The fifth season of The Great Canadian Baking Show premiered on CBC Television on October 17, 2021. As with previous seasons, ten amateur bakers competed over eight weeks of challenges, vying for the title. Ann Pornel and Alan Shane Lewis returned for their second season as hosts. Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley returned for their fifth and third seasons respectively as judges.

Bakers Baker Age Profession Hometown Aimee DeCruyenaere 23 Industrial design student Ottawa, ON Alina Fintineanu 30 Orthodontic dental hygienist Toronto, ON Amanda Muirhead 45 Paralegal Westmoreland, PE Caron Lau 26 Occupational therapist Richmond, BC Dougal Nolan 31 Mental health researcher Dartmouth, NS Kunal Ranchod 30 Choreographer Montreal, QC Marian Castelino 41 Designer Ottawa, ON Stephen Nhan 30 Health administrator Regina, SK Steve Levitt 54 Small business owner Aurora, ON Vincent Chan 55 Graphic designer Mississauga, ON

Results summary

Elimination chart Baker 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Vincent SB SB WINNER Aimee SB SB SB Runner Up SteveSB Runner Up Stephen SB OUT Amanda OUT DougalOUT AlinaOUT CaronOUT MarianOUT KunalOUT

Episodes Baker eliminated Star Baker Winner

Episode 1: Cake For their first signature challenge, the bakers were given two hours to create a decorated pound cake in any flavour of their choice. For the technical challenge, the bakers had an hour and 45 minutes to make 20 lamingtons, with light, fluffy sponge layers, raspberry jam to hold the layers together, and covered with a layer of chocolate glaze and desiccated coconut. For the showstopper, the bakers had three hours and 30 minutes to make a fault line cake - a cake with a decorative crack that creates the illusion of what is within the cake.

+BakerSignature(Pound cake)Technical(20 Lamingtons)Showstopper(Fault line cake)AimeeRhubarb Swirl Pound Cake 2ndGrand Canyon Sunrise Fault LineAlinaCarrot Crystal Pound Cake10th Checkmate CakeAmandaDouble Decker Pound Cake 8th Hummingbird Fault LineCaronHong Kong Lemon Tea Pound Cake4th Over the Rockies Fault LineDougalEast Coast Pound Cake6th Ideal Birthday CakeKunalLemon Blueberry Pound Cake9thKintsugi CakeMarianGrapefruit Blackberry Pound Cake5th Cherry Blossom Fault LineStephenPandan Surprise Pound Cake7thOde to Geodes Fault LineSteveChai Butterfly Pound Cake1st Queen Bee CakeVincentCandied Lemon Pound Cake 3rd Champagne Celebration Cake

Episode 2: Cookies For the signature challenge for this year's Cookie Week, the nine remaining bakers had two hours 15 minutes to create 12 icebox sandwich cookies, made from a stiff dough that is put in the freezer to further stiffen before it is sliced and baked. They had to ensure the dough was multi-coloured, and that when sliced, would display intricate designs. They also had to create a complementary filling that would be sandwiched between two cookies. For the technical challenge, set by Bruno, the bakers had two hours to create 20 pirouette cookies: a thin, hollow, rolled wafer cookie with a characteristic chocolate stripe, filled with a chocolate hazelnut mixture. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were allotted 4 hours to create a cookie mosaic, which consisted of colourful cookie tiles arranged in a certain way on a cookie base.

+BakerSignature(12 icebox sandwich cookies)Technical(20 pirouette cookies)Showstopper(Cookie mosaic)AimeeSavoury Sandwich Cookies 5th Vintage Cookie LampAlinaToy Block Cookies2ndPostcard from SantoriniAmandaPerfectly Pear Cookies 7th Cookie Map of PEICaronPassionate for Passionfruit Cookies8th Cookie Rainbow EstateDougalZesty Blueberry Cookies3rdBuzz-worthy MosaicMarianKek Lapis Cookies9th Window into Bahrain MosaicStephenStrawberry Lemonade Cookies4thAchy Bakey HeartSteveLemon and Rasp-Beary Cookies1st Easy Ride MosaicVincentGarden of Roses Cookies6th Lotus Garden

Episode 3: Celebration For the signature challenge, the bakers were given two hours to create eclairs for a special occasion. For the technical challenge, the bakers were given two and a half hours to make a spider web mirror glaze cake, with layers of sponge and mousse over a peanut base, topped with a shiny mirror finish, and applying a spiderweb pattern and tuille. For the showstopper, the bakers were give four hours to complete a wedding centrepiece made of multiple types of meringue.

+BakerSignature(12 Special occasion eclairs)Technical(Spiderweb mirror glaze cake)Showstopper(Meringue wedding centrepiece)AimeeYear of the Tiger Eclairs2nd Butterfly Garden Wedding CentrepieceAlinaEngagement Eclairs6thTropical Wedding CentrepieceAmanda"Oh, Canada!" Eclairs 7th Ode To My Sister Wedding CentrepieceCaronConvocation Eclairs4th Christmas Wedding CentrepieceDougalSanta's Jacket Eclairs3rdWinter Woodland Wedding CentrepieceStephenOde to Mom Eclairs8thFloral Wedding CentrepieceSteveHappy 21st Birthday Eclairs5th Campfire Wedding CentrepieceVincentCherry Blossom Festival Eclairs1stPretty in Pink Wedding Centrepiece

Episode 4: Bread The signature challenge saw the bakers bake a babka, a braided bread with either a sweet or savoury filling, in two and a half hours. The technical challenge gave the bakers two and a half hours to bake 12 bolo bao, or pineapple buns, named for the characteristic topping that resembles the texture of a pineapple. The bakers also had to make their own butter to insert into six of their twelve pineapple buns to create the bolo yau ("buttered pineapple") variant. For the showstopper, the bakers were given four and a half hours to bake and create an elaborate bread basket, with at least two kinds of bread. The "basket" holding the baker's bread could be any shape or type of vessel, as long as it was also made of bread.

+BakerSignature(Babka)Technical(12 Bolo bao)Showstopper(Elaborate bread basket)AimeeHerb Garden Babka3rd Buns in the OvenAlinaNuts About Chocolate Babka7thBasket of FloursAmandaTwelve Days of Babka2nd All-a-Bread to PEI BoatDougal"It's My Jam" Babka4thBrunch PlatterStephenDutch Dreams Babka5thOde to Cheese and DoughSteveChristmukkah Babka1st Love BoatVincentGilded Star Babka6thKnitting Bowl of Kittens

Episode 5: Pies and Tarts In the signature challenge, the bakers had two hours to bake a sweet pie or tart inspired by a particular province of Canada. For the technical challenge, the bakers were given two hours and fifteen minutes to bake 14 pastéis de nata, Portuguese egg custard tarts. In the showstopper challenge, the bakers needed to produce two-tiered hand-raised pies using hot water crust pastry with two distinct flavours and at least two layers within the pie in four and half hours.

+BakerSignature(Provincial Pie or Tart)Technical(14 Pastéis de Nata)Showstopper(Tiered Hand-raised Pies)AimeePeaches and Cream Tart5thPasta Dinner PiesAmandaMile High PEI Lemon Pie6thMaritime Fast Food PiesDougalSummer on the East Coast Pie2nd"Hold the Meat" PiesStephenPrairie Berry Pie3rdPeruvian & Pork PiesSteveTop of Superior Pie1stDeli & Diner PiesVincentBlueberry-Lime Trillium Pie4thAll in the Family Pies

Episode 6: Caramel For the first ever caramel signature challenge, the bakers had to make florentines with tempered chocolate, with 12 each in two different flavours for a total of 24 biscuits, in two hours. In the technical challenge, the bakers had an hour and 45 minutes to make a baker's dozen of doughnuts made of a yeast-based dough, with a caramel praline pastry cream filling and caramel glaze with praline topping. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers had four hours to bake a caramel layer cake of any design and flavour as long as caramel was the featured element.

+BakerSignature(24 Florentines)Technical(13 Caramel doughnuts)Showstopper(Caramel layer cake)AimeeRise & Shine Florentines1stNuts for Bananas BakeAmandaSilver Anniversary Florentines2ndFall for Caramel CakeStephenSweet & Spicy Florentines5thNight at the Movies CakeSteveHeart & Soul Florentines4thChoux-in for a Win CakeVincentChinese-Canadian Florentines3rdFairest of Them All Cake

Episode 7: Patisserie For the signature challenge, the bakers had two hours and forty-five minutes to bake 16 vol-au-vents with two different fillings. For the technical challenge, the bakers had two hours to make a baba au rhum without a mixer. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers had four hours to bake 36 petit fours of any design and flavour; the bakers had to bake 12 each of 3 types, each with their own respective flavours.

+BakerSignature(16 Vol-au-vents)Technical(Baba au rhum)Showstopper(36 petit fours)AimeePineapple & Avocado Two Ways Vol-au-Vents1stJewelry Box Petit FoursStephenLuxurious Lobster & Blackberry Vol-au-Vents2ndSummer Tea Party Petit FoursSteveDinner & Dessert Vol-au-Vents4thRedemption Petit FoursVincentHot & Cool Vol-au-Vents3rdGarden Party Petit Fours

Episode 8: Finale For the final Signature challenge of the season, the finalists had to create a multi-layer mousse tart in 2 hours 15 minutes, making sure the layers of their creations were distinct and well set. For the final Technical challenge, the bakers had 2 hours 45 minutes to make 10 delizie al limone, an Italian dessert composed of a sponge cake base with lemon pastry cream, lemon curd, lemon whipped cream and limoncello syrup. The last Showstopper challenge (and last challenge overall) of the season saw the finalists create a baking journey cake in 4 and a half hours; the cake had to tell a story about their evolution as bakers.

+BakerSignature(Mousse tart)Technical(10 Delizie al limone)Showstopper(Baking journey cake)AimeeSweet Pea Garden Tart1stTurtle ExtravaganzaSteveLime in the Coconut Mousse Tart3rdDessert TowerVincentMojito Madness Mousse Tart2ndJourney to Elegance

References