This, the first week, is cake week, as the judges believe cakes will provide a good initial test to gauge the bakers' overall skill level. The signature challenge is to make an elevated version of a traditional fruit upside down cake. The contestants have two hours to complete the challenge. The challenges with this bake are getting the correct ratio of fruit to cake, picking the right fruit not only for flavor but also liquid content and cooking time which may affect the cake batter, and to prepare their pans so that the cake with the fruit releases properly from the pan to display what will be the attractive top. For the technical challenge, the contestants are required to make in two hours an orange chiffon cake. The judges will not only check for the proper cake texture and intense orange flavor, but also the additional garnishes of the glaze and the candied fruit. The biggest issue may be the cake texture, especially in maintaining the air beaten into the egg whites, and cooling ... Written by Huggo

It's biscuits and bars week, which to some are better known as cookies and squares. For the signature bake, the bakers, in two hours, are required to make a dessert bar with at least three distinct layers to be cut into twenty-four individual servings. Some of the technical issues they may encounter are different baking times for the different layers, applying some of the upper layers onto warm bottom layers, and cutting the bars neatly into the individual servings. For the technical challenge, the bakers are required to make eighteen digestive biscuits in ninety minutes. The judges will be looking for identical looking biscuits, a well defined imprint on the biscuit layer, a nice crisp biscuit, well defined crosshatches in the chocolate layer, and a shiny looking chocolate meaning that the chocolate has been tempered properly. For the showstopper, the bakers have four and a half hours to make an edible biscuit box filled with thirty-six identical cookies, the bakers to be judged on ... Written by Huggo

It's bread week, bread of various varieties as unlike the last bread week, the challenges will incorporate non-yeast breads as well. For the signature challenge, the bakers are required to make a quick bread - which by its very definition is not leavened by yeast - in one and half hours. They must make at least two loaves - or if making individual breads, at least twelve - they must be free form, and they must be accompanied by a homemade spread. The primary qualities the judges will be looking for are a nice crust, a good rise, the extra ingredients added not inhibiting rise or compromising texture, and the spread acting as a good foil for the bread itself. The technical challenge is for the bakers to make twenty hot cross buns in two hours thirty minutes. The buns must have the correct texture, have the right balance of candied and dried fruit and spices to bread, have that distinctive cross on the top, and the apricot glaze should have the right balance of tart to sweet. And for ... Written by Huggo

The first stop for the bakers on their global travel on International Week is anywhere they want to go for the signature challenge, as they can make their choice of hand held pie, of which most cuisines have their own version. The must make twenty-four identical pies with an accompanying dipping sauce in two hours. The potential issues with this challenge are the type of dough which needs to be sturdy enough to encase the filling while being held, the liquid content of the filling which could compromise the crust, and having he correct ratio of dough to filling. The technical challenge may be the most difficult of the week as the judges could ask for almost anything. The challenge takes them to Japan as they are asked to make twelve Daifuku mochi in two hours. This challenge will not require the use of an oven, but rather a steamer to prepare the dough, and a pressure cooker to cook the red bean paste within the time constraint. Both these utensils may make the challenge even more ... Written by Huggo

For the signature bake in this, pastry week, the bakers must make a fruit filled slab pie in two and a quarter hours. Beyond the regular hazards of pie making, the bakers must contend with not making the filling too runny or thick not to hold up when sliced, and making the crust hold up to the filling. The biggest issue may be the dreaded soggy bottom, which is more of an issue with a slab pie due to its sheer size. For the technical challenge, they are required to make six sweet and six savory palmiers in two and a quarter hours. Because of the restricted amount of time, this challenge will test the bakers knowledge of making a rough puff pastry dough, overworking the dough in the food processor which will inhibit the dough's lamination. It will also help if the bakers know what a palmier is as the judges will be looking for the traditional heart shape. And for the showstopper, the bakers will be making a breakfast pastry basket consisting of six croissant (either sweet or savory),... Written by Huggo

It's the quarter finals, the five remaining bakers who are entering chocolate week, it a temperamental ingredient. The signature challenge has the bakers making multi-serving chocolate tarts in two hours. Chocolate must be the star of the tarts, and whatever other flavorings are added should complement the chocolate. The judges will be looking for properly tempered chocolate in whatever chocolate decorations are added. And if the bakers will be making a chocolate crust, they have to be careful in terms of baking time as the dark color of the ingredient itself can fool them in terms of doneness of the crust. For the technical challenge, the bakers will be staggered in their starting times by regular intervals as what they will be making should be served immediately out of the oven: a chocolate soufflé. They will have one hour and forty minutes apiece to complete the challenge. The soufflé should have the signature rise above the top rim of the dish, and the texture should be light and ... Written by Huggo

A group of amateur Canadian bakers are convened for a baking competition. There is a theme to each week's competition, generally in the vein of the type of goods the competitors are to bake (i.e. cakes, cookies, pastry, etc.). Each week, they are given a set amount of time to complete each of three challenges, their finished products which are evaluated by expert judges. The first weekly challenge is the signature bake, the competitors to bake something from their home recipes which are to signify who they are as bakers within the category. The second weekly challenge is the technical challenge, where each of the competitors are provided the same recipe, in large part of something they may have never heard of let alone baked before in their lives. This challenge is to see how knowledgeable the competitors are about general baking concepts. Their finished products are evaluated blind in that the judges have no idea who baked what. The third weekly challenge is the showstopper challenge... Written by Huggo

A group of amateur Canadian bakers are convened for a baking competition. There is a theme to each week's competition, generally in the vein of the type of goods the competitors are to bake (i.e. cakes, cookies, pastry, etc.). Each week, they are given a set amount of time to complete each of three challenges, their finished products which are evaluated by expert judges. The first weekly challenge is the signature bake, the competitors to bake something from their home recipes which are to signify who they are as bakers within the category. The second weekly challenge is the technical challenge, where each of the competitors are provided the same recipe, in large part of something they may have never heard of let alone baked before in their lives. This challenge is to see how knowledgeable the competitors are about general baking concepts. Their finished products are evaluated blind in that the judges have no idea who baked what. The third weekly challenge is the showstopper challenge... Written by Huggo