From wild card to fan favorite: Nico’s emotional exit in Holiday Baking Championship season 12

Holiday Baking Championship season 12 followed a group of bakers through weekly holiday-themed challenges that tested flavor, time management, and presentation.

One of the bakers who reached the finale episode was Nico, who joined the season as a creative competitor known for trying new ideas.

He frequently disclosed his personal life in connection with his baking and mainly concentrated on nontraditional flavor pairings. His journey was cut short in the finale episode after the elimination round, right before the final cake challenge.

The finale was held in the Holiday Village and was the moment when the team formats were completely dropped. Each baker was on his own now, so every decision was more crucial than before.

The episode featured a preheat challenge with surprise ingredients, an elimination bake based on hot cocoa, and a final multi-tier cake challenge.

Nico was competing with Ashlay, Chase, Charles, and TK. While he did not advance to the final round, his elimination played a major role in shaping the final outcome of the competition.
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Nico’s role in the Holiday Baking Championship finale and Preheat challenge

Nico entered the Holiday Baking Championship finale as one of five remaining bakers. The first round was a preheat challenge inspired by naughty holiday ideas.

Bakers were allowed to choose any dessert format but had to include a surprise ingredient that is not usually used in desserts. Nico was assigned jalapeño. At the start of the round, host Jesse Palmer told the bakers, “Bakers, your time starts now.”

Nico planned a dessert that paired spice with dairy and citrus elements. His focus was on keeping the heat controlled while still meeting the holiday theme.

During the bake, Nico worked quickly but spent a large amount of time on design details. When judging began, the panel discussed how each baker used their assigned ingredient.

One judge stated that the goal was to make the ingredient feel intentional in the dessert. Nico’s flavors were described as clear and balanced, and the jalapeño was present without overpowering the dish.

However, his decoration was not fully finished when time was called. While his dessert showed technical planning, it did not earn him the preheat win. Without immunity, Nico moved on to the elimination round with the other bakers.
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Elimination round and Nico’s exit from Holiday Baking Championship

The elimination challenge required the remaining bakers to create a dessert inspired by hot cocoa. Each bake needed to clearly connect to hot cocoa through flavor, design, or structure.

Nico chose a dessert style tied to a family memory and worked to keep the flavors controlled and consistent. He focused on clean layers and a clear presentation. During judging, the panel discussed whether each dessert strongly represented hot cocoa. One judge reminded the bakers that “flavor still comes first,” especially late in the season.

Nico’s dessert was described as technically sound, but the judges noted that the hot cocoa flavor was not strong enough compared to the other entries. After tasting all the desserts, the judges held a discussion and narrowed the decision to Nico and TK.

Jesse Palmer returned to the kitchen and addressed the group before announcing the result. He said, “This is not your time,” before naming Nico as the baker who would be eliminated. Nico became emotional and thanked the judges and fellow contestants.

His exit ended his run on the show just before the final cake challenge, leaving four bakers to compete for the title. In the end, Charles ended up as the winner of Holiday Baking Championship season 12.
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Stay tuned for more updates.