paris-Brest bicycle scene

     As a team in two hours, make individual Paris-Brest bicycle wheels and combine them into a two-wheeled dessert on an assigned country lane, city park, desert canyon, or vineyard trail backdrop, then add assigned goat cheese, grape, champagne, or fig.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Colorful treats and music

   Trolls World Tour

   Apr 6, 2020

   Tiny monochromatic sweets lead into spring-fruit cakes interpreted through seven musical styles and finished with matching character toppers.

   • Preliminary

     Tiny colorful treats

     In 90 minutes, make twelve tiny treats centered on an assigned green, yellow, blue, red, pink, purple, or orange color.

   • Main

     Musical Troll spring-fruit cake

     In two hours, make a spring-fruit cake inspired by assigned classical, pop, country, hip-hop, funk, techno, or rock music, then add the matching Troll character cake topper.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Minimalism and creative reuse

   Spring Declutter

   Apr 13, 2020

   Nut flours support desserts that are both flourless and flower-less, then yard-sale objects inspire decorative sweets using repurposed kitchen scraps.

   • Preliminary

     Flourless, flower-less minimalist dessert

     In 90 minutes, make a minimalist dessert with no wheat flour and no flower decoration, using assigned pecan, Brazil nut, hazelnut, walnut, almond, or pistachio flour.

   • Main

     Yard-sale object dessert

     In two hours, make a dessert inspired by a selected embroidered runner, cross-stitch, quilt, pillow, sign, or decorated jar, then incorporate a discarded ingredient such as coffee grounds, orange peel, or used tea leaves.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Cherry blossoms and flower crowns

   Spring Flower Power

   Apr 20, 2020

   Cherry desserts combine assigned crumble styles with spring herbs before flower-crown cakes turn specific blooms into edible headpieces.

   • Preliminary

     Cherry, crumb, and herb dessert

     In 90 minutes, make a cherry dessert with assigned crumble, crisp, brown Betty, cobbler, or buckle structure and assigned rosemary, pineapple sage, lemon verbena, lavender, or thyme.

   • Main

     Flower-crown cake

     In two hours, make a cake decorated as an assigned peony, pansy, tulip, poppy, or daffodil flower crown, then add an edible ribbon.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Margaritas and pool floats

   Mom's Spring Getaway

   Apr 27, 2020

   Fruit-and-chile margarita desserts set a vacation mood before realistic pool-float sweets gain edible pools.

   • Preliminary

     Fruit-and-chile margarita dessert

     In 90 minutes, make a margarita-inspired dessert using assigned blackberry and jalapeno, passion fruit and habanero, watermelon and serrano, or mango and bird's-eye chile.

   • Main

     Pool-float look-alike dessert

     In two hours, make a baked dessert that resembles an assigned flamingo, seahorse, peacock, or swan pool float, then place it in an edible pool.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Graduation and prom

   Spring Senioritis - Class of 2020

   May 4, 2020

   The finalists make both rolled and dippable graduation sweets before decade-specific prom cakes take visual direction from live model sketches.

   • Preliminary

     Graduation buffet dessert pair

     In two and a half hours, make two desserts for an assigned kindergarten, high-school, or college graduation buffet: one rolled dessert and one diploma-shaped dessert served with a dipping sauce.

   • Final

     Decade prom cake

     In four hours, create a prom-night cake inspired by the 1950s, 1960s, or 1980s and by a quick sketch made from a matching prom-date model.

   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 7

Cherry Thyme Crumble Bars

Buttery oat bars layered with tart cherries, lemon, and a restrained note of fresh thyme.

Time

1 hr 7 min

Makes

16 bars

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 225 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 260 g all-purpose flour
• 90 g rolled oats
• 150 g light brown sugar
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 450 g pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen
• 80 g granulated sugar, for the filling
• 25 g cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 20 cm square pan with baking paper, leaving an overhang.
2. Mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, 50 g granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir in the melted butter until clumps form.
3. Press two thirds of the mixture firmly into the pan. Bake for 12 minutes, then set aside while making the filling.
4. Toss the cherries with the remaining 80 g sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and thyme. Spread the mixture over the warm base.
5. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the cherries, leaving a few small gaps for steam.
6. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the fruit bubbles at the edges and the crumble is golden.
7. Cool completely in the pan, then chill for one hour before lifting out and cutting into sixteen bars.

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 frozen sour cherries without thawing and add five minutes to the baking time if needed.

Measure the thyme lightly; it should sharpen the cherry flavor rather than dominate it.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. tvguide.com, thetvdb.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, ice.edu.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season seven ranks the bakers on a running Spring Board while ten episodes move from farm breakfasts and international celebrations to cookies, vacations, and a garden finale. This guide records every aired heat and includes one original home adaptation inspired by the pressed-flower party favors.

1. Episode 1 · Farm breakfast and milk

   Spring on the Farm

   Feb 22, 2021

   Fresh vegetables enter breakfast pastries before the bakers turn different milks into playful dancing-cow desserts.

   • Preliminary

     Twelve spring-vegetable breakfast treats

     Bake a dozen breakfast treats in 90 minutes using an assigned fresh spring vegetable such as squash, parsnip, fennel, zucchini, carrot, or beet.

   • Main

     Dancing-cow milk dessert

     Create a dancing-cow dessert in three hours using an assigned dairy or plant milk, then add an edible cowbell.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Holi and St. Patrick's Day

   Spring Celebrations

   Mar 1, 2021

   Holi inspires colorful spiced hand-held sweets, followed by green leprechaun desserts with an Irish-drink twist.

   • Preliminary

     Holi hand-held dessert

     Make a colorful hand-held dessert in 90 minutes using an assigned Indian spice such as cardamom, fenugreek, mace, coriander, or cinnamon.

   • Main

     Leaping-leprechaun dessert

     Create a leprechaun-inspired dessert in three hours with an assigned green ingredient, then incorporate Irish whiskey, Irish breakfast tea, or Irish cream.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Eggs, chicks, and Easter bread

   Spring Bunnies and Chickens, Oh My!

   Mar 8, 2021

   Edible eggs conceal a surprise flavor before the first bread main heat produces giant rabbit-shaped hot cross buns.

   • Preliminary

     Surprise-filled egg dessert

     Create an egg-shaped dessert in 90 minutes with a decorative spring chick and an assigned hidden praline, malted milk, or peanut butter flavor.

   • Main

     Hot cross bunnies with spread

     Bake giant rabbit-shaped hot cross buns in three and a half hours using an assigned dried fruit, then make a complementary jam or spread.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Proposals and weddings

   Spring Romance

   Mar 15, 2021

   Pairs compose proposal plates, then separately design matching halves of a wedding cake without seeing each other's work.

   • Preliminary

     Proposal dessert plate

     Working in pairs, make a proposal dessert plate in 90 minutes using an assigned chocolate-and-berry combination.

   • Main

     Love-is-blind wedding cake

     Each teammate makes one half of a spring wedding cake in three hours without seeing the other half; the joined cake must suit an assigned wedding style and include an aphrodisiac ingredient.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Baby gifts and showers

   Spring Babies

   Mar 22, 2021

   Gift-box disguises showcase paired spring flavors before themed baby-shower towers add coffee to the party.

   • Preliminary

     Baby-gift dessert

     Make a dessert in 90 minutes that resembles a baby-shower gift and uses lemon and thyme, rhubarb and ginger, or kumquat and mint.

   • Main

     Baby-shower dessert tower

     Build a dessert tower in two hours around an assigned baby-shower theme, then incorporate coffee when the twist is announced.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Pressed flowers and floral cakes

   Spring Flower Fiesta

   Mar 29, 2021

   Pressed blooms decorate small party favors before flower-flavored fantasy cakes rise in tiers.

   • Preliminary

     Twelve pressed-flower party favors

     Bake a dozen macarons, mini cakes, or mini pies in 90 minutes and decorate them with pressed dried flowers.

   • Main

     Tiered flower-fantasy cake

     Make a tiered cake in two and a half hours featuring an assigned floral flavor, then add an edible topper representing that flower.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Cookies, fruit, and ice cream

   The Spring Cookie Classic

   Apr 5, 2021

   Mini desserts combine stone fruit, ice cream, and cookie dough before classic cookie flavors inspire larger desserts and matching cookies.

   • Preliminary

     Stone-fruit cookie-and-ice-cream desserts

     Make six mini desserts in 90 minutes using assigned stone fruit, ice cream, and prepared sugar-cookie dough without making ice cream sandwiches.

   • Main

     Classic-cookie-inspired dessert

     Create a dessert in two hours inspired by an assigned classic cookie, then bake six examples of that same cookie style.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Campfires and crafts

   Spring Pastimes

   Apr 12, 2021

   Tropical-fruit skillet sweets suit a campfire, while craft-look cakes reproduce textile techniques in edible form.

   • Preliminary

     Six tropical-fruit skillet desserts

     Bake six campfire-style skillet desserts using an assigned tropical fruit.

   • Main

     Craft-look spring cake

     Decorate a cake to resemble an assigned craft such as needlepoint, lacework, patchwork, knitting, or crochet, then add an edible signature.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Destination desserts and vacations

   Spring Break

   Apr 19, 2021

   International desserts merge with familiar snacks before paired bakes form a vacation landscape.

   • Preliminary

     International-dessert snack mashup

     Combine an assigned international dessert with a familiar sweet snack in 90 minutes.

   • Main

     Two-dessert vacation landscape

     Build a family-vacation dessert scene from two distinct desserts in two and a half hours, then add a cocktail-inspired decorative element.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Songbirds and garden creatures

    Spring Gardens: The Birds and the Bugs

    Apr 26, 2021

    The finale starts with songbird desserts and miniature feeders, then ends with bug-decorated garden cakes hiding a surprise interior.

    • Preliminary

      Spring-songbird dessert

      Make a dessert in two hours inspired by an assigned spring songbird and add a miniature edible bird feeder.

    • Main

      Two-tier spring-garden cake

      Create a two-tier garden cake in five hours with two assigned garden bugs and a surprise design inside one tier.

    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

Orange Blossom Pistachio Mini Cakes

Tender pistachio cakes with orange blossom glaze and a restrained pressed-flower finish.

Time

48 min

Makes

12 mini cakes

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 140 g all-purpose flour
• 60 g finely ground pistachios
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 115 g unsalted butter, softened
• 140 g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 120 ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 120 g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
• Food-safe dried flower petals and chopped pistachios, for finishing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Grease a 12-hole mini-cake or muffin pan.
2. Whisk the flour, ground pistachios, baking powder, and salt.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until pale. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the milk. Divide among the prepared holes.
5. Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until the cakes spring back. Cool for five minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack.
6. Stir the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange blossom water into a thick glaze. Spoon over the cool cakes and finish sparingly with petals and pistachios.

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 only flowers sold as food-safe; florist flowers may be treated with chemicals.

Orange blossom water is potent, so measure it rather than pouring directly from the bottle.

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, en.wikipedia.org.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season eight moves into the Spring Baking Barn for ten farm-centered episodes spanning flowers, Mardi Gras, tea, cherry blossoms, ballparks, and family. This guide records every aired challenge brief and includes one original home adaptation inspired by the oversized coffee-cookie heat.

1. Episode 1 · Fruit tarts and flowers

   Everything's Coming Up Floral

   Feb 28, 2022

   Personality-driven fruit tarts introduce the bakers before floral cakes add edible critters and warming spices.

   • Preliminary

     Six personality fruit tarts

     Make six tarts in 90 minutes with an assigned fruit and a design expressing the baker's personality.

   • Main

     Floral bonanza cake

     Bake a flower-flavored celebration cake in three hours, then top it with an edible critter incorporating an assigned spice or citrus ingredient.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · King cake and parade floats

   Molly's Mardi Gras

   Mar 7, 2022

   King-cake flavors move into two individual bakes before sculpted cakes become Mardi Gras parade floats with beignets.

   • Preliminary

     Two king-cake-flavored baked goods

     Make two baked goods in 90 minutes using the classic king-cake flavors of cinnamon, cream cheese, and rum.

   • Main

     Mardi Gras parade-float cake

     Create a cake resembling a Mardi Gras float with an assigned New Orleans drink or candy flavor, then incorporate six beignets.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Coffee cookies and tea service

   Coffee and Tea with Molly

   Mar 14, 2022

   Coffee drinks flavor giant stuffed cookies, then teams stock an edible tea service with multiple baked goods.

   • Preliminary

     Oversized stuffed coffee cookie

     Bake a supersized, heavily stuffed cookie in 90 minutes flavored like an assigned coffee beverage.

   • Main

     Tea-for-two dessert platter

     In teams, make a tea-party platter with two baked goods per baker plus an edible teapot or set of teacups, using tea across the presentation.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Citrus cakes and reinvented pies

   Spring Surprises

   Mar 21, 2022

   Citrus upside-down cakes hide visual surprises before classic pie flavors receive contemporary forms.

   • Preliminary

     Surprising citrus upside-down cake

     Bake one citrus upside-down cake or six minis using an assigned citrus fruit and an unexpected design or flavor element.

   • Main

     Reinvented classic pie

     Rework an assigned key lime, strawberry-rhubarb, coconut cream, or raspberry chiffon pie into a fresh presentation in three hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Sakura and Japanese flavors

   Cherry Blossom Bake-Off

   Mar 28, 2022

   Sakura flavors a delicate Japanese cheesecake before traditional Japanese ingredients enter tall cherry-blossom cakes.

   • Preliminary

     Sakura Japanese cheesecake

     Bake a light Japanese-style cheesecake flavored with sakura.

   • Main

     Double-barrel cherry-blossom cake

     Build a two-tier double-barrel cherry-blossom cake in three hours using an assigned Japanese flavor, then add a cookie bearing a meaningful word.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Ballpark and potluck sweets

   Take Me Out to the Ballgame

   Apr 4, 2022

   Ballpark snacks become paired treats before a Midwestern-style cookie salad combines fruit, cream, and two cookies.

   • Preliminary

     Two ballpark-snack treats

     Make two desserts inspired by an assigned ballpark food or drink such as peanuts, beer, churros, cotton candy, or corn on the cob.

   • Main

     Fruit cookie salad

     Make a cookie salad in two and a half hours with assigned fruit, cream, and two kinds of cookies including a fudge-striped cookie, then add homemade sprinkles.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Farm breakfast and edible paintings

   Pretty as a Picture

   Apr 11, 2022

   Herbed breakfast pastries balance sweet and savory before palette-knife cakes reproduce scenes from the farm.

   • Preliminary

     Sweet-savory herbed breakfast pastry

     Bake a buttery breakfast treat in 90 minutes that balances sweet and savory elements with an assigned herb.

   • Main

     Palette-knife painting cake

     Make a cake in two and a half hours using a savory ingredient and palette-knife frosting to reproduce an assigned farm scene.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Candy and baby animals

   Sweets and Second Chances

   Apr 18, 2022

   Candy flavors choux pastry before teams build abundant dessert boards around mother-and-baby farm-animal centerpieces.

   • Preliminary

     Candy-inspired choux pastry

     Create a choux-pastry dessert inspired by an assigned candy flavor.

   • Main

     Mother-and-baby animal dessert board

     In pairs, create a spring-abundance dessert board with multiple bakes and an assigned mother-and-baby farm-animal centerpiece.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Cocktails, wine, and cheese

   Farmhouse Chic

   Apr 25, 2022

   Cocktail cupcakes open the semifinal before farmstead cheeses and wines share the spotlight in plated desserts.

   • Preliminary

     Twelve cocktail cupcakes

     Bake a dozen cupcakes in 90 minutes flavored like an assigned cocktail such as a pina colada, sangria, mojito, margarita, or mai tai.

   • Main

     Wine-infused farm-cheese dessert

     Create a dessert in two and a half hours that features an assigned farm-fresh cheese and incorporates wine.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Family recipes and heirlooms

    All About Family

    May 2, 2022

    The finalists reinterpret treasured family recipes, then translate heirloom objects into spring wedding cakes.

    • Preliminary

      Cherished family-recipe dessert

      Bake an elevated dessert rooted in a cherished family recipe and its personal history.

    • Main

      Heirloom wedding cake

      Create a spring wedding cake whose flavors and decoration are inspired by a meaningful family heirloom.

    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

Caramel Macchiato Stuffed Cookies

Large espresso cookies with a soft caramel center and a thin vanilla glaze.

Time

50 min

Makes

8 large cookies

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 8 soft caramel candies
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 225 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 115 g unsalted butter, softened
• 110 g light brown sugar
• 70 g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 80 g white chocolate chips
• 70 g powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Method

1. Microwave the caramels with the cream in short bursts, stirring until smooth. Spoon eight small mounds onto baking paper and freeze until firm.
2. Whisk the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Beat the butter and both sugars until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then mix in the dry ingredients and white chocolate chips.
4. Divide the dough into eight portions. Flatten each, enclose one frozen caramel mound, and seal well. Chill for 30 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 165 C fan. Space the cookies well apart on two lined trays and bake for 13 to 16 minutes.
6. Cool on the trays for ten minutes. Stir the powdered sugar with the milk and drizzle over the cookies.

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 caramel centers stay very hot after baking; let the cookies rest before eating.

Instant espresso powder gives a clean coffee flavor without adding excess liquid.

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, tapinto.net.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season nine frames ten episodes around love, moving from formative desserts and passion to breakups, nostalgia, family, and weddings. This guide records every aired bake, including the finale's elimination round, and adds one original home adaptation inspired by the soda-pop cupcake challenge.

1. Episode 1 · Baking origins and loved ones

   Who Do You Love?

   Mar 6, 2023

   The bakers elevate the sweets that began their careers, then build activity-inspired cakes around berries and citrus.

   • Preliminary

     Elevated formative dessert

     Rework the dessert that first inspired the baker and decorate it with an assigned flower.

   • Main

     Two-tier loved-one activity cake

     Make a two-tier cake depicting a favorite spring activity shared with someone loved, using an assigned berry and adding citrus for the twist.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Aphrodisiacs and chiles

   Spring Passion

   Mar 13, 2023

   Aphrodisiac ingredients spice compact bento cakes before passion fruit and chiles test flavor balance.

   • Preliminary

     Aphrodisiac bento-box cake

     Create a small bento-box cake using an assigned ingredient traditionally associated with romance.

   • Main

     Passion-fruit and chile dessert

     Make a dessert that features passion fruit and an assigned chile while balancing heat, acidity, and sweetness.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Napoleons and breakups

   Ill-Fated Romance

   Mar 20, 2023

   Flavored napoleons lead into paired breakup cakes whose coordinated exteriors conceal opposing flavors.

   • Preliminary

     Assigned-flavor napoleon

     Make a crisp layered napoleon pastry centered on an assigned flavor.

   • Main

     Opposites-attract breakup cakes

     Working in pairs, create two breakup cakes that look related but express opposite flavor profiles.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · April Fools' dessert deceptions

   Fool for Love

   Mar 27, 2023

   A tart wordplay challenge opens April Fools' week before cake is disguised as pie and paired with cheese ice cream.

   • Preliminary

     Fool-themed tart

     Bake a playful April Fools' tart designed to surprise the judges.

   • Main

     Cake disguised as pie

     Make a cake that convincingly looks like a pie, then serve it with a cheese-flavored ice cream.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Stars and spring gardens

   Love in the Great Outdoors

   Apr 3, 2023

   Celestial mousse cakes evoke nights outdoors before teams construct garden-party croquembouche arbors and floral macarons.

   • Preliminary

     Celestial mousse cake

     Create a mousse cake with a celestial design inspired by romantic nights outdoors.

   • Main

     Croquembouche arbor with floral macarons

     In pairs, build a romantic croquembouche arbor and make floral macarons for a spring garden party.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · 1950s soda shops and 1960s style

   Retro Love

   Apr 10, 2023

   Soda-pop cupcakes recall the 1950s before shag-carpet cakes embrace bold 1960s colors and flavor pairings.

   • Preliminary

     Six soda-pop cupcakes

     Bake six cupcakes flavored like an assigned 1950s soda, including cola, grape, ginger ale, cherry, cream soda, root beer, or lemon-lime.

   • Main

     1960s shag-carpet cake

     Create a shag-carpet-style cake using an assigned retro flavor combination.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Comfort bakes and chocolate

   The Things We Bake for Love

   Apr 17, 2023

   Personal muffins celebrate everyday acts of care before assigned chocolate varieties define rich pies.

   • Preliminary

     Love-inspired muffins

     Bake muffins inspired by a person, memory, or gesture of love.

   • Main

     Assigned-chocolate pie

     Make a pie centered on assigned white, milk, ruby, blond, dark, or almond chocolate.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Global dessert flavors

   Love Around the World

   Apr 24, 2023

   Blind-date dessert mashups combine unlikely classics before cheesecakes travel through international flavor traditions.

   • Preliminary

     Blind-date dessert mashup

     Elevate and combine two assigned desserts into one coherent global-flavor mashup.

   • Main

     International cheesecake

     Create a cheesecake inspired by the flavors and dessert traditions of an assigned country.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Tulips and rose wine

   A Mother's Love

   May 1, 2023

   Edible tulip bouquets begin the Mother's Day semifinal, followed by rose-wine desserts and refreshing granitas.

   • Preliminary

     Edible tulip bouquet

     Create a dessert arranged and decorated as a bouquet of spring tulips for Mother's Day.

   • Main

     Rose-wine dessert with granita

     Make a dessert infused with rose wine, then add a complementary granita.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Bridal showers, proposals, and weddings

    Sealing the Deal

    May 8, 2023

    A bridal-shower doughnut duel determines the final three, who then hide engagement rings in proposal desserts and finish with client-specific wedding cakes.

    • Elimination

      Twelve bridal-shower favor doughnuts

      The bottom two bakers make a dozen doughnuts in 60 minutes as bridal-shower favors for either the bride's or groom's guests.

    • Preliminary

      Surprise proposal dessert

      Create a proposal dessert with a reveal that presents an engagement ring.

    • Main

      Client-inspired wedding cake

      In five hours, make a wedding cake tailored to an engaged couple's requested flavor profile and visual style.

    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

Cherry Cola Cupcakes

Chocolate cola cupcakes filled with sour-cherry compote and topped with vanilla frosting.

Time

50 min

Makes

12 cupcakes

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 180 g all-purpose flour
• 35 g cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 120 ml cola
• 120 ml buttermilk
• 80 ml neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 180 g sour-cherry preserves
• 115 g unsalted butter, softened
• 240 g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan. Line a 12-hole muffin pan.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In another bowl whisk the egg, cola, buttermilk, oil, and half the vanilla.
3. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until smooth. Divide among the liners and bake for 18 to 21 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Cut a small core from each cupcake, spoon in cherry preserves, and replace a thin cap of cake.
5. Beat the butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, cream, and remaining vanilla until light.
6. Pipe or spread the frosting over the cupcakes and finish each with a small dot of cherry preserves.

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

Regular cola contributes caramel notes; the cake does not rely on it for lift.

A tart cherry preserve keeps the finished cupcake from becoming overly sweet.

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, realityblurred.com.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season ten celebrates spring events across eleven normalized episodes, from tropical breaks and the equinox to prom, the Derby, music festivals, and a two-part wedding finale. This guide records each aired challenge and includes one original home adaptation inspired by the mint-julep eclair heat.

1. Episode 1 · Tropical flowers and adventures

   Spring Break: Tropical Fun in the Sun

   Mar 4, 2024

   Tropical flowers and ingredients shape the opening desserts before citrus cakes depict favorite outdoor adventures.

   • Preliminary

     Tropical-flower dessert

     Create a baked dessert in two hours modeled on an assigned tropical flower and featuring an assigned tropical ingredient.

   • Main

     Spring-adventure citrus cake

     Make a cake depicting a favorite outdoor spring-break adventure and incorporate an assigned citrus fruit.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Spring equinox and flowers

   Spring Has Sprung: Celebrate the First Day of Spring

   Mar 11, 2024

   Purple ube desserts contrast day and night before flower-shaped dome cakes use blossoms as flavor and decoration.

   • Preliminary

     Day-or-night ube dessert

     Make a purple ube dessert themed around either day or night to represent the spring equinox.

   • Main

     Floral dome cake

     Create a dome cake in two and a half hours using an assigned flower as both the principal flavor and the decoration.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Awards and sparkling celebrations

   Awards Springing Up Everywhere

   Mar 18, 2024

   Berry hand pies arrive as award envelopes before teams make sparkling-wine bubble cakes.

   • Preliminary

     Twelve berry envelope hand pies

     Bake a dozen envelope-shaped hand pies filled with an assigned fresh berry.

   • Main

     Two-tier sparkling bubble cake

     In teams of two, build a two-tier bubble cake flavored like an assigned sparkling-wine cocktail.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Insects and world environments

   Earth Day: Inspired by Bugs!

   Mar 18, 2024

   Insect-inspired plated desserts honor biodiversity before regional baked Alaskas pair global ingredients with dramatic meringue.

   • Preliminary

     Insect-inspired plated dessert

     Create an elevated plated dessert visually inspired by an assigned insect or bug.

   • Main

     Regional baked Alaska

     Make a baked Alaska in two hours inspired by an assigned geographic region and featuring an assigned global ingredient in the ice cream or cake.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Holi and Songkran

   International Spring Celebrations

   Mar 25, 2024

   Holi doughnuts carry Indian flavors before teams honor Thailand's Songkran festival with elephant cakes.

   • Preliminary

     Holi-filled doughnuts

     Make filled doughnuts celebrating Holi with assigned saffron, rose, turmeric, or pistachio flavor.

   • Main

     Songkran elephant cake

     In teams, make a Songkran celebration cake in three hours featuring an elephant and assigned mango, pandan, Thai basil, or coconut flavor.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Prom corsages and gowns

   Going to Prom

   Apr 1, 2024

   Macaron corsages begin prom night before tsunami cakes reveal flowing edible ball gowns.

   • Preliminary

     Macaron corsage

     Create a wearable-looking prom corsage from macarons in 90 minutes.

   • Main

     Prom-gown tsunami cake

     Make a flavored tsunami cake shaped like a prom gown in two hours so the released glaze completes the dress, then add fruit-punch flavor.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Tea parties and May flowers

   April Showers

   Apr 8, 2024

   Tea-party petit fours lead into pull-apart shortcake wreaths built around maypoles and fresh fruit.

   • Preliminary

     Tea-party petit fours

     Make refined petit fours in 90 minutes for an April-showers tea party.

   • Main

     Maypole shortcake wreath

     Create a pull-apart floral wreath from mini shortcakes in two hours, featuring a maypole and an assigned fresh fruit.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Mint juleps and Derby horses

   Derby Day Celebrations

   Apr 15, 2024

   Jockey colors brighten mint-julep eclairs before carrot desserts honor the horses without becoming carrot cake.

   • Preliminary

     Twelve mint-julep eclairs

     Make a dozen eclairs in 90 minutes flavored like an assigned mint-julep variation and decorated in bright jockey-silk colors.

   • Main

     Derby carrot dessert

     Create a non-carrot-cake dessert in two hours featuring carrots, carrot roses, and tempered white-chocolate decoration.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Desert music and New Orleans jazz

   Music Festival

   Apr 22, 2024

   Desert-flavored cupcake crowns resemble succulent headpieces before snowball syrups flavor jazz-inspired entremets.

   • Preliminary

     Succulent cupcake crown

     Design a wearable-style crown of cactus-flower cupcakes with an assigned desert ingredient such as prickly pear, chipotle, dates, or mesquite flour.

   • Main

     Jazz-inspired snowball entremets

     Make an entremets inspired by New Orleans jazz and flavored with an assigned snowball syrup.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Borrowed flavors and heirloom recipes

    Something Borrowed, Something Old

    Apr 29, 2024

    A sudden-death round borrows flavor ideas from rivals before the final three modernize the judges' family recipes.

    • Elimination

      Borrowed-flavor dessert

      The bottom two bakers create desserts based on flavor inspirations borrowed from other semifinalists: key lime pie or tiramisu.

    • Preliminary

      Modernized heirloom dessert

      Reinvent one judge's family recipe: sandwich cookies, tea cakes, or lemon-soda Bundt cake.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

11. Episode 11 · Stained-glass wedding cakes

    The Wedding

    May 6, 2024

    The three finalists complete the wedding celebration with tall cakes based on the stained-glass trend and assigned spring motifs.

    • Main

      Three-tier stained-glass wedding cake

      In five hours, make a three-tier wedding cake using a stained-glass design and an assigned flower-bouquet, bird, or dragonfly theme.

    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 8

Lemon Mint Julep Eclairs

Crisp choux eclairs filled with bourbon-free lemon-mint pastry cream and finished with pale green glaze.

Time

1 hr 25 min

Makes

12 eclairs

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 120 ml water
• 120 ml whole milk
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 140 g all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 480 ml whole milk
• 6 fresh mint leaves
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 35 g cornstarch
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 150 g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• One drop green food coloring, optional

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 C, or 180 C fan. Line two baking sheets.
2. Bring the water, 120 ml milk, 100 g butter, salt, and teaspoon of sugar to a boil. Add the flour at once and stir over medium heat until a film forms on the pan.
3. Cool for five minutes, then beat in the whole eggs one at a time until the choux is glossy. Pipe twelve 11 cm lines.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce the oven to 175 C, or 160 C fan, and bake 18 to 22 minutes more. Pierce each shell and cool.
5. Heat the remaining milk with mint and lemon zest. Whisk 100 g sugar, yolks, and cornstarch, temper with the milk, then cook until thick. Remove the mint and whisk in 30 g butter. Chill covered.
6. Fill the eclairs with pastry cream. Stir the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and optional coloring into a thick glaze and spread over the tops.

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

This family-friendly version evokes mint-julep flavors without bourbon.

Dry choux shells thoroughly in the lowered oven so they remain crisp after filling.

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 10, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, foodsided.com, epguides.com.

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season eleven turns eleven normalized episodes into a Little Shop of Spring Magic, moving through bees, Minecraft, rainbows, illusions, foraging, and a gravity-defying finale. This guide records every aired challenge, including the semifinal bake-off, and includes one original home adaptation inspired by the honey-pie heat.

1. Episode 1 · Personal flowers and honeybees

   Welcome to the Little Shop of Spring Magic

   Mar 10, 2025

   Flower desserts introduce thirteen bakers before assigned honeys flavor showstopper pies and their bee-inspired decorations.

   • Preliminary

     Personality flower dessert

     Create a dessert in two hours based on a flower that symbolizes the baker's personality.

   • Main

     Bee-inspired honey pie

     Make a showstopping pie in two and a half hours featuring an assigned honey and three-dimensional bee-inspired decoration that also uses honey.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Blocky fruit and fantasy landscapes

   The Magical World of Minecraft

   Mar 17, 2025

   Square fruit entremets establish the block theme before paired Overworld and Nether cakes connect through edible portals.

   • Preliminary

     Square fruit entremets

     Make a precisely square entremets centered on an assigned fruit.

   • Main

     Connected Minecraft landscape cakes

     In teams, make complementary Overworld and Nether landscape cakes and connect them with an edible portal.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Madeleines and rainbows

   The Magic of Spring Colors

   Mar 24, 2025

   Tea-flavored madeleines rise into colorful towers before fruit cheesecakes display rainbows outside and ombre layers within.

   • Preliminary

     Tea-flavored madeleine tower

     Build a colorful tower from madeleines in two and a half hours, flavoring them with an assigned tea.

   • Main

     Rainbow fruit cheesecake

     Create a cheesecake in two and a half hours with a rainbow exterior and ombre interior based on an assigned color and fruit.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Dessert illusions

   April Fools': Spring Fake Outs

   Mar 31, 2025

   Chocolate eggs conceal baked whites and yolk-like fillings before full desserts masquerade as savory dinners.

   • Preliminary

     Six faux chocolate eggs

     Make six realistic chocolate-shell eggs in two and a half hours, each containing a baked component and a filling resembling a yolk.

   • Main

     Savory-dinner dessert deception

     Create a complete dessert in three hours that convincingly looks like an assigned savory dinner.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Childhood favorites and clocks

   Spring Forward & Spring Backward

   Apr 7, 2025

   Childhood desserts receive grown-up polish before side-standing cakes turn assigned clocks into edible structures.

   • Preliminary

     Elevated childhood dessert

     Make a refined version of a favorite childhood dessert in 90 minutes.

   • Main

     Top-forward clock cake

     Build a cake standing on its side in two and a half hours and decorate its face after an assigned clock design.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Candles and remixed classics

   Out with the Old, In with the New

   Apr 14, 2025

   Scented-candle ideas become desserts with working edible votives before teams translate carrot cake and lemon meringue pie into four classic forms.

   • Preliminary

     Scented-candle dessert with edible votive

     Make a dessert in 90 minutes inspired by an assigned candle scent and serve its sauce or spread as a working edible votive.

   • Main

     Carrot-cake or lemon-meringue classic remix

     In teams, transform carrot cake or lemon meringue pie into assigned charlotte russe, Paris-Brest, opera cake, or tiramisu for head-to-head judging.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Forest creatures and garden produce

   The Magic of Spring Foraging

   Apr 21, 2025

   Printed roll cakes hide citrus among forest creatures before oversized macarons stack with vegetables and Fresno chile.

   • Preliminary

     Forest-creature printed roll cake

     Make a citrus roll cake in 90 minutes with an imprime pattern depicting a magical forest creature.

   • Main

     Tiered garden macaron cake

     Stack large macarons into a tiered garden cake in two and a half hours using an assigned fresh vegetable, then incorporate Fresno chile.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Butterflies and magical gardens

   Secret Garden

   Apr 28, 2025

   Butterfly napoleons test paired precision before long tabletop cakes turn magical-garden themes and lemongrass into a blind tasting.

   • Preliminary

     Butterfly-shaped napoleon

     In teams of two, make a napoleon in two hours shaped and decorated like an assigned butterfly species.

   • Main

     Magical-garden tabletop cake

     Create a long tabletop sheet cake in two hours based on an assigned magical-garden theme and incorporate lemongrass.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Floating desserts and glowing ice cream

   Floating Islands

   May 5, 2025

   Tropical floating islands sit beneath spun-sugar cages before ice-cream bombes reinterpret flambe desserts with fluorescent color.

   • Preliminary

     Tropical floating island

     Create a floating-island dessert with an assigned tropical fruit and enclose it in a spun-sugar cage.

   • Main

     Glow-in-the-dark ice-cream bombe

     Make an ice-cream-filled cake bombe inspired by an assigned flambe dessert, including alcohol and food-safe fluorescent color.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Fraisier cakes and personal spring desserts

    The Road to the Finale

    May 12, 2025

    Personalized fraisiers identify two safe finalists before the bottom pair bake meaningful spring desserts in sudden death.

    • Preliminary

      Personalized fraisier cake

      Make a classic strawberry fraisier in two hours with a customization that expresses the baker's personality.

    • Elimination

      Personally meaningful spring dessert

      The bottom two bakers have 60 minutes to make a spring dessert with personal meaning; the aired bakes were yuzu-curd pavlovas and cardamom spice cakes.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

11. Episode 11 · Marie Antoinette floral cakes

    Crowning the Champion

    May 19, 2025

    After the semifinal result is revealed, three finalists turn extravagant Marie Antoinette hairstyles into towering floral cakes.

    • Main

      Marie Antoinette hairstyle cake

      In five hours, create a sky-high layer cake based on an assigned spring-garden, sailing-ship, or peacock hairstyle and feature a floral flavor.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

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

Inspired by Episode 1

Orange Blossom Honey Custard Pie

A crisp pastry shell filled with orange-blossom honey custard and finished with sesame-honey brittle.

Time

1 hr 40 min

Makes

One 23 cm pie, serving 8

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 140 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
• 4 large eggs
• 120 g orange blossom honey, divided
• 300 ml heavy cream
• 120 ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 40 g sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt, then rub in the butter until pea-size pieces remain. Add enough ice water to bring the dough together. Flatten, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Roll the dough and line a 23 cm pie pan. Chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan.
3. Line the shell with baking paper and weights. Bake for 18 minutes, remove the weights, and bake for 8 minutes more. Lower the oven to 160 C, or 145 C fan.
4. Whisk the eggs with 90 g honey. Whisk in the cream, milk, vanilla, orange zest, and orange blossom water. Pour into the shell.
5. Bake for 27 to 32 minutes, until the edge is set and the center still trembles slightly. Cool completely.
6. Heat the remaining honey in a small pan until bubbling and amber, stir in the sesame and baking soda, then spread thinly on baking paper. Cool, break into shards, and arrange on the pie just before serving.

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 brittle is the bee-inspired honey decoration; keep it dry until serving.

Orange blossom water is stronger than orange blossom honey, so do not exceed the measured amount.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

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