Cake Boss: Next Great Baker

Skillful culinary artists go into competition to become the next great baker at Carlo's bake shop.

Cast:Buddy Valastro , Ashley Holt , Chad Durkin , Peter Gray , Paul Conti , Melissa Payne , Chris Luna , Gretel-Ann Fischer , Emme Tyler , Jen Kwapinski , Letty Alvarez , Garrett Wallace , Jess Reyling , James Brown , Jacques Torres , Al DiBartolo , Al Watson , Bobbi Lloyd

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ Celebrate Good Times, C'mon!

Mon, Dec 6, 2010

In the series kickoff, the competitors must create a celebration cake that shows their skills as a baker and decorator. With a nine-hour time limit, these bakers are under the gun, but to really ratchet up the pressure Buddy brings in 2 guest judges.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ Do Not Pass ''Go''!

Mon, Dec 13, 2010

Tempers flare in the kitchen when competitors split into teams to create a cake in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Monopoly board game.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ T'is the Season to Be Jolly!

Mon, Dec 20, 2010

Competition heats up for the holidays when Buddy splits the competitors into a Girls vs. Boys showdown to create Christmas themed cakes for the American Cancer Society holiday party.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ It's Dyn-o-mite!

Mon, Dec 27, 2010

Sparks fly when the contestants are asked to create a special effects and pyrotechnics cake for the 20th Anniversary of a special effects company.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ 3-2-1 Blast Off!

Mon, Jan 3, 2011

Tension rises when the competitors are asked to create an outer space themed cake for Buddy Jr.'s 6th birthday party.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ Here Comes the Bride!

Mon, Jan 10, 2011

The remaining contestants are asked to put their skills to the test to create the perfect wedding cake for a young couple that is about to tie the knot.

7Season 1

S1.E7 ∙ Pedal to the Metal

Tue, Jan 17, 2012

Buddy is putting the remaining contestants to the ultimate test as each baker must design a cake inspired by a hot new car they all get to test drive.

8Season 1

S1.E8 ∙ The Big Finale!

Mon, Jan 24, 2011

After 8 grueling weeks, Buddy finally crowns a winner. Who will take home the top prize of $50,000 and the title the Next Great Baker?

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ It's Go Time!

Mon, Nov 28, 2011

In the series premiere, the competitors put their baking skills to the test when they are paired up into teams to create a 4-foot tall theme cake. But when Buddy presents an interesting challenge to win immunity, will it be every baker for themselves?

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Life-Sized Cakes

Mon, Dec 5, 2011

Sculpted cakes are one of the most popular requests made by clients today and nobody does them better than Buddy. The competitors are asked to create life-sized sculpted cakes in 10 hours with special mystery clients serving as the models.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ Wedding Wonderland

Mon, Dec 12, 2011

Being the Next Great Baker means creating cakes that are magazine worthy. The stakes are raised when the competitors are asked to create elaborate wedding cakes inspired by the latest wedding trends for Brides Magazine.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ Bakers on Ice

Mon, Dec 19, 2011

Competition heats up for the holidays when the bakers break into teams to create their best holiday themed cake for the Valastro Christmas party. But not everyone is merry as tempers flare amongst the teams with one baker making a trip to the hospital.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ Let the Sparks Fly

Mon, Dec 26, 2011

Sparks fly when Buddy asks the competitors to work together to create one-of-a-kind engineered cakes. These cakes will need to spin, smoke, move and spark if the contestants want to wow Buddy and the judges. But it's not Valastro-Style without a twist!

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Gators, Bears, and Chimps? Oh My!

Mon, Jan 2, 2012

Speed and agility are put to the test when the bakers are asked to unload Lackawanna's industrial 400 degree oven for the Baker's Challenge. Later, it's time to go wild as the bakers must construct animal cakes for the Turtleback Zoo.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Here Comes the Bride-zilla!

Mon, Jan 9, 2012

It's wedding day at the bakery! The bakers must team up to create an off-beat wedding cake for a true bridezilla! It's the ultimate test to see how these bakers will handle a difficult client, but will the bride's requests be too demanding?

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ Headbanging Bakers

Mon, Jan 16, 2012

The bakers must get in a heavy state of mind when they are asked to create heavy metal cakes complete with pyrotechnics for a very special birthday. These cakes need to rock or somebody is going out with a bang...and did we mention it's boys vs. girls?

9Season 2

S2.E9 ∙ Crown-Winning Cakes

Mon, Jan 23, 2012

It's down to the final four and it's every baker for themselves. Buddy brings in 2011 Miss USA Alyssa Campanella to help judge who will make it to the finale as the bakers must create their best cake celebrating Alyssa's life.

10Season 2

S2.E10 ∙ ...And the Winner Is?

Mon, Jan 30, 2012

The final three face their toughest Baker's Challenge yet when they must bake their 3 best pastries to sell at Carlo's Bakery with the baker who sells the least going home early. The final two will then battle it out for the title the Next Great Baker!

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ Game On!

Mon, Nov 26, 2012

In the season premiere, the contestants are asked to create a Mexican fiesta themed groom's cake for Mario Lopez's wedding. When personalities clash in the kitchen, enemy lines are drawn and cakes are put in jeopardy.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ Cake Powers, Activate!

Mon, Dec 3, 2012

This week the contestants must invent their own comic book superheroes, and build a 3-foot tall cake that tells their story. You can run, but you can't hide because judging this week's cake is the meanest and greenest superhero of them all!

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ Bunny Suits and BB Guns

Mon, Dec 10, 2012

Happy Holidays! The bakers are asked to make a cake for the cast of the new Broadway musical A Christmas Story. Using inspiration from the classic movie and musical, the bakers will have to fight to win the attention of guest judge Peter Billingsley.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Cake Roast

Mon, Dec 17, 2012

The bakers are assigned their toughest challenge yet, life-sized cakes. Divided into two teams, the competitors battle it out to create life-sized cakes of comediennes Judy Gould and Carol Leifer.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ New Year's Eve, Hoboken Style!

Mon, Dec 31, 2012

It's the holidays! Come spend New Years Eve with the Next Great Baker family. Get the behind the scenes scoop from competitors about the casting process, their first day at the bakery and more! From cat fights to cryingwe'll recap it all with Buddy!

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Wedding Belles

Mon, Jan 7, 2013

Wedding bells are ringing in Hoboken! This week the competitors must create wedding cakes for some very particular brides. But when the brides decide to change their design plans mid-challenge, the competitors must race against the clock to finish!

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ Cakes Al Dente

Mon, Jan 14, 2013

This week the competitors are charged with making a 3-foot tall cake that represents an Italian family dinner. Everything on the cake must be a recreation of authentic Italian food -- meatballs, spaghetti, Parmesan and more!

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ Battle of the Sexes

Jan 2013

It's girls against boys in a themed-cake elimination challenge. Buddy has charged both teams with creating inventive theme cakes for the bakery's portfolio. But when Buddy throws a monkey wrench in the competition both teams will bake for their lives.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ Happy Birthday, Kelly

Mon, Jan 28, 2013

Morning show host Kelly Rippa is celebrating a birthday! And her co-host Michael Strahan asks the competitors to create the perfect cake to celebrate. Teams work around the clock to make a cake that will be presented to Kelly on live TV.

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ Momma Knows Best

Mon, Feb 4, 2013

It's down to the final 4 as Buddy challenges the bakers to create tribute cakes for their mothers. And later, Buddy brings in a couple surprise helpers to get the job done right. The competition heats up as each baker brings their best!

11Season 3

S3.E11 ∙ Vegas Baby!

Mon, Feb 11, 2013

Buddy takes the competitors to Las Vegas for one last showdown! With help from past competitors and Buddy's family the 3 final bakers must bake, sell and decorate to the finish line. At the end, only one competitor will be crowned The Next Great Baker!

1Season 4

S4.E1 ∙ Empire State of Mind

Tue, Jun 24, 2014

With two new experts by his side, Buddy the Cake Boss judges ten pairs of bakers in the first phase of the fourth season. Each team takes a bite of the Big Apple as they race to iconic city cites for inspiration in their inaugural cake challenge.

2Season 4

S4.E2 ∙ Sugar High

Tue, Jul 1, 2014

Playground antics take over as the bakers choose their own teams in an effort to please some very picky and demanding clients with an affinity for all things sugary. With 100 lbs. of candy, can the bakers sweet talk their way into the next round?

3Season 4

S4.E3 ∙ Destination Wedding!

Tue, Jul 8, 2014

The bakers use something borrowed to complete this cake challenge: someone else's partner! They are thrown into arranged marriages with new partners to construct a destination wedding cake. Helping Buddy judge are two famous players in the game of love.

4Season 4

S4.E4 ∙ Buddy's Winter BBQ

Tue, Jul 15, 2014

Competition sizzles when the teams have to make barbeque inspired cakes. As if making a six-foot long hot dog and a 4-foot wide hamburger was not stressful enough, the teams will have to present their cakes to Buddy's family!

5Season 4

S4.E5 ∙ Nightmare on Baker Street

Tue, Jul 22, 2014

6Season 4

S4.E6 ∙ Long Island Medium Cakes

Tue, Jul 29, 2014

It's the toughest challenge of them all, life sized cakes! The teams have to make their cakes in the form of the Long Island Medium, Theresa Caputo, for her charity event. Will the teams be able to successfully go big or will they go home?

7Season 4

S4.E7 ∙ Gravity Defying Cakes

Tue, Aug 5, 2014

Competition is turned on its head, as the bakers have to create gravity defying cakes. As if keeping these cakes upright isn't difficult enough, teams will also learn these cakes will head to the Rachael Ray show. Will the pressure get the best of them?

8Season 4

S4.E8 ∙ Sexiest Cakes Alive

Tue, Aug 12, 2014

Teams will have to wow the judges as they must bake their best cakes and desserts for the Cake Boss Cafe in Time Square. And to throw an extra wrinkle into the mix, Buddy brings back a past eliminated group for redemption. Only the top three will move on.

9Season 4

S4.E9 ∙ Wow Cakes

Tue, Aug 12, 2014

10Season 4

S4.E10 ∙ Vegas Showstoppers

Tue, Aug 19, 2014

It's down to the top three, but only two teams will move on to the Vegas showdown. Each team must create a culinary masterpiece revolving around each of the judges' specialties. Which teams will have Lady Luck on their side to move onto the Vegas Finale?