Host Jesse Palmer challenges the final four bakers to make a Parisian café favorite, a strawberry fraisier cake, that makes a bold statement in flavor and design. The top two bakers automatically move on to the final bake, and the bottom two have a bake-off, making one item that could "fix everything" and has a significant personal story. The fate of the bakers is in the hands of judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown and Nancy Fuller, as they decide who will move on to the finale.
To culminate the season of love, host Jesse Palmer is throwing a Spring Baking wedding! Before the wedding can take place, the bottom two bakers each create a dozen doughnut wedding shower favors for a place in the final bake. Then, the final three create proposal desserts and dream wedding cakes for three real couples. The baker who wins the hearts of the happy pair along with judges Duff Goldman, Nancy Fuller and Kardea Brown will be crowned Spring Baking Champion and win $25,000!
After traveling all over, host Jesse Palmer lands in the Big Apple for some finale fireworks! Everything is decked out in red, white and blue for his 4th of July backyard barbecue, so the bakers must create red, white and "woo-hoo" desserts using summer favorites like strawberries, blueberries and white peaches. Then, judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips get blown away by 4th of July exploding fireworks cakes as they decide which baker will be crowned Summer Baking Champion and awarded $25,000!
In the skills challenge, host Jesse Palmer asks the 10 remaining chefs to reinvent a classic, recognizable dessert, such as strawberry shortcake or s'mores, by giving it a modern, science-driven twist. Then, for the master challenge, the chefs turn their focus to a dessert that is modern and trendy -- a geometric layered mousse cake. To impress judges Duff Goldman and Amaury Guichon, the bakers must craft a layered mousse cake inspired by an assigned conceptual theme such as "smoky and mysterious" or "bright and citrusy."
Host Jesse Palmer challenges the seven remaining chefs to find inspiration in an unlikely place -- a gas station snack aisle. The bakers must choose from a carousel of grab-and-go snacks, like cream-filled mini cakes, cheese crackers, honey buns, and peanut butter pretzels, to inspire their next creation. Then, in the master challenge, the chefs take on a classic dessert, like an opera cake or a Sachertorte, and reinterpret it through their own unique lens for judges Duff Goldman and Zac Young.
Host Jesse Palmer throws a holiday cookie exchange party, and the bakers must create flavor-forward seasonal cookies -- but no decorated sugar cookies or gingerbread allowed! Judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Nancy Fuller decide the winner of the preheat in a blind tasting, and the bakers get to vote for their favorite cookie as well! Then, the bakers must rise to the occasion by making holiday cookie cakes that feature two different types of cookies, a minimum of four layers and a flavor twist to help wash it all down.
Some of the tastiest treats of Hanukkah are gold-covered chocolate coins, and Jesse Palmer challenges the four remaining bakers to give the classic treat a twist by incorporating candied orange, espresso beans, smoked salt or toasted coconut and create a dessert highlighting their chosen flavor. In the second challenge, the competitors bake up delicious cheesecakes with an assigned crust and decorated with an edible shiny ice rink on top. Judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Lorraine Pascale get serious about which three bakers move on to the finale.
With the holidays fast approaching, host Jesse Palmer gets into the Hanukkah spirit by asking the bakers to create ugly sweater cakes using halvah as a featured ingredient. Then, the competitors feel the holiday rush as they quickly transform a basic store-bought cake into a tasty centerpiece for a dessert table. Finally, the bakers face the final crunch with a fast holiday decoration: a snowman croquembouche. When the flour settles, one competitor heads for the exit as judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall send the remaining bakers to the finale!
Touchdown! For many families, Thanksgiving day means food and football! When host Jesse Palmer watches football, his must-have dish is 7-layer dip, so he challenges the bakers to create holiday 7-layer desserts inspired by his favorite snack. Then in the main heat, the games continue with the first ever Thanksgiving pie-off, where bakers go head-to-head baking the same flavor pie to win over judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Nancy Fuller. The losing baker in each match automatically lands in the bottom.
With the popularity of English period dramas at an all-time high, host Jesse Palmer dons a Regency-era waistcoat and challenges the bakers to create a splendid holiday high tea. In the Main Heat, it's all about the rom-com as bakers use an ingredient inspired by a holiday movie trope to create a dessert that's dripping with festive decorations. After all the desserts are tasted by judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall, one baker will be sent out the door as the credits roll.