The Great British Baking Show Season 13 (Bake Off)

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

Series 13 returns to Welford Park for ten weeks that range from classic cake, biscuit, and bread challenges to the show's first Mexican and Halloween weeks. This guide records all 30 broadcast briefs and includes two original home-kitchen adaptations based on documented technical challenges.

1. Episode 1 · Cake

   Cake

   Sep 13, 2022

   The series opens with miniature sandwich cakes, a precisely layered red velvet cake, and detailed cake replicas of homes that carry personal memories.

   • Signature

     12 mini sandwich cakes

     Bake twelve identical miniature sandwich cakes in two hours.

   • Technical

     6-layer red velvet cake

     Build a six-layer red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting between the layers and red crumbs on top in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Cake replica of a former home

     Create a detailed three-dimensional cake version of a home where the baker once lived in four hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

2. Episode 2 · Biscuits

   Biscuits

   Sep 20, 2022

   Biscuit week disguises macarons as other objects, adds a feathered chocolate finish to Garibaldi biscuits, and turns molded biscuit into wearable masks.

   • Signature

     18 decorative illusion macarons

     Make eighteen decorative macarons designed to resemble something other than macarons in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 feathered-chocolate Garibaldi biscuits

     Bake twelve Garibaldi biscuits and finish them with feathered chocolate in one hour and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D biscuit mask

     Construct a three-dimensional biscuit mask in four hours.

   Episode source

3. Episode 3 · Bread

   Bread

   Sep 27, 2022

   Bread week starts with two sharing pizzas, tests laminated pain aux raisins, and interprets the Swedish smorgastarta as an elaborate savory bread centerpiece.

   • Signature

     2 sharing-size pizzas

     Make two sharing-size pizzas in two hours.

   • Technical

     12 pain aux raisins

     Produce twelve laminated pain aux raisins in two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Smorgastarta

     Create an original version of the decorated Swedish sandwich cake in four and a half hours.

   Episode source

4. Episode 4 · Mexican

   Mexican

   Oct 4, 2022

   The first Mexican Week pairs decorated pan dulce with hand-pressed corn tacos, then scales the baking back up for four-layer tres leches cakes.

   • Signature

     12 pan dulce

     Bake twelve individual Mexican sweet breads in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     8 hand-pressed corn tacos with fillings

     Press and cook eight corn tacos and prepare their fillings in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     4-layer tres leches cake

     Create a four-layer sponge cake soaked with three milks in four hours.

   Episode source

5. Episode 5 · Desserts

   Desserts

   Oct 11, 2022

   Dessert week covers individual steamed puddings and a classic lemon meringue pie before hiding a surprise inside a complex multi-element mousse dessert.

   • Signature

     8 individual steamed puddings

     Make eight individual steamed puddings with an accompaniment of the baker's choice in two hours.

   • Technical

     Lemon meringue pie

     Bake a classic lemon meringue pie in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Hidden-surprise mousse dessert

     Produce a three-element mousse dessert with a surprise center and three additional dessert elements in four and a half hours.

   Make our home version →Episode source

6. Episode 6 · Halloween

   Halloween

   Oct 18, 2022

   The first Halloween Week decorates apple cake, turns a campfire snack into a technical test, and suspends sweet-filled edible lanterns above the benches.

   • Signature

     Decorated apple cake

     Bake and decorate an apple cake in two hours.

   • Technical

     8 toasted marshmallow and chocolate s'mores

     Make eight campfire-style s'mores with toasted marshmallow and chocolate in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Edible hanging Halloween pinata lantern

     Construct a hanging edible Halloween lantern filled with sweet treats in four hours.

   Episode source

7. Episode 7 · Custard

   Custard

   Oct 25, 2022

   Custard Week explores poached meringue in creme anglaise, churned pistachio and praline ice cream, and elaborate multi-layered gateaux with a set custard component.

   • Signature

     8 floating islands

     Prepare eight floating islands in 90 minutes.

   • Technical

     6 pistachio and praline ice cream cones

     Make six cones filled with pistachio and praline ice cream in staggered starts over two hours and 45 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     Custard gateau

     Bake a multi-layered gateau featuring a set custard in four hours.

   Episode source

8. Episode 8 · Pastry

   Pastry (Quarterfinals)

   Nov 1, 2022

   The quarterfinal fills vol-au-vents with sweet flavors, fries crisp spring rolls, and tells a childhood story through a scene assembled from multiple pies.

   • Signature

     12 sweet vol-au-vents

     Make twelve vol-au-vents with sweet fillings in two hours.

   • Technical

     8 spring rolls with dipping sauce

     Prepare eight crisp deep-fried spring rolls and a dipping sauce in one hour and 20 minutes.

   • Showstopper

     3D storybook pie scene

     Create a three-dimensional scene inspired by a childhood story or nursery rhyme using at least eight pies in four hours.

   Episode source

9. Episode 9 · Patisserie

   Patisserie (Semi-final)

   Nov 8, 2022

   The semi-final begins with miniature Charlottes, turns shortcrust tart layers vertically, and ends with towering Swedish krokan structures made from almond biscuit dough.

   • Signature

     6 mini Charlottes

     Make six miniature Charlotte desserts in two and a half hours.

   • Technical

     4 chocolate, hazelnut, and raspberry vertical tarts

     Precisely assemble four shortcrust vertical tarts flavored with chocolate, hazelnut, and raspberry in two hours.

   • Showstopper

     Krokan

     Build a multi-tiered Swedish krokan creation from almond biscuit dough in four hours.

   Episode source

10. Episode 10 · Final

    Final

    Nov 15, 2022

    The finalists make a complete seasonal picnic, reuse their signature bread in a summer pudding bombe, and finish with planet-themed edible sculptures demonstrating several baking skills.

    • Signature

      Seasonal picnic

      Use seasonal British ingredients to make six mini cakes, six individual vegetarian pies, six finger sandwiches, and the white loaf needed for those sandwiches in three hours.

    • Technical

      Summer pudding bombe

      Make a summer pudding bombe in two hours, using the unused white loaf from the signature for its outer shell.

    • Showstopper

      Large planet-themed edible sculpture

      Create a large edible sculpture on the theme Our Beautiful Planet with a cake base and three additional baking skills in four and a half hours.

    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

Home-Kitchen Red Velvet Cake

Three red cocoa sponge layers with tangy cream cheese frosting and a fine red crumb finish, scaled for an ordinary oven.

Time

1 hr 13 min

Makes

One 20 cm cake, serving 10

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• 20 g cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring
• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 275 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 400 g full-fat cream cheese, cold
• 150 g unsalted butter for frosting, softened
• 175 g icing sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Grease and line three 20 cm cake pans.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Stir the buttermilk and coloring together separately.
3. Beat the butter and caster sugar until pale, add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla, then fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture.
4. Divide among the pans and bake for 24 to 28 minutes. Cool completely and trim a thin layer from one cake to make crumbs.
5. Beat the frosting butter and icing sugar until smooth, then briefly beat in the cold cream cheese. Layer and coat the cakes, and press the reserved red crumbs around the top edge.

This is a Baking Show Guide adaptation with three domestic-oven layers, not a contestant recipe or an official show recipe.

Stop mixing as soon as the cream cheese is incorporated so the frosting remains firm.

Open the full recipe →

Inspired by Episode 5

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

A crisp pastry shell filled with sharp lemon custard and topped with a tall, lightly browned meringue.

Time

1 hr 32 min

Makes

One 23 cm pie, serving 8

Level

Medium

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 250 g plain flour
• 125 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 40 g icing sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 4 tablespoons cornflour
• 175 g caster sugar, divided
• Finely grated zest and 150 ml juice from 3 to 4 lemons
• 250 ml water
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 40 g unsalted butter

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour and icing sugar, add the egg yolk and enough cold water to form a dough, then chill for 30 minutes.
2. Roll into a 23 cm tart tin, chill again, and blind bake at 190 C, or 170 C fan, for 18 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for 6 minutes more.
3. Whisk cornflour with 75 g caster sugar, lemon zest, juice, and water. Cook until thick, remove from the heat, and beat in the four egg yolks and butter. Pour into the warm shell.
4. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, gradually add the remaining 100 g sugar, and beat to a glossy firm meringue. Spread over the hot filling, sealing it to the pastry edge.
5. Bake at 180 C, or 160 C fan, for 15 to 18 minutes until lightly browned. Cool fully before slicing.

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

Adding the meringue while the filling is hot helps the layers bond and reduces weeping.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk, channel4.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

See every Great British Baking Showwinner, season by season →

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 13, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

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