Holiday Baking Championship

Jesse Palmer escapes the cold weather by challenging the bakers to create desert-inspired succulent tarts, and two competitors are sent skiing into a cookie cake showdown.

The bakers feel the holiday rush as Jesse Palmer sends them through three heated challenges: create ugly sweater cakes, turn store-bought cake into tasty centerpieces and build a snowman croquembouche.

In honor of Kwanzaa, Jesse Palmer tasks the bakers with crafting desserts that feature fresh corn for a traditional Kwanzaa display; the competitors put their personal stamp on international holiday desserts.

Jesse Palmer challenges the bakers to create a holiday high tea; the bakers get inspired by a holiday movie trope to create a dessert that's dripping with festive decorations.

Jesse Palmer asks the bakers to turn steakhouse desserts into decadent holiday treats; then, the competitors impress the judges by transforming a traditional steakhouse icon into a tasty Christmas tree.

Smoked, fried, brined, roasted and bacon-wrapped, Jesse Palmer uses the five-way turkey as inspiration for the bakers' preheat challenge; the competitors divide into teams to create a flight of pies that takes the judges on a flavorful journey.

Jesse Palmer tasks the bakers with creating desserts featuring ingredients from Thanksgiving dinner; the competitors go beyond cookies to give the jolly gingerbread man a makeover to impress the judges.

Jesse Palmer welcomes the 12 bakers by challenging them to create fall pavlova wreaths; the competitors divide into cake and pie teams to finally decide the best holiday dessert and win immunity from judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall.