The Great Australian Bake Off Season 2

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Season two expands to ten themed episodes and the familiar three-round structure. The briefs cover cakes, biscuits, choux, pies, chocolate, bread, desserts, pastry, classics, and a final in which the last showstopper allows free choice.

1. Episode 1 · Cakes

   Cakes

   Oct 13, 2015

   The new bakers introduce their style with a family cake, reproduce a fruit-rich Australian technical, and hide a design inside a celebration cake.

   • Signature

     Family-sized signature cake

     Bake a family-sized cake that expresses the baker's personal style within two hours.

   • Technical

     Three Constitution cakes

     Follow Maggie Beer's recipe for three small Constitution cakes made with native Australian fruits and icing in two and a half hours.

   • Showstopper

     Hidden design cake

     Create a cake in five hours with a deliberate pattern or picture visible only when the cake is cut.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Oct 20, 2015

   Biscuit week combines filled pairs, crisp fried pastry shells, and a large edible scene built for both flavour and structure.

   • Signature

     12 filled biscuits

     Present 12 matching biscuits sandwiched or otherwise finished with a filling.

   • Technical

     12 cannoli

     Make 12 crisp cannoli with evenly shaped shells and a finished filling.

   • Showstopper

     Biscuit scene

     Construct a creative edible scene from biscuits, balancing decoration with good flavour.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Choux pastry

   Choux

   Oct 27, 2015

   A full choux episode progresses from individual eclairs to a Paris-Brest and an elaborate Gateau St Honore centerpiece.

   • Signature

     12 sweet eclairs

     Bake and fill 12 individual sweet eclairs with a consistent shape and finish.

   • Technical

     Paris-Brest

     Produce the ring-shaped choux pastry Paris-Brest with an even bake and piped filling.

   • Showstopper

     Gateau St Honore centerpiece

     Build a Gateau St Honore centerpiece, choosing the flavours and decorative treatment.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Pies

   Pies

   Nov 3, 2015

   The bakers make individual savoury pies, tackle a complex citrus-chocolate meringue tart, and decorate a deep-dish fruit pie.

   • Signature

     Six individual savoury pies

     Bake six matching individual savoury pies with well-cooked pastry and a balanced filling.

   • Technical

     Blood orange and chocolate vincotto meringue tart

     Make a blood orange and chocolate vincotto meringue tart in a hazelnut pastry shell.

   • Showstopper

     Decorated deep-dish fruit pie

     Create a deep-dish fruit pie with a carefully decorated pastry top.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Chocolate

   Chocolate

   Nov 10, 2015

   Chocolate week moves from a decorated brownie tray to a four-layer Black Forest gateau and a centerpiece using white, milk, and dark chocolate.

   • Signature

     Tray of decorated brownies

     Bake a tray of brownies, then portion and decorate the pieces for presentation.

   • Technical

     Four-layer Black Forest gateau

     Reproduce a four-layer Black Forest gateau combining chocolate cake, cherries, and cream.

   • Showstopper

     Three-chocolate centerpiece

     Construct a chocolate centerpiece that visibly incorporates white, milk, and dark chocolate.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Bread

   Bread

   Nov 17, 2015

   Bread week covers filled and flavoured flatbreads, precisely shaped seeded rolls, and an enriched stollen display.

   • Signature

     12 savoury flatbreads

     Make 12 savoury flatbreads, with six flavoured through the dough and six enclosing a filling.

   • Technical

     Eight seeded knotted rolls

     Bake eight identical knotted bread rolls finished with pepita, poppy, and sesame seeds.

   • Showstopper

     Stollen centerpiece

     Turn enriched stollen dough into a decorative centerpiece.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Nov 24, 2015

   Dessert week tests hot individual puddings, a dried-apricot pavlova technical, and a spectacular three-tier presentation.

   • Signature

     Five individual hot puddings

     Serve five matching individual sweet puddings while they are still hot.

   • Technical

     Three-layer dried apricot pavlova

     Build Maggie Beer's pavlova with three meringue layers and dried apricot components.

   • Showstopper

     Three-tiered dessert

     Create a spectacular dessert presentation arranged across three tiers.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Pastry

   Pastry

   Dec 1, 2015

   The pastry episode spans two varieties of bite-sized savouries, a mushroom pithivier, and a decorated strudel centerpiece.

   • Signature

     12 miniature savoury pastries

     Make six pieces each of two different miniature savoury pastries.

   • Technical

     Mushroom, thyme, and leek pithivier

     Prepare a domed puff-pastry pithivier filled with mushroom, thyme, and leek.

   • Showstopper

     Decorated strudel centerpiece

     Create a large strudel and present it as a decorated centerpiece.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Classic bakes

   Classics

   Dec 8, 2015

   The semifinal revisits doughnuts and a sharp passionfruit tart before asking for a multi-item high tea with an Australian element.

   • Signature

     Eight doughnuts

     Produce eight signature doughnuts with the baker's chosen dough, filling, and finish.

   • Technical

     Passionfruit tart

     Make a passionfruit tart with crisp pastry and a properly set filling.

   • Showstopper

     Sweet high tea

     Present at least three different sweet high-tea items, including one bake with an Australian theme.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Finale

    Dec 15, 2015

    The final pairs precise vanilla slices with a ten-layer cornucopia cake before giving each baker complete control of the last showstopper.

    • Signature

      12 vanilla slices

      Present 12 signature vanilla slices with crisp pastry, neat custard layers, and a clean finish.

    • Technical

      Ten-layer cornucopia cake

      Reproduce Maggie Beer's cornucopia cake with ten distinct layers.

    • Showstopper

      Free-choice final showstopper

      Design and execute any showstopper the finalist chooses as the season's last bake.

    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 9

Passionfruit Curd Tart

A crisp sweet pastry shell filled with a bright, gently set passionfruit curd for a practical home version of the semifinal technical.

Time

1 hr 7 min

Makes

One 23 cm tart, serving 10

Level

Intermediate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 225 g plain flour
• 40 g icing sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 115 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 140 g caster sugar
• 150 ml strained passionfruit pulp, reserving 2 tablespoons seeds if desired
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 120 g unsalted butter, cubed
• Pinch of fine salt

Method

1. Whisk the flour, icing sugar, and salt. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, then mix in the egg yolk and enough water to bring the dough together.
2. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll it to 3 mm thick and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart pan. Chill for another 20 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 190 C, or 170 C fan. Line the pastry with baking paper and weights, bake for 18 minutes, then remove the weights and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until evenly golden. Cool in the pan.
4. Whisk the whole eggs, extra yolks, sugar, passionfruit pulp, lemon juice, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Set over barely simmering water and stir continuously until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon.
5. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time. Stir in the reserved seeds if using, then pour the curd into the cooled shell.
6. Chill for at least 4 hours, until the filling is set. Remove the tart from the pan and let it stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

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

Do not let the curd bowl touch the simmering water or the eggs may scramble.

For cleaner slices, wipe the knife after every cut.

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 2, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

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