Holiday Baking Championship season 12 ends with a festive spectacle

Season 12 finale of Holiday Baking Championship was a long finale set in the Holiday Village. The last episode of the series, after eight weeks of competition, brought the final bakers to new high-pressure challenges.

The finalists of the earlier team formats were removed, and each baker competed individually. The finale consisted of the preheat challenge, an elimination round, and a huge final cake challenge.

The host Jesse Palmer accompanied the bakers through every round when the judges emphasized flavor and baking skill, and how the dessert fit the theme. In the end, one baker was given the title of champion, awarded $25k, and given a feature in Food Network Magazine. The finale was about time management, creativity, and consistency through different bakes.

___________________________________________________
 

Final five and the preheat challenge in the Holiday Baking Championship

The five bakers: Ashlay, Chase, Charles, TK, and Nico started the episode. The first round was a preheat challenge that took its theme from naughty holiday ideas.

Bakers were free to make any dessert they wanted, but each must use a surprise ingredient that is not typically found in desserts. Among the ingredients were sauerkraut, red curry, jalapeño, avocado, and black licorice.

The right to assign these ingredients was earned through an auction that cost baking time. Charles won the power and accepted a 20-minute time loss. Jesse Palmer started the challenge by saying, “Bakers, your time starts now.”

Each baker worked to turn their ingredient into a usable dessert component. Judges later explained that the goal was to make the ingredient feel intentional and balanced. After tasting all entries, Chase’s dessert stood out for flavor balance and clarity. He won the preheat challenge and earned immunity, sending him directly to the final round.

The remaining four bakers moved on to the elimination challenge, which focused on hot cocoa. Bakers had to create a dessert that clearly reflected hot cocoa through flavor, look, or structure.

The pressure increased because only three bakers would advance. During judging, the panel discussed whether the hot cocoa theme was clear and whether the desserts were well executed.

Ashlay won the round and received an advantage for the final bake. Charles was declared safe. That left Nico and TK at risk of elimination. The judges decided to send Nico home, explaining that while his dessert was technically strong, the hot cocoa flavor was not clear enough. Nico exited the competition after the elimination round.
______________________________________________________
 

Elimination, final bake, and the winner of Holiday Baking Championship

The final bake featured four bakers: Ashlay, Charles, TK, and Chase. The challenge required each baker to create a multi-tier cake with a “naughty vs. nice” holiday theme. Bakers were given five hours to design, bake, assemble, and decorate their cakes.

Ashlay assigned the theme pairings using her advantage. Throughout the bake, bakers focused on structure, flavor combinations, and clear storytelling through design. When time was called, the judges evaluated each cake closely.

They discussed cake texture, fillings, stability, and how well each theme was shown. One judge reminded the bakers that “flavor still comes first.” After tasting and reviewing all four cakes, the judges compared overall performance across the episode.

Jesse Palmer returned to the kitchen to announce the final result. He told the bakers, “You are the Holiday Baking Champion,” before naming Charles as the winner of season 12. Charles received the championship title, the $25,000 prize, and the magazine feature.

The finale ended with the remaining bakers congratulating one another, closing the season, and marking the end of winter in the Holiday Village.
____________________________________________
Stay tuned for more updates.