Original subtitles

Towards the week before Christmas, and all through the tower, the kitchens were

covered in sugar and flour.

These desserts need to be perfect.

Only six bakers left.

The finale's in sight.

You have to create a three -tiered cake.

Each tier bakes on a different level.

Who will crumble?

This is straight insanity.

And who will shine bright if delicious?

My only advice before we begin, bake it next level if you want to win.

The winner of Next Level Baker.

That's the title you will have forever.

It is everything.

It is...

Oh,

my goodness.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Good morning, little guys.

Nikki, you look petrified. You've seen a reindeer before, haven't you? Yeah.

And my dad's name is Rudolph.

I love that.

I feel like I just got a thick bear hug from my daddy. And he said,

go tear their ass up.

Dasher and Dancer are all set to whisk you off to the grand finale.

Sadly, the sleigh over here only has room for five of you talented bakers.

of you know what that means.

Six of you remain, but only five can move forward for a chance at the title

the first ever next level baker. If you want it, you have to earn it first with

one last bake. Are you ready?

Yes. We're ready.

Now, baking around the holidays is not just about the sweet treats, right?

It's also about those incredible savory comfort foods that really do bring the

family around the table. So, for this challenge, we want to see incredible,

festive, savory showstoppers.

Is it that incredible pot pie?

Or a spicy sausage wreath?

A delicious beef wellington. Think about it.

That's what we're looking for.

Oh, gosh.

I don't do savory. Savory is not my wheelhouse. This is going to be

Make sure you're in that play at the end of the round.

Don't play it safe.

Right, OK, based on your last performance in the previous round,

Jeff, you're off to the top level, kitchen, and I will meet you there.

OK.

Zoha and Chloe, you are back with me in the middle level. Yay!

Yay!

Which means Deirdre and Nikki, you're in the basement with me.

You'll have 60 minutes to create a next -level savory holiday show

stopper. Remember, a spot in the finale is on the line.

All right, head to the elevators. We'll see you shortly.

You got this, y 'all. Good luck.

Oh, I was hoping for 75.

I was hoping for 75.

You got this.

Let's go.

Oh,

back in the basement.

Oh, my gosh. That doll scared me. Yeah, I told you she'd stare at you.

I have become very familiar with the basement, the doll sitting there. We

relationship. Real evil -like, too. With the red eyes. Yes.

Let's go. Let's go.

You got this. Can't wait to see it. Okay.

Having been on every single level so far, I'm feeling really good about going

into middle kitchen today. I'm comfortable there. It's the one level

actually I feel like I'm home. It is not the basement. That's for sure.

The basement.

Okay. All right. Let's go, Jeff.

Wow. I've been dreaming of the top kitchen.

Finally made it.

Oh, we got lots of stuff.

Have a good one. Yeah, thank you. Have a good one. All right, thank you.

Hello.

Welcome back to the basement.

I don't want to be back, but I am. All right, let's do a quick huddle.

Remember, bakers, by the time the platform arrives to the basement, it's

to be picked over. But we can still make magic. When we're up against a wall,

this is when we are our most creative. I'm so nervous about this grab.

I always freeze. Well, one thing we're excited about today.

You're not going to be giving us a butt kick.

What up, what up, what up? We are back together.

Oh, my gosh.

Think about a backup.

Got it. Get a backup so that if something goes awry, you're not like a

headlights. Yeah, yeah. Or shall I say a reindeer in headlights?

Yeah, yeah.

I'm not the star.

I'm not the star. Come on, get in there. We're so good. Yes!

Let's go. How are you feeling?

I'm excited. You good? Yeah, I'm excited.

Likewise. How are you feeling? I'm feeling good. Good.

Bakers, line up, please, against the elevator. Here we go.

Grab, grab, grab.

It's the holidays. Be generous to us in the basement.

Don't be greedy.

What do you mean, don't be greedy?

Don't be greedy up there, either.

We got the pig in the litter.

Right. Platform is moving.

Five, four, three.

Two, one, let's go.

Let's go.

Lobster set. First thing I see is lobster. Every Christmas, my family

with some kind of lobster. My dad is always the one to make it, and I choose

even though I've only made it once in my life. Oh, my goodness me, lobster.

Wow.

I'm thinking I can make a lobster pot pie.

I grab the chicken breast. Good, chicken breast. Love that. I'm grabbing

mozzarella cheese. It's going to go into my gougeres.

Let's stay. Be careful. That's very strong.

12 seconds.

When you get most of the ingredients of a recipe you have in mind, I'll take the

bluffing. Oh, my goodness me.

Let's go.

Platform is moving.

Well done.

Woo!

Yes! Go! We have rosemary, oregano.

I see ground beef, and I'm thinking quiche. Get in there.

Boop. I immediately go for beef.

Parsnips. We have bacon mix. We have vinegars.

Fine goat cheese.

If you're doing anything with cream, mustard is a great flavor carrier.

This is actually really good.

I see chicken thighs.

Not my favorite, but immediate grab.

You have your chicken.

I am really hoping to be able to bring some Pakistani flavor.

I want to make some sort of tandoori chicken.

Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese. Chicken, yogurt, cheese, garlic, green. Chicken,

yogurt, cheese, garlic, green.

Guys, come on.

Now I see everything on there. Oh, that was hard.

I don't know what I grabbed, to be honest. I don't think I got everything I

wanted. Okay.

All right.

Here it comes.

Your legs so long, you always outrun me. I'm like, what did I sign up for?

Go, go, go, go, go!

Oh, we have salmon.

Who leaves salmon to get in the basement?

I smashed that up real quick. Deidre got your salmon.

Did you say wine?

I'm going to make a good ass dish with this. Here we got top sirloin.

I see red meat on top sirloin. And I grabbed it. Go, go, go. 15 seconds,

I was looking for fresh greens.

There's collard greens over here.

Collard greens. Oh, my God.

I'm so happy that I get to prove that I'm more than the cake lady.

Grab it, grab it. We got red bell pepper here.

I'm going to make a southern soul food.

Pop, pop, straight out the south. Oh, yes, I got this.

Your 60 minutes starts now. Off you go.

An amazing show, suffer, bake.

Jeff, what are you thinking? I'm thinking Parisian gnocchi, and I'm going

match that with, like, chicken breast I can medallion and cut on a bias.

Right, that's not a fake.

Well, with the Parisian gnocchi, it's going to be a pile of savory choux, kind

of like a gougere on the side.

Ambitious. And what are you going to stuff them with? What are you going to

inside? I want them to be airy and light so they can mop up some sauce.

Tough on this one. Okay, showstopper.

Tonight will be a true test for these bakers because 95 % of what they do is

sweet. This one is a savory challenge using some incredible proteins.

So lobster pot pie, right? What's your pot pie?

A smart idea with the fresh peas and beautiful corn.

Are you going to cook the lobster in the sauce?

Or are you going to cook it beforehand?

Well... I might saute it in a little bit of butter. Yeah, I'm just worried about

that overcooking. Just literally 30 seconds. Okay.

I don't know how to work with claws, but figure it out. The biggest mistake that

a baker can make across a challenge like this, overcomplication. It's got to be

cohesive, and it needs to have that wow factor.

You good? Yeah. I'm going to get the sugar on right away. Get that in

away.

Chloe, what did you grab?

Ground beef. Okay. Three different cheeses, including goat cheese.

Oh, nice. I got prosciutto, red pepper. I got some rosemary. Okay. What is your

ultimate dish? My ultimate dish is going to be a quiche. Tell me about your

sister. So I know that she means a lot to you because you raised her. So talk

me about what she would want in her quiche.

My sister would want...

So much cheese.

We're cheese girls.

My relationship with my little sister is really special for me. We lost our mom

to brain cancer a few years ago, and my husband and I started raising her. My

mother asked me to raise her, and just, she said, don't disappoint me.

Don't disappoint me, Pippi.

Make her exactly what I did for you.

I have.

Today we have a guest baker, my little sister. She's 20 years younger than me

and she's a middle schooler and I don't know how many people know this, but

they're terrifying at this age. She is ready to have some fun. Definitely very

confident. I would do anything in the world to give her the world.

So talk to me about savory. You seem pretty comfortable. Do you do a lot of

savory food?

I, my husband, no. So my husband, you know, he's the cook in our house.

with meat is not something I do.

Me make cookie, not beef.

So you have to channel Tyler. I do. And he's talking in my head saying, more

seasoning. Exactly.

All right. Y 'all, think about flavor. Think about building flavor.

Yes, Carla.

All right.

Zoha, what did you pick?

Okay, I got chicken, chicken thighs.

I'm so sorry, I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to butchering

There's more flavor in the thighs because of the fat. If I'm ever working

chicken, it's chicken breast with no fat on it. I know that's like the opposite

of everything that's supposed to be good. My husband makes fun of me. But I

get a little queasy around the fat.

So what are you making?

I'm going to make a tandoori chicken naan pizza.

Okay. Basically make it like a pizza with a tandoori chicken filling, and

hopefully serve it with some sort of yogurt, rice on the side. Okay. All

Our last reaction to my open pizza.

That was not very fun. Think about, like, how you would make your dish

We asked for a savory showstopper, and she is making a pizza. So I'm worried

about that. This is the last challenge before the finale.

You want to get to the other side.

Think like a savory chef.

It's maybe the stress of the finale or the stress of having to butcher this

however I can. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm just stressing the hell

out right now.

Dear Joe, talk to me about your savory bakes.

Yeah, so I grabbed salmon, which I'm actually surprised came down here. How

it get all the way down here? I know. I actually...

I wasn't thinking about it as an option, but it would work pretty well as like a

seafood cobbler. I got a little spice. I'm thinking I could spice up the dish.

I've never made a salmon cobbler, but I make salmon at home all the time. And I

think I cook it perfectly almost every time.

I'm wondering if we have pastry cutters. High hopes, but I'm going to take a

look around. I feel like my mind is pretty creative having to make like five

ten recipes a week in my job. Oh my gosh, I forget there's like no cookie

cutters in here, right?

Yes. Being a food photographer, I do make it a point to make the things that

bake both beautiful and tasty.

So I need to make sure the buttermilk biscuits on top are delicious and

Deirdre, you are already thinking of presentation here. We've got colors

on. I'm going to make a biscuit red and green for the holidays, top them with a

little thyme. Is that an old tuna can you're using as a cutter?

It is. You know what? I didn't even realize at first. Basically, it does the

same thing.

That's right.

Trash becomes treasure in the basement.

It definitely does.

I would love to have a measuring cup.

When you're in the basement, you have to be scrappy. Sometimes a solo cup has to

become a measuring cup.

And it can be because this first line is half a cup, second line is one cup, and

the top is one and a half cups.

Didn't know that. Who knew?

He knew that, literally.

So in a pinch, in a college dorm room, you can do some serious baking.

I ain't mad at the basement today.

Got everything I need.

Think like a savory chef.

Build flavors.

how you would serve it as a showstopper. So that means building things, right?

Okay, Carla.

You got this.

Thank God for Carla because Carla comes and helps me realize I'm just doing a

plain round pizza.

What if I do like two rounds, put them on top of each other with the filling

inside, do like a twisty star snowflake shape. That is beautiful.

Thank you, Carla.

It is gorgeous.

Thank you, Carla.

That is not a pizza. I changed my mind. I thought I could make a snowflake with

it. It's really ambitious to try to do an enriched naan bread dough in just 60

minutes. I'm just really keeping my fingers crossed that the bread is baked

properly. Did you know you were going to roll it like that?

No. You just came up with that? Yeah. I am so excited.

Yeah.

All right, Nikki.

You did indeed find your collard greens. I did. So happy for you. And some red

meat. Yeah. So you must be feeling pretty happy. I'm very happy. Thank

Tell me a little bit more about your dad, Rudolph, Nikki. Oh, my gosh.

The most amazing person I've met in my life other than my husband.

I did manage to get a husband much like my father.

My husband stepped in and picked up where my dad finished spoiling me.

Well, I don't know. It seems like you spoil your family with all this good

cooking. Yeah, I spoil them, and they spoil me. My tribe at home, my

my husband, especially my daddy, he's always said, you can do whatever you

to do. You want to be next -level baker?

Go be next -level baker.

I need to channel them and make them proud.

I'm going to fight to the nitty gritty.

Love it. I can tell you're here to win.

Okay.

Oven, oven, oven.

Guys, look, another mid -round surprise.

It looks like the reindeers, they've chosen this one. Carrots, right?

Some beautiful carrots here, by the way. Oh, my Lord.

Oh, guys, come on. Oh, no.

Look at the carrots.

You've got carrot juice. You've got carrot baby food. You've got baby

Oh, my God. What did I grab?

Carrot baby food.

Hope this works.

Looks like the reindeer have left us a surprise. Grab whatever you can to add

your stews. Go, go, go.

That thing be going too fast.

Oh, my God. I'm loving carrot juice, carrot baby food because it's already

cooked. Right? We're talking vinaigrette. Yeah. We're talking carrot.

let's taste it. See if you need anything.

Oh!

Carla!

You should do this for, like, professionally.

Wait, time check.

Time check.

Carla, time, please.

35 minutes to go. Thank you, Carla.

Both Zoha and Chloe are very intense in very different ways.

Zoha is like, give me the time.

Chloe's like, stay out of my face.

Oh my God, what do you need? You need a towel.

It's like, ah, ooh, ah, ooh.

Time check.

23 minutes left.

How you doing up there?

Oh, my gosh.

How's it going down there? Oh, it's awesome. We have festive biscuits rising

the oven.

That's what I smell.

Ho, ho, ho. It's the holidays down here in the basement.

Okay. Nikki, how you doing down there? I'm doing amazing. She's using a PVC

for a rolling pin. She's making things work.

Next thing you know, she'll be buying one for home. I already have one.

Twenty minutes remaining.

A bot in the grand finale is on the line. I want you both in there. Yes.

Chef. Chef, that lobster's overcooked now.

Okay. Off the heat. Do you mind tasting that to see what you... Yeah, taste with

me.

A touch more salt.

I keep adding it. I guess it's... Just a touch. Don't forget, the lobster's very

sweet. Being in the top level with Chef Ramsay is definitely more stressful than

baking at home with my four kids.

Although my kids also rate my food. They'll be like, I would give this meal

out of 10.

I'm not kidding you.

Christmas Day, is it chaotic? Is it mad?

Oh, I love Christmas morning. We wake up early and usually I'll make like

cinnamon rolls or just something like that. And then the chaos starts.

We have a big family. There's 18 of us. You have twins? I think I read somewhere

that they were premature.

They were very premature, yeah. Due on the 14th of February, Valentine's Day,

and they were born on Millennial Eve, 1999. Are you serious? That's

He had twins, and I have twins, and his twins were premature, and my twins were

incredibly premature, and so it feels like we really do have a bond.

I tried to suggest to Tana, why don't we have one each side, one on 1999, and

she told me politely to myself.

A terrible idea.

I think we're best friends.

We're just over 18 minutes to go.

It would mean so much to me to get to the final. I learned how to bake in the

evenings, on weekends.

I spent a year sacrificing any free time to going to culinary school, dedicated

to people like me, who had full -time jobs.

Are you having those?

Yeah. You're not stuffing them?

No, I'm not stuffing them. I didn't put too much cheese in it. I didn't want it

to be overpowering.

So getting to the finale recognizes all the work I put into being a quality

baker. Let's run through.

I'm going to plate the gnocchi kind of in a line. Yep. In between those, I'm

going to lay chicken breast. Gotcha. And the buns are going to kind of go off to

the side here. Now bring it together now.

Yeah. Okay. A lot of elements going on there, young man. Don't let me down.

Yes, chef. Please.

Stay focused, bakers. A spot in the finale is on the line.

I do think my savory bake is good enough to get me in the finals.

It's got perfectly cooked salmon, in my opinion, and a delicious fluffy biscuit

on top. I feel really good about the sauce. All the flavors work really well

together.

Oh!

Wow.

15 minutes remaining.

What happened?

The top just came off as I was shaking it into.

We've had a seafood seasoning explosion.

How did it taste, Deirdre?

A bit salty.

I'm literally thinking of all the ways I could pivot right now. I'm like, what

am I going to do to make this not as salty as it is?

I'm freaking out.

Deirdre, would you have time to start again with just butter, flour, roux, a

little bit of fish stock, and then adding in some of your existing?

See what we can do.

We're down to ten minutes to go.

Can't wait to see what you make, Jeff.

Likewise, Jeff.

Where are the thermometers? Do you know?

Never mind. I have them.

I just want to tempt you. No, no, no. Look at me. Just touch them. I promise

you, they're raw.

Sorry. I'm here to help you, but I promise you now, it's way too dangerous.

They're still raw.

Nine minutes means nine minutes.

Nine minutes. Okay.

Heard, Jeff.

Let's go.

Earn your spot in the finals, ladies.

It's not giving me the color I want. If this pie doesn't brown.

Get the medic.

And please make sure she got a stretch.

Okay. Come on, Nikki J.

Rudolph is counting on you.

Rudolph and Todd and the whole gang are cheering real loud for you right now. I

can hear them.

This is a competition, and it's for the finale.

Come on, brown gods.

I'm going to tell you, it smells so good, my mouth is watering.

You all are amazing. Hold on. Hold the phone. You are getting this beautiful

puff in your eggs. I'm sorry. I love eggs so much.

I'm not getting any jiggle. What do you think? I think you're good.

I think you're good. I'm going to pull them. Take them out one again. Be

careful. Gentle.

These look so incredible.

Oh, my God.

Oh, that's heavy.

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

That is gorgeous.

To get into the finale, you have got to bring your A -game and make it feel like

holidays and perfect. I really hope that it bakes beautifully on the bottom.

That's so unpredictable.

Am I in the finale?

I did not think I was getting this far. But I'm feeling pretty confident that

I'm not going home to the holidays right now.

Christmas tree, Christmas tree.

Oh my God, is that ugly?

It's not ugly.

This looks like a showstopper. Let's do it.

I'm nervous. I don't want it to break.

How is it? Is it cooked?

Looks pretty brown all around, I think. Okay. Okay, garlic butter. Oh, my gosh.

Stop it. Stop it right now. It's a non -bread, Carla.

90 seconds.

You good?

Yep. That's why I'm trying to tower it up as much as possible there.

Necessarily trying to crowd it, but I want that to be a centerpiece. The

platform is descending downstairs.

That means it's coming up soon.

Platform is on its way.

Here it comes, ladies.

Don't let it pass you by.

Go,

go, go. Let's get those bakes on the platform.

Insanity. We did it.

Okay, the platform.

Come on, the platform. The decisions are over. Soha, don't miss it.

Carefully.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. It looks good.

It looks good.

Woo.

Platform's here.

Let's go. We got this. Do not miss that platform. Come on.

Turn and burn. Let's go, guys.

It waits for no one. Let's go. It waits for no one. Well done.

Yes, yes, yes.

Good job.

Thank you. Yeah, I'm good.

Mmm. Very good.

Look at this.

Wow.

Look at that.

Wow. Man, it smells festive.

Holiday. Delicious.

Unfortunately,

there are six of you, and there are only five spots in the finale.

Right. Where should we start, ladies? Top floor? Okay. Yes.

Let's go.

These are Stephanie's lobster pot pie.

Wow. Shall we dig in? Yes.

Do it. This looks amazing.

It feels decadent, yet cozy and homey. Just that perfect balance of celebration

and Christmas.

Love to cook beautifully.

I love the spice, the heat. Well done.

This is Jeff Gougere with pan -roasted chicken gnocchi with a carrot puree

underneath.

I will be honest, it's not a show -stopping holiday bake.

It's components of a bake.

I think if you're going to call something a gougere, you do need cheese.

I wish it dusted.

But they cook beautifully. And they cook on the chicken. Yeah, beautiful.

I mean, really beautiful.

They like my gougeres. I'm feeling a little relieved. I just hope that it's

enough. All right, shall we move up to the middle level? The best level? What?

All right, to start, we have Chloe's ground beef holiday quiche. There's a

carrot puree in the quiche, and then the carrot salad with a carrot vinaigrette.

Okay, let's see what you're talking about.

Look at that. That is beautiful.

I think what I'm excited about already is just the crispiness of that pastry.

That is a savory flavor bomb.

Pastry exceptional, and I love the little acidity with the pickled carrots.

Right? Smart.

All right, next up. This is Zoha's Tandoori Chicken Holiday Naan Star.

We have a carrot raita, and then we have a little chutney.

Look at that.

It's fun to have the theater of pulling.

Share and share. Yeah, and sharing.

It's delicious.

We said go supper, and it is just that. It's stunning. I just love the technical

ability of this beautiful twist.

And a very traditional shape for the holidays.

Do you use the thigh?

Yeah. Yeah, so the flavor from that thigh is incredible. Move over, chicken

breast. The thighs are in town.

All right, the basement.

Please. Okay.

This is Nikki's Southern soul food pot pie made with chopped sirloin with

candied carrot.

Really, really flaky pie crust.

I love the flavor of the sauce.

It's warm. It's inviting.

It's definitely a savory bake. Congratulations.

All right, next up, Deirdre's Spicy Salmon Cobbler topped with holiday

I love the way it looks.

The seasoning is really overpowering.

That spice is starting to build in my mouth. I could probably only have like

three bites or so.

The seasoning were still there more than I had hoped they'd be, and I feel like

I'm probably going to go home.

Wow.

Deidre, the seasoning is really overpowering.

She had a bit of a mishap.

Deirdre was putting her seasoning into her stew, and the entire bottle of

seasoning went into her stew, and it was salty as all get out. She had to start

again. Wow.

Listen, it is on maximum seasoning, I'll be honest.

But the biscuit's exceptional.

And the salmon, it's delicious.

Really good.

Sadly, only five of you will continue to the grand finale.

Man, it's going to come down to the wire.

Use it, please. Wow, this is hard.

Very hard. My goodness me.

You guys did amazing.

That's tandoori naan. Oh, my goodness me.

That was the first time I saw you take a second bite.

Oh, my gosh. I didn't want to put it down.

From the basement.

I have to say, I've never seen Nikki so comfortable.

I think that's been one of her best cooks.

I agree.

Deirdre Cobbler.

I could tell that spice had been dumped in because it was hot.

I struggled to finish that.

But Deidre's biscuits, incredible.

I thought the texture of the biscuits were perfect. And it was a ghost upper.

It was gorgeous.

Top floor.

Dee loved the pot pie. I think Stephanie knows how to put together flavor.

Yeah. Kudos for her being a phenomenal baker.

Yeah. Grabbing a lobster and cooking it beautifully.

Oh, yeah. Absolutely.

Moving on to the dish I've been dying to talk about. Yeah. Because I'm still

scratching my head.

Just a buffet platter. Well put, Carla.

I thought the gouges were incredible. They were. They were some of the best

we've had. And that's the bake side, right? And then all these other elements

went in. Right. If only he'd brought them together.

This is for the final spot in the finale. And it's a toss -up between the

cobbler or the three dishes in one with the gouges. Right.

Tough, tough, tough, tough.

Yeah.

All right. Good luck, everyone. Good luck, everybody. Hey.

Let's get one thing straight.

You guys have elevated in each and every round. Truly, I am so proud of you.

But there are only five spots in the finale.

The first two bakers who have earned their spots in the grand finale are

Zoha and Stephanie.

Congratulations.

Let's go.

I am in the final. I feel so happy.

The next two bakers moving on to the grand finale are Chloe

and Nikki.

Oh, my God.

That's Rudolph. My daddy is.

bringing in the luck today.

Unfortunately, that leaves Deirdre and Jeff.

Only one of you will be moving on into the grand finale.

This is a tough one.

It was.

The final baker claiming their spot in the grand finale is...

Deirdre. Well done.

Jeff, what you...

Cooked here as a dish was exceptional.

The big discrepancy for all three of us is it wasn't a holiday bake.

It's been a joy, and I hope you guys have a happy holidays.

Likewise. You too.

Well done.

Thank you very much. I would have loved to have been able to bake in the final,

but the other bakers I'm baking with are just so talented, and so I can walk out

with my head held high.

Take care, bud.

I look conflicted, but screaming on the inside.

Congratulations on entering into the first ever Next Level Baker finale.

Let's go.

Honestly. My kids are going to lose their mind.

Like, what do you do?

Like, mom dance?

Look at all these women.

That's what I'm saying. Right? What?

Amazing. You're the last man standing.

Nikki. What would you do with $25 ,000 across the holiday? I'm going on a

cruise. Love that. OK. And when I get back from the cruise, I'm going on

cruise. OK, that's what's up. All of you, head back to Louds. Get your heads

the game.

Because when you get back, you're going to be faced with the most difficult, the

most daunting bait of your life.

Well done.

Congratulations. Let's go.

Let's go.

All -girls final.

Who's surprised?

Not me.

Not surprised.

I am honored to be here with these four women, and I think each one of them has

their own strengths, and it's going to be a tough competition.

And that's from a 60 -year -old.

Coming up.

On the next level baker finale.

Go! Let's go!

You have to create a three -tiered cake.

Each tier baked on a different level.

The elevator is going to be busy.

Hey, top floor.

Oh, my God.

This is really pissing me off right now.

Your cakes are burning!

I don't even know what floor is on fire.

Hold your nerve. Come on. The winner.

of next level baker in well done come on

welcome

back come on in right

really well done a one in five chance of becoming

our first ever next level baker amazing deirdre what does that mean and say to

you That would mean everything.

Like, this is a childhood dream, but to win would be even more amazing.

$25 ,000 would be insane to win. I think I would love to take some culinary

classes, hone my expertise even more. Love that.

Oh, Nikki.

How are you feeling, little chocolate drop?

I'm feeling still nervous, but amazing.

I am the oldest person in the competition with all the youngsters. But

listen, girl, you have been baking all your life.

You got this. Piece of cake.

Piece of bunt cake at that.

Stephanie, the fact that you're not even classically trained and you've been

serving up the bakes that you have, I mean, we are all so impressed with you.

Thank you so much.

All of my formal training was watching baking shows and being here and doing

this. It's absolutely validation that I'm doing what I should be doing. It's

just the biggest privilege to bake amongst these incredible women and to be

mentored by you guys. I can't even believe it. Chloe, you bake with such

prowess. Where did that come from?

I think my entire life has really built me up for this moment. I don't back down

from pressure and I'm not going to start now. We love that about you. Thank you.

Zoha. Hey.

How are you feeling?

Normally I have a lot of words, but I feel like I can't English right now.

It's just a jumble. I honestly don't know what to say.

Speechless. Honestly, speechless.

Well, just believe in your baking and trust in it.

And I'm going to say this to you. And you say Zohar time.

Zohar, what time is it? Zohar time.

What time is it?

Zohar time.

That's what's up. Okay. Thank you, Carla.

Zohar, if you do become our first ever Next Level Baker tonight, can you buy

yourself a bloody watch?

Candice, Carla, and myself are absolutely done with telling you how

left. We're like the talking clock that never stops.

Honestly.

Gosh, why are they giving me such a hard time?

I just need the time.

Ladies, let's get one thing straight. What stands between you and that title

our first ever Next Level Baker is the most intense finale in baking show

history, let me tell you. Your skills and your creativity are about to be

to the absolute limit tonight. For this final challenge, you all have to create

a delicious three -tiered cake.

Easy breezy, I can make a three -tier cake. I'm pretty comfortable with it.

Sounds easy, right?

No. Think again. Because each tier must be baked on a different level.

And it's up to you to decide where you'll make each tier.

On top of that, each tier of your cake must feature a different flavor

profile.

that still needs to feel cohesive.

The platform will drop ingredients three times, once on each level.

I think I just want to go for some fresh air.

You'll have four hours, and for the first time ever, you'll have total

to move from kitchen to kitchen as you please.

The three of us will be moving floor to floor to keep an eye on you. I'm dizzy.

I'm just thinking, survive, survive, survive.

Are you ready?

Yeah. Ready. Yeah, let's do it. All right, get to that elevator.

Good luck, ladies. Let's do it. Bye. Thank you.

Let's go.

We've got this.

That's crazy, no? Yeah. Three different levels, three different kegs, all

assembled in the last 30 minutes on that top floor. For me, because the

basement. is a little willy -nilly and the ovens are small, I would do my top

tier in the basement.

100%. I'd start my biggest tier in the basement and get that done.

I actually think I would go middle level.

Interesting. They need to make sure that that bottom layer is solid. That is the

structure of your cake. I mean... This is going to be crazy. Honestly.

I'm going into the final at a disadvantage because I've never been to

basement before.

Oh, my gosh. These are the cake pans you guys have?

Oh.

Here we go, little friend.

Here we go.

I've been freaked out by that old evil doll.

But we just had to become friends because I need my good luck charm.

I even brought her my glasses today.

We twinning, me and Tabitha.

Listen, all of you, come and line up across there. This grab is crucial.

It is really important you get everything. Be smart.

Right. Line up. That platform is descending.

One stunning cake.

Three incredible layers.

This is the most crucial platform grab ever.

You have to figure out what ingredients might you need on the other levels.

The question is, who will be our first ever next level baker?

And we all want to win.

Obviously, I'm already losing my... Go!

Let's go!

Grab. All right.

Grab, grab, grab.

I grab molasses because I'm thinking gingerbread cake.

And I'm going to need a lot of molasses.

Cranberries. Okay, got it, got it. I might as well be shopping on Black

It is intense.

Grab everything, guys.

Raspberry.

For my bottom tier, I would like to make a hummingbird cake.

What do you mean? Pineapple, pineapple, pineapple.

Pineapple is one of the key ingredients.

Anybody seen pineapple? I did not see it anywhere.

I'm grabbing all these ingredients and I'm thinking I got everything I need.

then I'm like, carrots, where are the carrots? Five seconds.

Go,

go, go.

Dude,

did anybody miss a vital ingredient?

I'm going to need some carrots to come down next time.

Pineapples. Then push it up. Yeah, I needed pineapple.

But I'm going to take what I have, and I'm going to make the other cake first

and pray for the best on the next platform.

Here we go.

Your four hours starts now. Let's go.

Let's go, let's go, let's go. Hustle, hustle, hustle.

I'm going to the top. I'm going to the middle. Yeah, I'm going there as well.

I'm going to start down here.

Tonight will be a true test for these bakers because you're operating three

kitchens. So this is a tall order. It may sound like a long time, four hours,

but I've got their work cut out and that elevator is going to be busy.

I'm going to head straight to my station.

All right, Miss Nikki, it's you and me.

This mixer is older than me.

I've spent a lot of time in the basement, and so I feel pretty

that I'm going to do my smallest cakes in the basement. I love to see some

smiles already, ladies.

It's kind of peaceful in the basement.

It is peaceful in the basement. Two at once. 20 minutes gone, yes.

Put a little espresso powder in there. Wow. And the inspiration behind it. I

just, I love Christmas.

These are some of my favorite holiday flavors.

For my three -tiered cake, the bottom tier is a gingerbread cake filled with

orange diplomat cream.

The middle tier is a cranberry orange cake filled with the cranberry compote.

And then my top layer, I'm hoping to make a chocolate peppermint cake.

As long as I can find some peppermint extract, but... Peppermint extract.

the only thing you missed, right?

Yes. Five minutes until the platform for the second drop hits the middle

kitchen. I wish I could fry my cake.

You okay?

That would go faster.

All right, Nikki, you're starting with your top tier.

For my three -tier cake, I want the bottom tier to be hummingbird cake.

The next layer in the middle tier is an amaretto liqueur, and the top layer is a

raspberry liqueur cake.

So I bet you're hoping to get some pineapple in the next ingredient grab.

Definitely. Otherwise, it's going to be time to pivot.

I need pineapple and pecan.

A little southern flavor.

I love it.

I should get these cakes in the oven. We have our timer set for our cakes that

are baking down here. We don't want to forget them. We won't be able to smell

them. They are on.

Nikki, what's the second flavor?

I got amaretto.

Should we do one together?

I'd love to do shots with you. Yeah, definitely.

If you win, I'll come on that cruise with you. We'll do shots together, girl.

Me and Gordon Ramsey, we're going on a cruise.

Headed up.

I'm going to go out.

Hey, watch my girl. Don't knock her down, okay?

I'll keep an eye.

It's like three cake ladies in an elevator together.

Oh. Yeah. It's a cake for a cat.

Yeah.

Press and turn like frickin' medicine.

God, yeah.

Childproofed. A three -tiered cake.

This is something I've never made before.

I've never done anything like this in my life. You know, it's been a dream of

mine since I was eight years old to be on a baking competition like this.

And it feels great to be a home chef and made it this far. Oh, is this your

licorice cake? Chocolate licorice?

Bottom tiering.

First tier of my cake, I'm making a black licorice cake with a blackberry

filling. For my second tier, I'm making an orange carrot cake. I'm hoping so bad

that I can get my hands on some carrots. Fingers crossed for that next platform.

For my top tier, I'm making peppermint vanilla cake with cranberry orange

filling and a cream cheese frosting.

Have you had that combo before?

Yeah, I've made it. I really like it. Not many people love black licorice. I

know it's a little bit risky, but in the baking world, one of my favorite things

to do is flex the creative side of it.

I'm trying to get enough of the licorice root flavor in here.

Okay. You like it?

Wow.

So good.

Oh, my goodness.

Deidre. I love Deidre. She understands flavor.

But I am hoping all the flavors work together. So this is a real challenge

her. Everybody get ready for this drop.

Ready as we're going to be.

Stand by, guys.

Here we go.

Grab everything you need. Let's go.

I searched

and

searched and searched. I could not find it.

Anything that's like legit peppermint. So I've got to pivot.

Did you get candy canes? I did.

Ten seconds.

And I found some candy canes. I'm just so hopeful that I can make something out

of this. I'll do my best. I don't know if I'll be able to.

Fondant. Do you need fondant?

Five seconds. Quick, quick, quick. Last grab. Last grab. Well done.

Great grab.

I've got to go downstairs.

Where are you going? Where do you want to go? Basement. Okay, basement first.

and down.

Come on, I won't let you down. Let's go.

Okay.

Oh, jeez.

Whose are these in here?

Because they are burning.

Whose are they? Do you know? Well, they might be Nikki's, because she's been

baking down here. I know.

Nikki!

Yeah? Your cakes are burning!

Oh, God, I forgot.

Nikki! Come in!

I don't even know what floor is on fire.

Get down here!

Come in!

Please! She's coming!

Coming down. Come on, Nicky.

Oh, my God.

Nicky, your cakes are burning.

Oh, my God.

My cakes are on fire.

Oh, my God. Who signed me up for this?

Cake. God, sign on that cake.

Tabitha, please, please.

Come on.

Good serve. You got it, girl. Go get them. Please. Put the timer down. Let's

Well done.

Look. Ready.

It's fine. Take them out and we'll get them cooled, yeah?

Let's get them out.

Got to be on it.

Thank God that Gordon Ramsay didn't tell me they were on fire because, whew,

that could have been bad.

You okay?

Yeah. Just get them out there quickly. Okay. And get them cooled down, yes?

Yes. Okay?

Okay. And then you decide whether or not you do them again.

Do you just forget about them?

No, the timer just went off. Right. They didn't look burned, I think because...

They were raspberry, so they were already a darker color.

At least they're fine, right?

Yeah. He saved the day because I could not have started over.

Oh, my Lord.

Jeez, what's she doing here? That's Tabitha. Tabitha? Yeah, that's my girl.

She's magical.

Tabitha was letting me know, I got you, girl.

Sweetie. She's got eyes on the cake.

How long for the other sponges on the middle floor and the top floor? I

got them in the oven.

Yeah. Let's go.

Here we go.

Straight up to the top floor? Get that sponge in, please. Yes.

Just over three hours left.

Zoha, what tier are you making right now?

I'm making my base tier, the largest tier. Okay. I am making a three -tiered

cake representing the colors and beautiful flavors of Pakistani food.

My bottom tier is a pistachio kulfi cake with a raspberry compound through it.

The middle tier is a maple pecan cake.

And my top tier is a gulab jamun flavored cake with cardamom and rose

That's amazing.

I feel like I'm already far behind.

The brain is not braining right now.

Yeah, it kind of feels like some screws are not in place. Oh, I didn't put my

freaking parchment paper in there. This is multitasking on a whole other level.

Cool, calm, collected. That's the mantra for today.

Just be cool, calm, and collected.

I can't lose it.

Oh, I'm running to the middle.

I had to stick my brain into 30 pieces.

Holy.

There's different buttercream, there's different flavors, and then I'm going to

need time to make sure that my cake looks good.

Hey, do you have baking powder and salt up here?

I haven't even started, no.

Is anyone actually calm right now?

Stephanie, what's going on here?

So here I'm doing a cranberry orange cake, and then I'll have a cranberry

compote in between the layers.

You're loving the cranberries today.

So my daughter Elle is 10, and she loves sugared cranberries. She eats them by

the handful. This one's a little ode to her.

Oh, that's so sweet. Kind of a sophisticated palate. Those can be tart.

Cranberries and sushi.

That's my girl. I've got kids that like sushi, too. That's an expensive habit.

Yes, it is.

So I'm a mom of four. We had twins first, Landon and Hudson.

And a couple of years later, we decided to adopt our daughter, Elle, from China.

And then fast forward many, many, many years later, we felt drawn towards

care. And we were placed with this precious baby boy. And so we were able

adopt him right before Christmas last year. Wow, that's amazing. You have your

hands full.

One of my sons, he goes, Mom, you've got to bake your butt off today.

He also was like, have you cursed?

That's what he wanted to know. Have you cursed?

I tried really hard not to. We'll leave the cursing to Gordon. Now, come on.

Let's go, girl.

The gang face is real, Chloe.

What's your flavor?

So I'm working with a gingerbread cake.

For my bottom tier, I'm going to be baking my gingerbread cake.

My middle tier, I'm going to be making my pecan spice cake.

For my top tier, I'm going to be baking my orange zest cake with cranberry

compost.

And we're going to do some snickerdoodle buttercream.

You better shut your face.

Oh, my God.

I have made this gingerbread cake a thousand times. But you take however

time you want.

You know, and maybe even, wild thought, one kitchen.

So let's just get this in the oven.

We're good.

Do you know where teaspoons are in here?

Do you know where teaspoons are in here? Moving between all of these levels is

really, really affecting my timing in getting this cake put together. If you

guys know where teaspoons are, I can't find teaspoons anywhere.

Did you see them? Okay, I heard you.

Top kitchen, please.

I'm coming.

Every single bit of my energy is going into getting in and out of the elevator.

Down, down, down.

Come on. Basement.

Basement.

Top floor, please. Basement.

I don't think I've screamed at a piece of equipment more in my life. Face it!

Oh, my God, this is absolutely wild. I'll be surprised if I have a cake to

present at the end of this.

Oh, oh.

This is insane from floor to floor, man.

Teaspoons. Hey, top floor, please.

Teaspoons on three.

This is a marathon.

A really sticky, sugary marathon.

Hold the elevator.

I think I've probably run at least 20 ,000 steps right now.

Top floor.

I hate this challenge.

Finally found some.

Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up.

Okay.

If you leave your oven doors open, any baker knows you will effectively ruin

your bake.

One minute. Come on.

That's probably the worst thing that could happen.

Chloe, how's it going?

We're doing great.

You know, honestly, I don't know what everyone's talking about.

Yeah. Literally.

Cool as a cucumber.

I did so many things right up to this point. This cannot be the thing that

brings me down.

Please be good. Please be good. Please be good.

Come on.

It is not fully baked.

I would love for this cake to be salvageable, but it is not.

Might be redoing whiskey.

Please be good. Please be good. Please be good. Come on.

It's pretty easy to see that this is dark on the outside and completely not

baked in the middle.

Oh, you're kidding me.

I'm going to have to start from scratch.

Damn, damn, damn, damn.

I know. It was fate, you guys.

You're remaking your tuna cake. And this time we're going to do sheet pan. And

it'll be super fast.

I think the sheet pan strategy is going to be brilliant. And I think the second

time around I'm going to be prouder of the taste anyways.

I think so. Because who gets to taste test their cake already?

So let's just get this in the oven. Let's get this going.

This should be fine.

This should be fine.

Maybe not the best thing to go to the basement for the first time on your last

challenge, but I have to make my top cake.

I hate this.

Just try to have fun.

My top tier is a gulab jamun -flavored cake with cardamom and rose water.

The gulab jamun is a South Asian sweet.

It's okay, you're right. We're having fun. This is fun. Yes, yes, yes. Come

Zoha. LOL.

I should have rose right here.

I mean, for us, the biggest holiday in Pakistan is Eid. And my mom or my

grandmom does not sleep at all because they're making the Pakistani sweets.

So this is for them.

Oh, my God.

Did it spill?

Yeah. The top came off, didn't it?

Did that happen to you before? Down here, too.

Damn the basement.

Everything's okay. Don't worry about it.

Let's go.

Ladies, halfway.

Halfway.

Whose are these cakes here?

Whose are these?

Deidre. Oh, Sue.

Top floor to basement.

Deidre. Oh, yeah.

That's me. Top floor. Cakes are ready.

Deidre's coming.

Oh, my gosh. I need to make sure these carrot cakes are delicious and amazing.

cannot have anything burn right now.

Okay, thank you, thank you.

The one at the back is ready. That one looks a little bit runny. It's so

to work with Chef Ramsay because he so effortlessly knows everything.

He just saved my carrot cake.

This is the best cake I make.

Oh, I'm so relieved.

Chloe, what are you working on? I'm working on my spiced pecan cake.

I have to get back on track. You can't stand around going, maybe I'll, maybe

I'll move.

Taste that.

All right, Chloe, that is your yummy face.

It's so good. Oh, my gosh. I needed it kind of nutty because there's going to

a caramel filling.

This is delicious. And you had toasted the nuts, didn't you? It makes all the

difference in the world. It does. Nuts will not caramelize inside the batter.

No, they just kind of get more waxy. Yes, they get waxy. It tastes like

fingernails. It's gross.

Can I get you in the oven, baby?

Which tier is this, the top or the middle?

This is the middle. All right.

An hour and 50 minutes left.

Now we're going for the middle tier now, right? The left -hand side.

I'm like, God, stop the clock.

Just stop the clock.

I can't think. I can't think.

Mixer. I need a mixer. I'm just trying to think of all three different flavored

cakes that we have to do. I need a mixer. And now my head is so gone.

And Nick is way behind.

Way, way behind.

Nikki. Yes.

Next step, straighten the oven with that sponge. Then we can breathe.

No, ain't no breathing.

This is the craziest thing I have experienced. Okay. This oven, which oven

Good girl.

Why did I do this?

We've got two in. I want you to think about your top pair now. Okay, yeah, I'm

going to be fine.

Oh, I know. I remember.

I'm Nikki J, and I'm Next Level Bake.

Chloe, what's going on with your cake that is in the oven right now that

to be... It's looking good. Oh, my God.

This is amazing. This is going so swimmingly. I'm pretty fed up. I'm

frustrated with myself.

Wish this was martini.

Is it good? Is that out? No, the cake is doing something. I don't know what it's

doing. It's not good. What happened?

That oven.

Did you put bicarb in there? Baking soda? I mean, yeah. The amount I should.

think the amount I should. I mean... I likely moved too fast and used baking

soda instead of baking powder.

It's going to burn on the edges and stay soup in the middle. I don't know that

this is going to bake. I don't know what's happening to it. Am I seriously

to have to make this cake a third time?

i'm gonna just just get my rest of you we'll get this you know that my

gingerbread cake is somehow worse than the first time that i made it i i have

start from scratch so i make it again i am going to use brown sugar because i

don't have molasses there you go don't think it's a problem pivot and we'll

change up i don't have time for this i don't have any time for this that is

annoying what happened to that i honestly can't tell you i'm like Believe

this kind of thing can break you.

I'm not giving up. But I promised my mom and I promised my little sister that,

like, I was going to make her life extraordinary at all costs.

We're going to get there. If I win, next level baker is, like, everything I ever

lost and everything I overcame. Finally, it was for something.

I don't know what these are different ovens. New cake, new oven.

New cake, new oven.

What the hell?

It is bad in this basement.

But I see some stockings. Those stockings had to be about 50 years old,

I know nobody else would be excited about a stocking.

Oh, Nikki, it's just me and you, babe.

And Tabitha, don't disrespect me. Sorry, Tabitha. I see you.

I got to roll my bundling out here.

I found something down here.

Tabitha, show me where something was.

Yeah. Wait, you're putting on some stocking? No. What's happening? Long

Okay. Is this a tip?

Okay. I need cornstarch. Please don't leave those pantyhose on the kitchen

table. I put the cornstarch in the stocking to control

how much I apply to the fondant. So your decor, is it all fondant? Yeah. All

right, make it nice and thin because... I know. Yeah.

Can't be too heavy.

You're looking at me like, yeah, I know, Carla. I do this all the time.

I've been making cakes out of fondant for at least 13 years. I'm used to that

sheeter, but we're going to get it. You are the sheeter. Yeah, I see.

But not in these conditions.

How am I doing, Tabitha?

Yeah, I know.

This is super challenging.

You can use this as a guide so that this is your... It's all even. Yes.

I love teaching. I love watching someone grow. I used to do a lot of cooking

classes, and I feel like this experience sort of feels like that, but there's

more at stake.

Yes, yes. That's so much nicer. Oh, my God. Yeah.

All right, Stephanie.

I'm hoping to do kind of like a peppermint filling.

I didn't find any peppermint extract, but I've got candy cane. Okay. So I'm

going to work with what I've got. Yeah. Just to get a little holiday flavor. You

can make a simple syrup out of candy cane. Yes, I love that. So I'm making a

simple syrup out of these candy canes. They're not melting great, and honestly,

there's not that much peppermint to it. Get this and just get a mallet and just

like freaking smash it. Yeah, I want to save that one so that I get it in my

buttercream. I think one more minute and this will be ready.

Simple syrup goes a long way. Perhaps. I don't know. I'm a little bit worried

about the peppermint not punching through enough. So much pressure.

You're both trailblazers, and you both want to be that first -ever next -level

baker.

Two and a half hours down, 90 minutes left.

Five -minute warning for the final drop on the top floor.

This is to help you decorate your cakes and make them beautiful.

We're all headed to the top floor. Top floor.

Let's go.

Oh, my God.

Is this a dance party? Yeah, yeah. Anybody?

All right, get back there. Let's go. Get your stations clear.

Don't forget, the platform's going to be here any moment.

Guys, the platform's on the move. Final grab. Here we go.

Grab your decorations.

What is that? What is that?

What do you need?

Clear breaded coconut.

I'm looking for coconut shavings to actually give a snowy effect.

These need to look gorgeous.

Because the top is supposed to be, like, white, like you've made it up to the

North Pole, and it's Christmassy and snowy. But the only thing I see on the

platform are little tiny marshmallows. Oh, this is great.

Dazzling cakes that wow us.

Ten seconds, guys.

Jelly beans. Where are the jelly beans? Somebody got them?

All I want is Santa at the top of the cake. Okay.

Santa made the wish come true.

Oh, put them jelly beans. Put them jelly beans.

This is the biggest wrap Nikki has ever had in life. Oh, wow.

Good luck. Let's go.

Thank you, sir. One more. Basement.

Let's go.

I'm just ready to go.

Come here, you. Come here. Come on, come on. You okay? You've done the hardest

part. Now it's just bring it harder.

I still got to ice the other cake.

That's half an hour per cake. Think about that, okay?

And think about the cruise.

Okay.

Oh,

God, thank God.

This is, for a fact, a Christmas miracle. This cake has finally baked

third try.

So I'm incredibly grateful for that.

Yes!

I don't want to stress you out, but we have one hour left.

One hour to assemble your three tiers, decorate, impress us. You know that all

finishes up on the top level.

You said you didn't want to stress us?

Time is not my friend today. Okay, well, my cakes are kind of broken, so this is

going to be a challenge.

These cake pans down in the basement are really, really bad.

My cakes are broken, so I hope I can somehow redeem this.

When your cake starts to break, if you're trying to frost it, that's where

tiered cake can start falling over.

They're all breaking. What do I do? You can't do it over. I see that it's

crumbling, and there's really nothing else to do. She doesn't have time.

Father Tom has left the building.

They're so broken.

I mean, do you want to chill them?

That way you can cut it easier.

I don't know if I have any time, Carla.

You have 55 minutes.

I mean, it's really not a lot of time.

Yeah. There's still a lot to get done on each level of the kitchen. Some

buttercreams need to be chilled. Some frostings need to be made. Some fillings

need to be made. Oh, gosh. What a mess.

I can't redo this. I'm going to have to use my frosting as a glue and just try

to stick it together as best as I can. Let me get, like, a crumb coat on here

and then, like, put it in the blast chiller. And I think it might redeem

This is going to come down to the last minute, and it's time to lock in.

Okay, I'm going back to the middle. Great. Thank you, Carla. Back to the

Zohan, go into the middle.

All right, Chloe, remind me what you're working on now. I'm working on my top

tier. I just need to assemble it and get it upstairs with me. Okay.

You've had to have some redo.

Yeah. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling like if I get a cake up at this point, we're winning.

This is your comeback.

When it comes to my top tier, my orange cake, it's looking good.

Chloe, show that cake who's boss. Show that cake who's boss, right?

Okay. Okay.

It's fluffy. It's zesty. It's like really, really bouncy, but the crumb is

I'm thrilled.

Your sister's going to be so proud of you. Charlotte's going to be like, you

rock!

I am so incredibly impressed with these bakers. Fifty minutes left. There is the

time crunch.

There is the pressure.

When we see what they've made, all right, your cake is leaving the

It's really impressive.

Oh, that's so nice. So what is this design?

I'm trying to do a henna design.

Yes! It's so hard, Carla. I would love to represent Eid, which is a Muslim

holiday. The night before Eid, all the girls get henna on their hands, and it

looks so beautiful.

It means a lot. I don't normally do a lot of Pakistani baking, but I figured

is the time to do it. Yes.

I'm always scared to get my hopes up high, but it would mean the absolute

to win.

I'm going to try. I'm going to try my best.

45 minutes to go. Oh, my goodness.

This is really pissing me off right now. The marshmallow top is so bad.

You know, I wanted to have coconut shavings instead.

This snowy masterpiece that I imagined is turning into a snowstorm.

Hi, Theodora.

Hi, how are you?

Not great. Okay, okay, well, same, same.

Nobody's feeling great right now, by the way.

A night spell.

You good, Nikki?

No, I'm not. It's too much to cover three cakes and fondant. Anybody seen a

fondant smolder?

Y 'all doing buttercream.

30 minutes, we need to finish this.

The clock is ticking, the clock is ticking. Damn.

All I'm trying to do is make sure I've got... The fondant on this cake.

I should have done something buttercream.

How are you looking, Nikki?

Terrible. But I got faith.

Yeah. Okay. I got this.

I hope this cake is okay.

Hi, Zoa.

Hi.

What a day, man. Yeah.

Pretty awesome.

Pretty awesome.

I cannot believe we've done this. I'm so proud. All these girls.

Nearly there. We're fine. It'll be tight. And the rest of it, the

do upstairs, yeah? Okay, yeah.

Here we go.

Elevator, please.

Top floor.

I can't believe that it's all over. This all started from my little kitchen at

home. And when I opened a bakery, like, people thought I was crazy. Hold your

nerve. Come on. And so to be here now in the finale of Next Level Baker, it's

incredible. Let's go.

Good. Look at that.

Guys, we've got 25 minutes to go, okay? The baker who pulled it off will be

walking away with $25 ,000.

That looks beautiful.

Thank you.

Nikki, that looks great.

There's so much color. There's so much, and there's a lot of texture. I really

want this to be pretty.

15 minutes to go, yes? Come on, ladies.

Very strong.

Come on, come on, come on.

Visually? I'm going to get flamed on the Internet for this.

What's going to happen?

Fix it, fix it, fix it.

But at this point, this is not getting a cake on platform at all. And hopefully

the flavors shine.

Chloe, you have a cake.

I have a cake.

Well done, Chloe.

Ten minutes to go.

I want this to look better.

There's a lot of texture on Deidre's.

My family would look at that cake and be like, she didn't make that. Because

they've never seen me put together a tiered cake like that. I'm so scared to

it together. There you go. Well done.

Yeah. Well done.

You got this, Nikki. You're amazing.

We all got this, girls. Yeah. Yeah.

Go on, bring it home. Let's go. I'm going to try to make some form of

make it look like bangles. So I'm just piping around.

Piping, piping, piping, switching back, piping, switching back, piping,

switching back, piping.

Oh, my gosh.

But again, time is not my friend.

Three minutes to go.

Final three.

Come on.

Oh, my goodness me.

These last 30 minutes have been insane. I mean, insane. This is a nail -biter.

Honestly, incredible. They are just... So focused and concentrated.

Every second counts.

Unbelievable. And somebody's going home the winner tonight.

Make it dazzle. Make it sparkle.

You guys want to be the next level baker. It is your time to shine.

Platform's moving.

Here comes the platform.

30 seconds to go. Come on, get that chocolate on.

Everyone has a completed cake.

I'm so proud of you all. I can't even speak.

15 seconds to go. Come on! Please be careful when you put your cake on the

platform.

Platform is arising.

You know what?

I've never picked up a three -tier cake before. I was so scared even to get it

to the platform without falling over, and it's wobbling. That's probably one

my worst fears, is dropping a cake.

10 seconds to go.

Go up. Stephanie, you're going to have to go up top.

How am I going to put my cake on the second level?

Oh, I don't know this.

I can list on the top. Let's go. Eight, seven, six, five, four,

three, two, one.

Oh, oh.

Go, go, go.

Go up. Stephanie, you're going to have to go up top.

Be careful.

Three, two, one.

Oh. Oh.

Oh. Wow.

Oh, my God.

I did it. I got it on the platform, and I'm really, really, really proud of

myself for that.

Yo, dude.

What's that face doing, girl?

I'm extremely proud of myself, but.

I feel like I had just been run over by a truck, and the truck backed up to make

sure I was dead and ran over me again.

Oh, my gosh!

Wow.

What a... You five have created holiday magic.

It's been a frantic four hours, but my goodness me, this looks stunning.

This was indeed the toughest test in baking history, and you've all

an incredible feat. Well done.

Right, ladies, ready to taste? Ready to taste. Oh, yes.

All right, our first cake is Zoha's cardamom, maple, and pistachio.

I just love what you've done tempering that chocolate.

It looks stunning.

It's so good. So festive. It's so distinctive.

This is a cultural celebration.

I love it. All we have to do now is taste it.

All right, we're going to get into it.

Well, I think the flavors are really complex and well -balanced. There's so

depth here, and I was delighted by the texture in the...

bottom layer pistachios were nutty toasty and delicious thank you i think

the flavors go together one doesn't blow out the other i want to go in for

another bite because i'm like oh my gosh discover another flavor overall you've

taken us on a cultural flavor journey it's beautiful i mean it's a celebration

and what a perfect moment for it well done i'm so proud of myself to be able

win it would be the absolute highlight of my life aside from my baby I would

literally scream from the rooftop.

Right, next up, this is Chloe's orange, gingerbread, and pecan cake.

First of all, I just want to say, well done.

Honestly, pulling that back the way you did, brilliant job.

Thank you. The scale of the tears, obviously, is a little off, and some of

frosting is heavy -handed, but I'm really proud of you. I think you put

a very simple and elegant cake. Shall we taste?

Yeah.

Well, this is packed with the spice flavors of the holidays.

The middle tier. Ginger, I know you had some issues with that.

It's just the sponge is a little bit too dense for me.

But then the top tier is beautiful. It's elegant. It's sort of, it's almost

perfect. If I had three tiers like that, it'd be number one. I'm happy to hear

how they feel about my flavors.

And I imagine that my little sister will be immensely proud.

Next up.

Stephanie, this is a peppermint, cranberry, and a gingerbread. I think

going to be an inspiration for a lot of home cooks. It is effective. It is

simple in terms of piping and putting all the decor.

It looks elegant.

I can imagine kids running up and pressing their nose to the window at

cake. That would be you.

Yeah. But like all of these cakes, it's about the flavor profile balance, right?

Should we get in there? Yeah, sure.

Right. On the base, we've got the ginger.

Nice.

Good job.

It's beautiful.

Ginger at the bottom. Delicious. Great start. Cranberries, refreshing, tart,

everything you want.

It's a nice little intro to the holidays.

I forgot about the peppermint and the chocolate. And it's just enough. It is

overpowering. It reminded me of having chocolate milk with a little candy cane.

I loved it. Well, it feels like a party.

I just want to deck the halls, and you really brought out the spirit of the

holidays. I really felt like I was discovering something through each tier

your cake. It really was honestly like opening a present.

To hear comments like that about a bake that I've literally just poured so much

into, it's just like the soothing balm to my soul.

This is Nikki's raspberry hummingbird and amaretto cake.

You do nothing by half.

You didn't go down the easy route. Let me tell you, you really went all out

there. And it looks beautiful. It's kid -friendly, and it's definitely a

celebration for the holidays.

You were the only baker who covered your cake in fondant. I think that was a

really bold choice because it brought the color. This cake reads to the back

the room. I mean, you could be way over there and see what this cake says. And I

do think it's going to bring the kids to the yard.

Is that a thing?

All right, let's dig in.

Did you mean to leave the foil on Santa? You don't want to undress him for

Christmas? I didn't want to undress him. Gotcha.

We had to keep it nice. You know, naughty or nice, I kept it nice.

I mean, he's on a pole.

It's very indulgent, the amaretto. I love that.

I love that you made a Christmas cake with hummingbird. It took me down south.

It was really sort of comforting. Well done.

The biggest show I've got is the density of the fondant. It needs to be thin.

And sadly, some parts, it's like half an inch thick.

But the flavor's there.

And I love the fun inside this cake.

Well done.

Great job.

This is Deirdre's peppermint, carrot, and chocolate black licorice cake.

I like the ombre of the blue.

I'm processing the marshmallows.

And the elephant in the room is that it's tilted.

Please catch it if it falls.

Again, it's going to be all down to the flavor.

The carrot cake is divine.

It is so fluffy and delicious.

The chocolate cake, I love. Be careful of that licorice.

It is so strong.

The reason this cake is sort of sinking, this carrot cake is so soft it needed

to be on top.

It may look busted, but the flavors are on point.

Good job.

Wow. What an experience.

Right now, we need to decide which one of these five becomes our first ever

level baker.

All of you, head back to the lounge. Put your feet up, because we need a strong

moment. Well done. Well done.

Head out.

We'll see you shortly.

We rock.

Ladies, shall we?

We got a very hard decision here. Yeah.

How do we choose between them? Chloe had a hard time in the kitchen today.

She's really talented when it comes to flavor. And I give her so much credit

not just breaking down.

I mean, there was like an hour left and you were putting cakes in the oven. I'm

not making my kid's birthday cake after this, honestly. Oh, finishing with that

tempered chocolate and the piping.

I mean, beautiful.

The tempered chocolate was representative of the henna that she's

hands. And it was very effective.

Yeah. Even if you didn't know the flavors, you got to know her through the

It was personal to her. It was celebrating her heritage. And it was

unexpected. Yeah.

Your cake was beautiful.

That chocolate was perfect.

Thank you. Oh my gosh. And I want to try those flavors.

I want to try all your food.

Definitely the cake. I mean, beautiful.

Yeah. Really beautiful.

The peppermint for me was one of those elegance. It was delicious.

Felt very nostalgic.

It was so symmetrical and so beautiful. As a home cook, I think sometimes less

is more. Right. It was stunning. You just said it there. Nick is.

I was excited about the fact that she was working with fondant. She was the

one who did that. But it was so thick, and it ended up being sort of gummy.

I love the decorative part. You know, she did the frosting with the snow, the

Father Christmas. Yeah.

For the kids, it's just, they'd go to that one.

Oh, 100%. I was going to make the damn Santa.

You got Santa on a pole?

You did.

Deidre's carrot cake for me was the show star. The carrot cake was the bomb. The

carrot cake was insane. And it tasted incredible.

But it looked a hot mess.

We've got to pick a winner. It's our first ever Next Level Baker, and it's a

tough one. Ask yourself this. Which cake would you love to see at your table for

the holidays?

It's a clear top two for me. Yeah. But I'm really torn as to which one is my

choice. I know who my top two are.

Interesting. How do we choose between them?

No pressure.

Seriously?

Thank you so much.

Ladies, what a night.

Olicy, for the three of us, this has been incredible.

You've done yourself proud, your family's proud, and... Our taste buds

Our taste buds proud.

Olicy, congratulations to all five of you. Thank you.

We've had a tough discussion.

But we do have our winner.

One of you is about to become the first person ever to be crowned our next level

baker. I mean, as a baker, that's like getting your doctorate. That is the

you will have forever. It is everything.

Scooping up that check for $25 ,000 and an incredible Hexclad prize package.

I need a Hexclad crown.

You think they will have a trophy or a crown or something for the queen?

For one of you, this is going to be the best holiday ever.

To think that I could possibly be the next level baker, that is wild.

The winner of next level baker is... Being here

already has proven to me that I am really good at baking.

And if I win, that would mean so much more.

Congratulations go to... Stephanie!

Well done!

Well done!

Amazing.

Well done.

Congratulations!

You deserve it. Honestly, that's so good.

Stephanie, well done. How does that feel? Feels amazing.

I'm so grateful to be here.

And I have such...

A wonderful family that supported me through all of this. And this has just

the best privilege of my life. Thank you so much. And I mean, these women are so

incredible.

It's been such a gift.

I've worked really, really, really hard for so many years.

And coming here and winning this, all that hard work and the sleepless nights

and the tears, like, it's all been worth it.

A home baker did this.

And I think it shows that even if you're not trained in something, you can do

anything.

Oh, my goodness. I can't wait to celebrate with my family.

It's going to be a Christmas for the books.

From our family to yours.

Happy holidays, everybody.

Well done, guys.

We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We wish you a

Merry Christmas and a Happy

New Year.