The Great American Baking Show Season 5

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

The second Holiday Edition season contains eight normalized episodes aired in four two-hour blocks. Its twenty-four challenges cover cakes, bread, spice, desserts, pastry, cookies, advanced French work, and a final assortment of miniature desserts.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cake Week

   Dec 12, 2019

   Cake Week starts with single-layer olive oil cakes, continues with a high-rising angel food technical, and ends with layered chocolate gateaux.

   • Signature

     Single-layer olive oil cake

     Bake a single-layer olive oil cake in two hours, using the oil's character as part of a balanced flavor profile.

   • Technical

     Angel food cake

     Follow Sherry Yard's brief for an angel food cake in two and a half hours, building height and a light crumb from properly whipped egg whites.

   • Showstopper

     Three-layer chocolate gateau

     Use three and a half hours to create a three-layer chocolate gateau with chocolate icing and a finished holiday design.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Bread

   Bread Week

   Dec 12, 2019

   Bread Week progresses from crisp savory breadsticks to a traditional cob loaf and then a large bread sculpture inspired by The Twelve Days of Christmas.

   • Signature

     Twelve savory breadsticks

     Make one dozen savory breadsticks in one hour and 45 minutes, keeping them crisp, evenly shaped, and well flavored.

   • Technical

     Traditional cob loaf

     Reproduce Paul Hollywood's round cob loaf in two and a half hours with a taut shape, scored crust, and fully baked crumb.

   • Showstopper

     Twelve Days of Christmas bread sculpture

     Build a bread sculpture inspired by The Twelve Days of Christmas in four and a half hours, using at least two bread flavors.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Spice

   Spice Week

   Dec 19, 2019

   Spice Week calls for iced cinnamon rolls, jam-filled Linzer cookies, and elaborate gingerbread scenes built around the bakers' holiday ideas.

   • Signature

     Twelve cinnamon rolls

     Bake twelve cinnamon rolls in two and a half hours, finishing them with an icing or drizzle.

   • Technical

     Twelve Linzer cookies

     Make twelve matching Linzer sandwich cookies in one and a half hours with crisp cutouts and a neat jam filling.

   • Showstopper

     Holiday gingerbread scene

     Use five hours to build and decorate a three-dimensional holiday scene from gingerbread.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Desserts

   Dessert Week

   Dec 19, 2019

   Dessert Week tests small shell-shaped cakes, the layered custard and meringue of Queen of Puddings, and tall cheesecake displays with multiple flavors.

   • Signature

     Twenty-four madeleines

     Bake twenty-four madeleines in one hour and 45 minutes, aiming for consistent shells, defined humps, and a delicate crumb.

   • Technical

     Queen of Puddings

     Prepare Queen of Puddings in one hour and 30 minutes, combining a baked custard base, fruit layer, and browned meringue.

   • Showstopper

     Three-tier cheesecake tower

     Build a cheesecake tower of at least three tiers in four and a half hours, with two tiers in one flavor and the third in another.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Pastry

   Pastry Week

   Dec 26, 2019

   Pastry Week moves from a bright citrus tart to sturdy hot-water-crust pies and finishes with coordinated Napoleons and palmiers made from laminated dough.

   • Signature

     Citrus tart

     Bake a citrus tart in one hour and 45 minutes with a crisp shell and a filling that keeps the fruit flavor clear.

   • Technical

     Six hand-raised pies

     Make six freestanding hand-raised pies in two hours and 15 minutes, shaping sturdy pastry walls without conventional tins.

   • Showstopper

     Six Napoleons and twelve palmiers

     Use four and a half hours to make six layered Napoleons and twelve palmiers from well-laminated pastry.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Cookies

   Cookie Week

   Dec 26, 2019

   Cookie Week combines decorated winter sugar cookies, crisp almond-ginger fortune cookies, and a tall tower of delicate macarons.

   • Signature

     Eighteen winter sugar cookies

     Make eighteen decorated winter sugar cookies in two and a half hours with consistent shapes and clean finishes.

   • Technical

     Twelve almond-ginger fortune cookies

     Produce twelve almond-ginger fortune cookies in one and a half hours, shaping each thin cookie while it is still warm.

   • Showstopper

     Macaron tower

     Use four and a half hours to bake, fill, and assemble macarons into a freestanding decorative tower.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Semi-final

   Semi-Final Week

   Jan 2, 2020

   The semifinal tests small savory canapes, four fast-rising souffles, and the many precise sponge, cream, and glaze layers of an Opera cake.

   • Signature

     Two varieties of savory canapes

     Prepare two distinct savory canapes in three hours as a cohesive party platter.

   • Technical

     Four souffles

     Bake four matching souffles in 40 minutes, serving them promptly with an even rise and softly set center.

   • Showstopper

     Opera cake

     Use three and a half hours to build and finish a layered Opera cake with precise sponge, cream, ganache, and glaze.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Final

   Final Week

   Jan 2, 2020

   The last three bakers fill two dozen choux buns, assemble a strawberry Fraisier, and conclude with three different kinds of miniature dessert.

   • Signature

     Twenty-four choux buns

     Make twenty-four filled choux buns in two and a half hours with evenly risen shells and a personal flavor combination.

   • Technical

     Fraisier cake

     Reproduce a Fraisier cake in two and a half hours with visible strawberries, neat sponge layers, set cream, and a clean finish.

   • Showstopper

     Three varieties of miniature desserts

     Use three and a half hours to present three different miniature desserts as a cohesive final display.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

Inspired by the briefs

Bake it at home

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

Inspired by Episode 1

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

A moist single-layer cake with fresh orange and lemon, a fine cornmeal edge, and a simple citrus glaze that keeps the olive oil in balance.

Time

58 min

Makes

One 23 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Easy

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 180 g plain flour
• 35 g fine cornmeal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 180 g granulated sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 160 ml mild extra-virgin olive oil
• 120 ml whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 90 g powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Chopped toasted pistachios, for finishing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175 C, or 155 C fan. Grease a 23 cm round cake pan, line the base with baking paper, and lightly flour the sides.
2. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, rub the granulated sugar with the orange and lemon zest until fragrant. Whisk in the eggs for about 90 seconds, until slightly thickened and pale.
4. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream, followed by the milk and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients just until the batter is smooth.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until the top springs back and a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake onto a rack, remove the paper, and turn it upright to cool completely.
7. Whisk the powdered sugar with the orange and lemon juices to make a thick but pourable glaze. Spoon it over the cooled cake and scatter with pistachios before the glaze sets.

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

Choose an olive oil that tastes fruity rather than aggressively peppery, since its flavor remains noticeable after baking.

The unglazed cake keeps tightly wrapped at room temperature for three days.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

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

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

See every Great American Baking Showwinner, season by season →

Full cast

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

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org.