The second season of The Great American Baking Show begun December 1, 2016 with a two-hour premiere on ABC. This is the first season to air under its current name, dropping the "holiday" title. Ten amateur bakers competed in an eight-week competition for the title of America's best amateur baker.
Husband and wife duo Nia Vardalos and Ian Gomez returned as hosts, alongside judges Mary Berry and American pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini. This was the final season of Vardalos and Gomez hosting the show as well as Berry's final season as judge.
On January 12, 2017, after eight weeks of competition, Amanda Faber won the season with Stephanie Chen as runner-up. This is the first season in Bake Off history to have two voluntary exits and a final two instead of a final three on finale week. Antoinette Love, who withdrew from the competition tis season, returned for Season 3, where she finished in 4th place.
Bakers Baker Occupation Hometown Amanda Faber Housewife Atlanta, Georgia Antoinette Love Business representative Charlotte, North Carolina Ashlyn Morgan Landscape designer Englewood, Tennessee Courtney Carey Choir chonductor Harlem, New York Jennie Dembowski Graphic designer Chicago, Illinois Jeremiah Bills Music teacher Sacramento, California Michael Wolfe Physician Brooklyn, New York Nancy Judd Retired Alpine, Utah Prachi Chaudhari Housewife South Plainfield, New Jersey Stephanie Chen Marketing executive Los Angeles, California
Results summary + Elimination chart Baker 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Amanda SB WINNER Stephanie SB SB Runner-up Jennie SB OUT Jeremiah SB OUT Prachi OUT Ashlyn SB OUT Michael WD Courtney OUT Antoinette WD NancyOUT
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Following a family emergency the night before week 2's technical, Antoinette withdrew from the competition. There was no elimination this week. As the result of an overnight illness, Michael withdrew from the competition.
Episodes Episode 1: Cake In their first signature bake, the ten bakers created a winter-themed Bundt cake in under two hours. The cakes required a swirl or filling on the inside, with frosting and lace on the outside. Mary Berry's apple almond cake served as the first technical bake of the season. Lastly, in the showstopper, the bakers had five hours to show off their decorative and structural skills in their multi-tiered holiday celebration cakes.
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Baker Signature(Winter Bundt cake) Technical(Apple cake) Showstopper(Multi-tiered holiday cake) Amanda Cardamom and Espresso Swirl Bundt Cake 4th White Christmas Cake Antoinette Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bundt Cake 8th Winter Spice Cake Ashlyn Chestnut Bundt Cake 5th Coconut Present Cake Courtney Cranberry and Cherry Bundt Cake 7th Chocolate Garam masala Cake Jennie Coconut Eggnog and Chocolate Bundt Cake 3rd Winter Wonderland Orange Spice Cake Jeremiah Mandarin and Chocolate Bundt Cake 1st Azorean Winter Forest Cake Michael Cherry Bourbon Bundt Cake 9th Winter Holiday Cake Nancy Rich Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake 10th Winter White Peppermint Cake Prachi Chocolate Pumpkin Rose Bundt Cake 2nd Eggnog Celebration Cake Stephanie Pumpkin Ginger Spice Bundt Cake 6th California Dreamin' Cake
Episode 2: Cookies Bakers were set the challenge to bake twelve bar cookies of identical size and shape. The technical featured biscotti, a "twice-baked" cookie with delicate chocolate piping according to Johnny Iuzzini's recipe. The night before the showstopper, it was revealed that Antoinette had to leave the competition due to a family emergency. With eight bakers left, the showstopper and elimination continued as they had five hours to create a three-dimensional cookie scene with a holiday twist.
Baker Signature(Bar cookies) Technical(Biscotti) Showstopper(3D iced cookie scene) Amanda Pistachio Bars 3rd Christmas Tree and Presents Antoinette Bourbon Pecan Bars 2nd Ashlyn Rose and Orange Blossom Bars 9th Smoky Mountain Christmas Courtney Sweet Potato Bars 7th Winter Neighborhood Jennie Cherry Almond Bars 6th Spirit of the Season Jeremiah Portuguese Morgado Bars 1st Christmas Tree and Wreaths Michael Cranberry Almond Ginger Bars 4th Sleigh and Reindeers Prachi Fruit and Nut Oat Bars 8th Gateway of India in Winter Stephanie Blackberry Basil Corn Bars 5th Holidays in Space!
Episode 3: Bread In the competition's first bread week, bakers had two hours to create twelve savory yeast dinner rolls in under two hours. The technical bake of the week was stollen, a German Christmas fruit and nut bread with rum and a sausage-shaped marzipan in the middle. In the final bake of the week, bakers created another three-dimensional holiday centerpiece for the showstopper bake, this time with different and unique collections of breads. With the judges failing to reach a consensus as to who would go that week, no one was eliminated.
Baker Signature(Yeast rolls) Technical(Stollen) Showstopper(3D bread centerpiece) Amanda "Lucky Number 3" Rolls 7th Turtle Dove Love Nest Ashlyn Southern Cheese and Onion Rolls 3rd Potted Christmas Tree Jennie Brown Butter Garlic Parmesan Rolls 5th Sweet Christmas Tree Jeremiah Portuguese Rolls 6th Massa Sovada Sleigh Michael Classic Dinner Rolls 2nd Partridge in a Pear Tree Prachi Herb and Onion Cloverleaf Rolls 4th Bird Nest Stephanie Green Onion Sesame Rolls 1st Super Santa
Episode 4: Pies and Tarts The night before the signature bake, Michael withdrew from the competition due to illness. With six bakers left in the competition, pies and tarts week began with a meringue pie baked and torched under a two-hour frame. The technical bake challenged bakers to create a free form, pear-shaped pear tart with an additional frangipane layer below the pears. For the showstopper challenge, bakers had four hours to make three dozen savory tartlets in two unique crusts and flavors.
Baker Signature(Meringue pie) Technical(Patridge in a Pear Tart) Showstopper(Hors d'oeuvre tartlets) Amanda Whiskey Peach Pie 2nd Pimento Tarts & Carnitas Tartlets Ashlyn Spicebush Eggnog Pie 4th Spinach Vol-Au-Vents & Grit Tartlets Jennie Chocolate Banana Cream Pie 1st Shrimp and Cream Cheese Tartlets & Prosciutto and Date Tartlets Jeremiah Passion Fruit Pie 6th Sea Urchin Mousse Tartlets & Fig and Goat Cheese Tartlets Prachi Coconut Custard Pie 5th Mathri Tartlets & Vol-Au-Vents with Paneer Filling Stephanie Strawberry Hibiscus Pie 3rd Kalbi Short Rib Tarts & Chinese BBQ Shiitake Galettes
Episode 5: Chocolate Chocolate week began with bakers attempting to create twelve miniature molten lava cakes with an oozing chocolate center within two hours. Johnny Iuzzini's specialization on chocolate increased the pressure among the remaining bakers in the next technical. Bakers had to make twenty-five truffles with two different types of ganache: a hazelnut coffee white chocolate ganache and a banana coconut rum ganache. The showstopper tested the bakers' mousse skills with two distinct flavors and chocolate decorations as a finishing touch.
Baker Signature(Molten chocolate cake) Technical(Chocolate truffle) Showstopper(Naked mousse cake) Amanda Hot Chocolate Lava Cakes 1st Hazelnut, Espresso, and Chocolate Mousse Cake Jennie Hazelnut Chocolate Lava Cakes 5th Spiked Latte Mousse Cake Jeremiah Kaffir Lime and Coconut Lava Cakes 3rd Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse Cake Prachi Salted Caramel Lava Cakes 4th Fig and Chocolate Mousse Cake Stephanie Earl Grey Salted Caramel Lava Cakes 2nd Blackberry, Coffee, and Pistachio Mousse Cake
Episode 6: Custard and Meringue The final four bakers began the week by baking 12 crème brûlées with the flavors of their choice in two hours. Next in the technical, bakers tested their skills in Mary Berry's French recipe œufs en neige, or "eggs in snow". The judges looked for six perfectly poached meringues and crèmes anglaise. The quarter-final showstopper required the bakers to bake two dozen pavlovas of two different meringues and fillings within four hours.
Baker Signature(Crème brûlée) Technical(œufs en neige) Showstopper(Pavlovas) Amanda Maple and Peanut Butter Crème Brûlée 2nd Raspberry Chocolate and Coconut Lychee Pavlovas Jennie Apple Pie Crème Brûlée 4th Chocolate Almond Butter and Rose Water Pistachio Pavlovas Jeremiah Chestnut Crème Brûlée 1st Chocolate Mandarin and Raspberry Rose Pavlovas Stephanie Maple Fennel Crème Brûlée 3rd Dark Chocolate Coffee and Strawberry Black Pepper Pavlovas
Episode 7: Pâtisserie In the semi-final signature bake, the final three bakers created twenty-four petits fours, or mini cakes delicately covered with fondant and icing. With two more chances left to impress the judges, bakers had to recreate twelve crullers, a fried donut-like choux pastry, in under ninety minutes. For the showstopper, a sharing-size mille-feuille (also known as the Napoleon) tested the final three's precision on making a perfect puff pastry.
Baker Signature(Petit four) Technical(Cruller) Showstopper(Mille-feuille) Amanda Mother Daughter Tea Party Petits Fours 1st Blackberry and Pear Mille-Feuille Jennie Honey Walnut and Lemon Kiwi Petits Fours 2nd Strawberries and Cream Mille-Feuille Stephanie Rosemary Olive Oil and Chocolate Hazelnut Petits Fours 3rd Banana Cream Pie Mille-Feuille
Episode 8: Final Three challenges remain for the final two bakers before a winner is crowned. For the signature bake, the final two had two hours to bake twenty-four handheld savory pastries and tested the bakers' technical detailing in the creation of different doughs and fillings. In the final technical, Mary Berry set the challenge on the bakers to create a British Battenberg cake with a checkerboard pattern and precise amounts of marzipan and jam on the inside and out. The final bake of the season put all of the bakers' skills to the test with a Winter celebration dessert display of cakes, cookies, custards, pastries and additional desserts of their choosing.
Baker Signature(Savory pastries) Technical(Battenberg cake) Showstopper(Winter dessert display) Amanda Breakfast and Lunch Handheld Pastries 2nd Winter Warm Up Dessert Display Stephanie American Brunch & Chinese Dim Sum Pies 1st Winter Celebration Display
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