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Eight of America's most-talented bakers will go head-to-head at the oven for the chance to claim $25,000 and the title of Best Baker in America after weeks of demanding challenges.
2018
Nine elite professional bakers gather to begin the first in a series of 14 challenges designed to test the limits of their baking mastery. In the master challenge, the bakers must create a mind-bending cake using vanilla as the featured flavor.
The remaining eight bakers are charged with making perfect wedding-themed mini mousse cakes in the Skills Challenge. In the Master Challenge, the bakers must create a croquembouche-inspired wedding tower that includes two types of pastry and uses champagne as the featured flavor.
The seven remaining bakers begin by making perfect strawberry shortcake in the Skills Challenge. In the Master Challenge, the bakers must create a "fire and ice" dessert that features one frozen element, one bruleed element and has mint as the featured flavor.
The six bakers left in the competition face a Skills Challenge to create flawless mini Boston cream pies. For the Master Challenge, they're asked to bake their version of the "ultimate" New York cheesecake with apple as the featured flavor.
The five remaining bakers must make mini meringue pies in the Skills Challenge. In the Master Challenge, they're challenged to feature raspberry flavor in a classical French layered meringue cake called a marjolaine.
The four remaining bakers have one more chance to get into the Best Baker in America finale. Their Skills Challenge is to make historic Mont Blanc cakes, which are tarts topped with a tower of chestnut paste. In the Master Challenge, the bakers have to make a striking cake called a Charlotte Royale -- also known as "brain cake" -- with peanut butter as the featured flavor.
In what is becoming a Best Baker in America tradition, the finale is all about the world's most beloved ingredient -- chocolate. In the Skills Challenge, the three remaining bakers must create a perfect version of the glazed Austrian chocolate cake called sachertorte. The final Master Challenge is to create the ultimate chocolate cake for 100 people that features caramel flavor and elaborate chocolate decorations, three types of chocolate and three flavors of chocolate bonbons.
2019
The competition begins with nine of America's top professional bakers. Host Scott Conant announces a royal baking theme and challenges the competitors to create perfect mini princess cakes. In the Master Challenge, the bakers have to create spectacular royal baby celebration cakes for 100 people using elderflower and lemon as the featured flavors. Judges Marcela Valladolid, Jason Smith and Zac Young deliberate, and one baker is eliminated.
The theme is surprises, and the eight competitors are tasked with showing their mastery of molten lava cakes. In the Master Challenge, the bakers must create smashable desserts using meringue, sugar or chocolate and coconut as the featured flavor. Acclaimed pastry chef Sherry Yard joins judges Marcela Valladolid and Jason Smith to decide which baker goes home.
The seven remaining bakers start out by making perfect floating island desserts. In the Master Challenge, host Scott Conant asks them to create a flaming bombe Alaska with mango as the featured flavor. Chocolatier Valerie Gordon joins judges Jason Smith and Marcela Valladolid to deliberate and give one baker their marching orders.
Host Scott Conant challenges the six bakers left in the competition to recreate a beloved French classic, the eclair. For the Master Challenge, the competitors have to reimagine a classic French entremet cake using almond as the featured flavor. French pastry chef Florian Bellanger joins judges Jason Smith and Marcela Valladolid to decide which baker is sent home.
The five remaining bakers start by making Toy Story-themed mini desserts perfect for a movie premiere party. For the Master Challenge, host Scott Conant challenges the competitors to each choose a character from Toy Story 4 to replicate in cake, and they have to include a flavor that speaks to the spirit of their character. Pastry chef Shinmin Li joins judges Jason Smith and Marcela Valladolid to eliminate one baker from the competition.
It's the last chance to get into the finale, and host Scott Conant challenges the four remaining bakers to make miniature versions of two pastry classics. In the Master Challenge, they each create a tall dessert of their choosing with at least 12 solid layers and sesame as the featured flavor. Pastry chef Nancy Silverton joins judges Jason Smith and Marcela Valladolid to decide which three bakers move on to the finale.
The pressure mounts in the chocolate-themed finale as host Scott Conant challenges the three remaining bakers to create grown-up versions of a brownie sundae. Then the Master Challenge is to make a Happy Birthday USA chocolate fireworks cake to celebrate July 4th! The elaborately decorated cake for 100 people must feature fireworks-themed chocolate and sugar decorations, three types of chocolate and two types of macarons with salty snacks as the featured ingredient. Bakery owner Elizabeth Chambers joins judges Jason Smith and Marcela Valladolid to choose the winner of the title Best Baker in America.
2021
Ten world-class bakers compete for bragging rights and a cash prize in this competition hosted by Carla Hall. This season, the baking challenges focus on creating elegant and delicious versions of classic American desserts from 16 different states.
Host Carla Hall gives the nine bakers their Mid-Atlantic-themed master challenge: making their own upscale version of Maryland's Smith Island cake that incorporates a classic Maryland ingredient, boardwalk popcorn. In the bake-off round, the least successful bakers must make a dessert inspired by the Pennsylvania classic shoofly pie. Carla and judges Gesine Prado and Jason Smith eliminate one baker from the competition.
The competition heads west toward the Rockies as the eight bakers must feature Montana and Idaho's beloved huckleberries in their huckleberry pie-embouche pastry tower for the master challenge. In the bake-off challenge, it's time to get jiggly and honor Utah's state snack -- gelatin -- with a visually stunning creation containing both baked and gelatin components. Host Carla Hall and judges Gesine Prado and Jason Smith evaluate the desserts and give one baker their marching orders.
The seven bakers left in the competition are tasked with putting their own spin on kuchen, the official state dessert of South Dakota. The featured flavor is cookies, and they have to serve their kuchen with a side of ice cream. The competitors in the bake-off challenge must do a switcheroo with Minnesota's scotcheroo bar, making a new dessert using its classic ingredients of chocolate, peanut butter, rice cereal and butterscotch. Host Carla Hall and judges Gesine Prado and Jason Smith decide which baker to send home.
The competition's six remaining bakers must turn Michigan's bumpy cake into a bumpy entremets using the featured flavor of cherries in the master challenge. In the bake-off, the competitors have to make mini versions of Missouri's beloved gooey butter cake, and then host Carla Hall and judges Gesine Prado and Jason Smith eliminate one baker from the competition.
Host Carla Hall challenges the five remaining bakers to reinvent the Boston cream pie using that great Massachusetts ingredient, coffee syrup. In the bake-off, the competitors learn that Maine was the first state ever to make whoopie pies, and they're tasked with creating beautiful plated desserts based on this favorite treat. Carla and the judges, Gesine Prado and Jason Smith, decide which baker's time in the competition has come to an end.
With one last chance to claim a spot in the finale, the bakers get creative with Nevada's Basque cake using Southwest chile peppers as the featured flavor. Then they must combine New Mexico's state cookies, biscochitos, and flan into an original dessert.
The pressure peaks in the Best Baker in America finale as host Carla Hall challenges the bakers to turn California's famous chiffon cake into the hottest cake sensation -- a tsunami cake -- featuring lemons and avocados, ingredients commonly associated with the Golden State. In the final bake-off, the competitors are baking to win as they each build a 2-foot-tall Hawaiian-themed dessert showpiece featuring lilikoi (passionfruit), haupia (coconut custard), malasada (Hawaiian doughnuts) and intricate chocolate work. Finally, Carla and judges Gesine Prado and Jason Smith decide which baker has earned the title of Best Baker in America!
Carla Hall
2017
Eight of America's top bakers gather to put their baking brilliance to the test. Host Adam Rapoport announces that in the first skills challenge, the bakers must create flawless mini upside-down cakes.
