Junior Bake Off Season 11

Complete season breakdown

Every episode and bake

The eleventh series splits 16 bakers across two five-day heats, each moving through Cake, Biscuit, Bread, Dessert, and Pastry days. Eight bakers then enter four themed Finals Week rounds before a Summer Day Out final. Channel 4's episode records, press pack, and official winner release directly document all 15 dates and both challenges in every episode.

1. Episode 1 · Victoria sandwich novelties and mascot cakes

   Cake Day - Heat 1

   Jan 5, 2026

   The first heat puts a visual twist on the Victoria sandwich before the bakers recreate their lucky mascots as cakes.

   • Technical

     Victoria Sandwich Sandwiches

     Make Rav's novelty version of the classic Victoria sandwich; Channel 4 names the bake but does not publish its count, size, or exact construction.

   • Showstopper

     My Mascot Cake

     Recreate a personal or lucky mascot in cake form, using shape and decoration to make the subject recognisable.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

2. Episode 2 · Baseball-cap pinatas and a future giant cookie

   Biscuit Day - Heat 1

   Jan 6, 2026

   A baseball-themed pinata biscuit tests construction before a giant cookie looks two decades into the baker's future.

   • Technical

     Baseball Cap Pinata Biscuits

     Make Liam's baseball-cap-shaped pinata biscuits, creating a recognisable cap and a concealed pinata element; no quantity is published.

   • Showstopper

     Twenty Years from Now Giant Cookie

     Bake and decorate a giant cookie depicting the baker's imagined life 20 years in the future.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

3. Episode 3 · Pizza pocket rockets and bread role models

   Bread Day - Heat 1

   Jan 7, 2026

   The bakers turn filled pizza dough into rockets, then sculpt bread models that represent people they admire.

   • Technical

     Pizza Pocket Rockets

     Make Liam's rocket-themed pizza pockets, enclosing a pizza-style filling in shaped bread dough; the source gives no count or filling formula.

   • Showstopper

     Bread Roll Models

     Recreate a personal role model in bread form, using shaped rolls or bread elements to communicate the chosen figure.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

4. Episode 4 · Seashell meringues and memory brownies

   Dessert Day - Heat 1

   Jan 8, 2026

   Delicate meringues take a seaside shape before decorated brownies tell the story of a treasured day.

   • Technical

     Meringue Seashells

     Make Rav's seashell-shaped meringues, aiming for clean shell forms and properly dried meringue; exact flavour and quantity are not published.

   • Showstopper

     Best Day of My Life Brownies

     Create a brownie showstopper depicting the best day of the baker's life, using decoration and arrangement to tell the story.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

5. Episode 5 · Eclairs and a savoury pastry self-portrait

   Pastry Day - Heat 1

   Jan 9, 2026

   A classic eclair Technical comes before a savoury pie that turns each baker's face and personality into pastry art.

   • Technical

     Rav's eclairs

     Make Rav's eclairs, controlling the choux pastry, filling, and finish; Channel 4 does not publish the flavour, count, or decoration.

   • Showstopper

     Savoury Self Pie-Trait

     Create a savoury pie self-portrait, using pastry and filling to represent the baker's appearance or personality.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

6. Episode 6 · Lambingtons and nightmare cakes

   Cake Day - Heat 2

   Jan 12, 2026

   The second heat recreates an Australian cake classic with a playful lamb theme, then transforms each baker's worst nightmare into cake.

   • Technical

     Lambingtons

     Make Liam's Lambingtons, a playful treatment of the Australian lamington; the direct sources do not state the exact shape, flavour, or count.

   • Showstopper

     My Worst Nightmare Cake

     Create a cake depicting the baker's worst nightmare, making the frightening idea legible through cake construction and decoration.

   Make our home version →Episode source 1Episode source 2

7. Episode 7 · A giant gooey cookie and record-breaking biscuits

   Biscuit Day - Heat 2

   Jan 13, 2026

   The Technical goes large with a warm cookie-and-ice-cream combination before the bakers chase imagined records through biscuits.

   • Technical

     Giant Gooey Cookie and Ice Cream

     Make Rav's giant gooey cookie with ice cream, balancing a soft-centered large biscuit with the cold accompaniment.

   • Showstopper

     Record Breaker Biscuits

     Create biscuits inspired by a record the baker would like to break, using the display to make that achievement clear.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

8. Episode 8 · Pumpkin-spiced bread and inner-animal sculpture

   Bread Day - Heat 2

   Jan 14, 2026

   A pumpkin-spiced loaf tests bread fundamentals before the bakers model the animals they feel represent them.

   • Technical

     Pumpkin Spiced Bread

     Make Liam's pumpkin-spiced bread, developing the dough and named flavour while achieving a complete bake; the official brief gives no shape or size.

   • Showstopper

     My Inner Animal Bread

     Create an animal that represents the baker in bread form, balancing sculptural character with a well-proved and well-baked loaf.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

9. Episode 9 · Bronuts and budget-themed cream pies

   Dessert Day - Heat 2

   Jan 15, 2026

   A brownie-and-doughnut mash-up precedes cream pies inspired by how each baker would spend pocket money.

   • Technical

     Bronuts

     Make Liam's Bronuts, a brownie-and-doughnut mash-up; Channel 4 does not publish the exact method, coating, or quantity.

   • Showstopper

     Pocket Money Cream Pies

     Create cream pies themed around what the baker would buy with pocket money, expressing the choice through flavour and decoration.

   Episode source 1Episode source 2

10. Episode 10 · Pasty pops and a choux dream team

    Pastry Day - Heat 2

    Jan 16, 2026

    Savoury cheese-and-onion pastries are presented on sticks before stacked choux buns become a tribute to a chosen dream team.

    • Technical

      Cheese and Onion Pasty Pops

      Make Rav's cheese-and-onion pasties in pop form, enclosing the savoury filling and presenting the pastries on sticks; no count is stated.

    • Showstopper

      Dream Team Religieuse

      Create religieuse pastries representing a personal dream team, using filled, stacked choux buns and decoration to identify the group.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

11. Episode 11 · Dubai-chocolate shortbread and dessert cakes

    Mash-Up Day

    Jan 19, 2026

    Finals Week fuses millionaire's shortbread with a viral Dubai-chocolate idea, then asks the bakers to translate a favourite dessert into cake.

    • Technical

      Dubai Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread

      Make Rav's mash-up of millionaire's shortbread and Dubai chocolate, combining the British classic with the globally popular chocolate style.

    • Showstopper

      Dessert Cake

      Turn a favourite dessert into a cake, carrying its recognisable flavours or presentation into a complete cake showstopper.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

12. Episode 12 · Sweet sushi and choux postcards

    Travel Day

    Jan 20, 2026

    A Japanese-inspired sweet Technical starts Travel Day, followed by edible postcards made from choux pastry.

    • Technical

      Oh So Sweet Sushi

      Make Liam's Japanese-inspired sweet sushi, creating dessert elements with a recognisable sushi presentation; the exact components are not published.

    • Showstopper

      Choux Pastry Postcards

      Create choux pastry postcards inspired by travel, using filled and decorated pastry to depict a destination or journey.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

13. Episode 13 · Sweet nachos and supersized party food

    Party Day

    Jan 21, 2026

    The bakers reinterpret nachos and salsa as sweets before scaling a favourite party food into an oversized showstopper.

    • Technical

      Sweet Nachos with Salsa

      Make Liam's sweet version of nachos with salsa, preserving the sharing-food look while turning both elements into dessert.

    • Showstopper

      Supersized Party Food

      Create an oversized baked version of a favourite party food, making the original item recognisable at a much larger scale.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

14. Episode 14 · Queen of Puddings and dinner-party illusions

    Posh Nosh Day - Semi-Final

    Jan 22, 2026

    The semi-final starts with a traditional layered pudding and ends with biscuits disguised as a sophisticated dinner-party meal.

    • Technical

      Queen of Puddings

      Make Rav's Queen of Puddings, assembling the classic baked base, fruit layer, and meringue topping; the source gives no serving count.

    • Showstopper

      Dinner Party Illusion Biscuits

      Create illusion biscuits that resemble a sophisticated dinner-party meal, disguising sweet biscuits as savoury-looking dishes.

    Episode source 1Episode source 2

15. Episode 15 · Strawberry Danish pastries and a tiered day-out cake

    Summer Day Out - Final

    Jan 23, 2026

    The final tests laminated pastry with strawberries and clotted cream before the last four build three-tier cakes celebrating a favourite summer day out.

    • Technical

      Strawberries and Clotted Cream Danish Pastries

      Make Rav's Danish pastries with strawberries and clotted cream, aiming for well-laminated pastry and a controlled fruit-and-cream finish.

    • Showstopper

      Summer Day Out Tiered Cake

      Create a three-tier cake depicting a favourite summer day out, developing a complete scene across the stacked cake.

    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 6

Home-Kitchen Chocolate Lamingtons

Small vanilla sponge squares dipped in a light chocolate coating and rolled in desiccated coconut.

Time

1 hr 5 min

Makes

16 small squares

Level

Moderate

▶View ingredients and method

Ingredients

• 125 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin
• 150 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200 g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 120 ml whole milk
• 250 g icing sugar, sifted
• 30 g cocoa powder, sifted
• 25 g unsalted butter, melted
• 120 ml boiling water
• 180 g desiccated coconut

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C, or 160 C fan. Butter and line a 20 cm square cake tin, leaving enough baking paper overhang to lift out the sponge.
2. Beat 125 g butter and the caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Fold half into the butter mixture, fold in the milk, then fold in the remaining dry ingredients just until smooth.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the tin and bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then lift onto a rack to cool completely.
5. Wrap the cooled sponge and chill it for 30 minutes. Trim the edges if needed, then cut the sponge into 16 equal squares; chilling reduces crumbs during dipping.
6. Whisk the icing sugar and cocoa together. Add the melted butter and boiling water, whisking to a smooth, fluid coating. Put the coconut in a separate shallow bowl.
7. Using two forks, dip one sponge square at a time into the chocolate coating, let the excess drain, then roll all sides in coconut. Place on a rack and leave for at least 30 minutes to set.

This is an original Baking Show Guide home adaptation inspired by the episode brief, not an official show, Liam Charles, or contestant recipe.

These are conventional square lamingtons and do not attempt to reproduce the programme's undisclosed Lambington design.

If the coating thickens while dipping, whisk in hot water one teaspoon at a time until it flows easily again.

Open the full recipe →

Episode guide sources

Challenge details verified 2026-07-14. channel4.com, channel4.com, channel4.com.

Season result

The winner stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.

See every Junior Bake Offwinner, season by season →

Full cast

Everyone recorded for Season 11, listed alphabetically without result spoilers.

Season fact sources

en.wikipedia.org.