The Great Australian Bake Off Season 1

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

The inaugural Australian season runs for eight episodes, moving from cakes and pies through biscuits, tarts, bread, desserts, and pastry before a three-part finale. This guide records each televised challenge brief and includes one original home-kitchen adaptation inspired by the competition.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Jul 9, 2013

   The opening round tests small decorated cakes, precise internal patterning, and a large celebration cake designed for children.

   • Signature

     24 cupcakes in two flavours

     Bake 12 cupcakes in each of two different flavours within two hours.

   • Technical

     Chocolate and orange checkerboard cake

     Produce a four-layer chocolate and orange cake with a clean checkerboard pattern revealed when sliced.

   • Showstopper

     Children's party cake

     Create and decorate a large party cake for children within five hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Pies

   Pies

   Jul 16, 2013

   Pie week moves from a lidded family pie to lemon meringue precision, then finishes with a large assortment of individual savoury pastries.

   • Signature

     Lidded family pie

     Make a sweet or savoury family-sized pie with a pastry lid in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Lemon meringue pie

     Bake a lemon meringue pie with cooked pastry, a set lemon filling, and crisp meringue.

   • Showstopper

     Party pies, pasties, and sausage rolls

     Produce 12 party pies, 12 pasties, and 12 sausage rolls within four hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Jul 23, 2013

   The bakers begin with two Australian biscuit varieties, tackle shaped brandy snaps, and scale up to freestanding gingerbread construction.

   • Signature

     24 Australian assortment biscuits

     Make two classic Australian biscuit varieties, presenting 12 matching biscuits of each type in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     12 brandy snaps

     Bake 12 brandy snaps measuring about 12 cm long, filling 10 with cream and leaving two unfilled for the snap test.

   • Showstopper

     Gingerbread structure

     Build a freestanding gingerbread structure within four hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Tarts

   Tarts

   Jul 30, 2013

   Tart week contrasts an upside-down free-choice tarte tatin with a rough-puff quiche and a balanced collection of fruit and chocolate tartlets.

   • Signature

     Tarte tatin

     Prepare a personal sweet or savoury tarte tatin within two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Quiche Lorraine

     Make a Quiche Lorraine with rough puff pastry in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     12 miniature sweet tarts

     Present 12 miniature sweet tarts, divided equally between fruit and chocolate varieties.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Bread

   Bread

   Aug 6, 2013

   Bread week examines free-form loaves and enriched coffee scrolls before asking for two roll flavours displayed in a bread basket.

   • Signature

     Free-form loaf

     Bake a loaf without using a tin, choosing the dough style and flavourings, in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Coffee scrolls

     Follow Dan Lepard's brief for cinnamon-and-sultana coffee scrolls finished with coffee glaze in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Bread basket with 24 rolls

     Make a display bread basket and 24 rolls in two different flavours within four hours; the basket itself did not have to be edible.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Aug 13, 2013

   Dessert week starts with baked cheesecake, adds a layered pavlova and sugar-work test, and culminates in a tiered celebration dessert.

   • Signature

     Large baked cheesecake

     Bake one large cheesecake with a base and flavours of the baker's choice in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Layered pavlova torte

     Create a three-layer pavlova torte filled with whipped cream and summer fruit, then finish it with handmade strawberry sugar art in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Tiered celebration cake

     Construct a celebration cake with at least two tiers.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Aug 20, 2013

   The semifinal tests gluten-free tart pastry, laminated croissants, and hand-stretched strudel in three distinct formats.

   • Signature

     Gluten-free fruit tart

     Bake a gluten-free fruit tart serving eight within two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Six croissants with jam

     Laminate and bake six croissants in four hours, accompanied by a jam of the baker's choice.

   • Showstopper

     Large strudel

     Make a sweet or savoury strudel large enough to serve eight in two and a half hours.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Final

   Finale

   Aug 27, 2013

   The finalists are judged on a large layered gateau, three differently flavoured choux nuns, and a coordinated assortment of petits fours.

   • Signature

     Large multi-layered gateau

     Create a large gateau with multiple layers within three and a half hours.

   • Technical

     Three religieuses

     Make three choux religieuses, one each in chocolate, coffee, and rose flavours, within two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     36 petits fours

     Present three different petits fours, making 12 matching pieces of each type.

   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

Chocolate Orange Checkerboard Cake

A four-layer vanilla-orange and chocolate sponge assembled to reveal a checkerboard interior, with a simple dark chocolate coating.

Time

1 hr 19 min

Makes

One 20 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Intermediate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 250 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the pans
• 250 g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 250 g self-raising flour
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 220 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 220 ml double cream
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade, warmed and strained

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Grease two 20 cm round cake pans and line the bases with baking paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour and milk.
3. Divide the batter equally between two bowls. Stir the orange zest and vanilla into one bowl. Mix the cocoa with the hot water, then fold it into the second bowl.
4. Spread each batter in a prepared pan. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until the centers spring back. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn onto a rack and cool completely.
5. Level each cake and split it horizontally to make two orange layers and two chocolate layers. Use 7 cm and 14 cm round cutters or paper templates to cut three concentric rings from every layer.
6. Reassemble each layer by alternating orange and chocolate rings. Brush adjoining edges lightly with marmalade so the rings hold together, then stack the layers with alternating colors and a thin smear of marmalade between them.
7. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream until steaming, pour it over the chocolate, and rest for 2 minutes before stirring smooth. Cool until spreadable, then coat the top and sides of the cake.

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

Chill the assembled cake for 20 minutes before coating it if the rings feel loose.

Cut straight down with a warm, dry knife to keep the checkerboard pattern sharp.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

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

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

See every Great Australian Bake Offwinner, season by season →

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 1, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.