# The Big Nailed It! Baking Challenge

The Big Nailed It! Baking Challenge is an American reality television series that premiered on August 4, 2023. The series is a spin-off of the Netflix series Nailed It! Like its predecessor, Baking Challenge features amateur bakers competing against each other for a cash prize; however, the bakers receive instruction from professional bakers to improve their baking skills with each challenge.
Nicole Byer and Jacques Torres returned as the show presenters. They are joined each episode by chefs Erin Jeanne McDowell and Robert Lucas, who teach the contestant the new skills during the Baking 101 challenges and provide additional instruction as they construct their cakes.

## Premise

The series begins with ten amateurs bakers who lack in professional baking skills. In each episode, chefs Robert and Erin demonstrate a skill required to be a great baker while the contestants follow along and replicate the chefs' bakes in a challenge called Baking 101. A contestant will be named the winner of the episode's Baking 101 challenge and is given an advantage in the cake construction challenge; the advantages vary, including assistance such as first pick on ingredients, extra tools and instruction, or delays for their opponents (these delays are similar to the "extra help" options give to Nailed It! contestants who struggle during their first challenge). Each episode, a guest judge assists Byer and Torres in picking an episode winner. The results of the Baking 101 challenge do not impact the judging of the cake construction challenge.
In the second challenge, the contestants must complete a cake that requires the skill taught in the Baking 101 challenge. At the end of each episode, a winner is declared for the cake construction challenge, who is awarded $1,000 per challenge. The bottom baker is eliminated from the show, but is first given 60 seconds to grab any set items they would like to take home to continue their baking journey, which is called a Pantry Raid.
The season winner is awarded $100,000 after all other players are eliminated.

## Contestant progress

| Name | Ep. 1 | Ep. 1 | Ep. 2 | Ep. 2 | Ep. 3 | Ep. 3 | Ep. 4 | Ep. 4 | Ep. 5 | Ep. 5 | Ep. 6 | Ep. 6 | Ep. 7 | Ep. 7 | Ep. 8 | Ep. 8 | Ep. 9 | Ep. 9 | Ep. 10 |
| Ignoisco | SS | WIN | SS | HIGH | WIN | WIN | SS | N/A | N/A | HIGH | SS | SS | SS | WIN | SS | WIN | SS | WIN | WINNER |
| Georgina | DQ | LOW | WIN | SS | SS | SS | WIN | N/A | N/A | WIN | SS | WIN | WIN | SS | WIN | SS | SS | SS | RUNUP |
| Richard• | DQ | SS | SS | WIN | SS | HIGH | SS | N/A | N/A | SS | SS | LOW | SS | SS | SS | SS | WIN | Eliminated (Episode 9) | Eliminated (Episode 9) |
| Frank | DQ | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | N/A | N/A | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | Eliminated (Episode 8) | Eliminated (Episode 8) | Eliminated (Episode 8) | Eliminated (Episode 8) |
| Emily | DQ | SS | SS | SS | SS | LOW | SS | N/A | N/A | HIGH | SS | HIGH | SS | Eliminated (Episode 7) | Eliminated (Episode 7) | Eliminated (Episode 7) | Eliminated (Episode 7) | Eliminated (Episode 7) | Eliminated (Episode 7) |
| Travis | DQ | SS | SS | HIGH | SS | SS | SS | N/A | N/A | SS | WIN | Eliminated (Episode 6) | Eliminated (Episode 6) | Eliminated (Episode 6) | Eliminated (Episode 6) | Eliminated (Episode 6) | Eliminated (Episode 6) | Eliminated (Episode 6) | Eliminated (Episode 6) |
| Angie• | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | N/A | N/A | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) | Eliminated (Episode 5) |
| Cura | WIN | HIGH | SS | LOW | SS | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) | Eliminated (Episode 3) |
| Jean | DQ | SS | SS | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) | Eliminated (Episode 2) |
| Andy | DQ | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) | Eliminated (Episode 1) |
•Previous contestant on Nailed It! Holiday
    Won the round
    Recognized by the judges, high
    Considered for elimination, low
    Eliminated
    Disqualified from winning Baking 101 due to cake collapsing
    Round was skipped
    Series winner
    Series runner up

## Episodes
### Season 1 (2023)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Guest judge | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Baking 101" | Ron Funches | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| After learning the basics of stacking and frosting, the contestants make two-sided cakes that are full of surprises. Baking 101: Contestants learn how to stack multiple cakes and how to create a crumb coat. The contestants must build the tallest cake they can without their cake falling over. Big Cake Bake: Contestants must stack 6 cakes to re-create the "business in the front, party in the back" cake. |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Fruit Follies" | Vanessa Bayer | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| The bakers give grocery store sheet cakes a "cakeover," then apply what they've learned to a not-so-classic fruitcake. Baking 101: Contestants learn how to create chocolate ganache and fruit puree. The contestant with the best cake filling wins. Big Cake Bake: Contestants must re-create a cake depicting a cartoon watermelon, orange, and pineapple stacked on top of each other. |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Fondant Fails" | Patton Oswalt | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| The brave contenders face their fears by covering everyday objects in fondant, followed by a terrifying Big Cake Bake. Baking 101: The bakers learn tips and tricks for creating and applying fondant. Each contestant is given a random, everyday object, which they must cover in fondant. For a contestant to win the challenge, the judges must be able to identify what the object is. Big Cake Bake: Contestants must re-create a cake either depicting a giant cockroach (Byer's biggest fear) or a dentist (Torres's biggest fear). |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Piping Perfection" | N/A | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| The pressure's on when the contestants use piping bags to create a cupcake garden, then serve up a circus-themed big top cake - with a big, big twist. Baking 101: The contestants use frosting and piping bags to create cupcakes with a fairy garden theme. The winner must create the most cupcakes that meet the brief. Big Cake Bake: Contestants must re-create a cake depicting a miniature circus. When Byer counts down the final seconds of the challenge, she shocks the contestants by yelling: "Ya not done!" The guest judge did not appear in this episode, and no contestants were eliminated. |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Ya Not Done!" | Bobby Moynihan | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| A colossal bake involving stacked cakes and cookies in a balancing act that takes skill - and serious teamwork. The episode begins where the previous episode ended: With Byer yelling: "Ya not done!" The bakers are then shown a multi-tier circus cake, which requires each contestant to create a tier. They must also re-create cookies depicting circus characters. There was no Baking 101 challenge in this episode. |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Bakers Blast Off" | London Hughes | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| Armed with airbrushes, the remaining bakers attempt a beach-themed pull-apart cupcake cake and an ambitious edible rocket. Baking 101: The contestants learn how to use an airbrush. The contestants with the best airbush elements wins. Big Cake Bake: Contestants re-create rocket-themed cakes with a figurine resembling themselves on it. |||||
| 7 | 7 | "Defying Gravity" | Casey Wilson | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| The contestants add advanced techniques to their skill sets with 3D frosted roller skates and amazing anti-gravity bakes. Baking 101: The bakers learn how to create a cake shaped like a roller skate. The contestant with the best shape and color wins. Big Cake Bake: The contestants must re-create a cake depicting a dinner element, each including a levitating object. |||||
| 8 | 8 | "Professor Chocolate" | Angela Kinsey | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| The bakers learn the art of chocolate from a "Nailed It!" legend, then pour what they know into a chocolatey cake tower. Baking 101: Jacques Torres takes over for Robert and Erin and teaches the bakers how to temper chocolate and how to create chocolate figures. Big Cake Bake: The contestants must build a cake featuring chocolate create an image that resembles stained glass. |||||
| 9 | 9 | "Second Chances" | Alyse Whitney | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| To win a spot in the finals, the last three bakers standing must prove what they've learned from their mistakes. Baking 101: The bakers re-create a scene based on the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphus by learning how to create figurines using armatures. Big Cake Bake: The contestants re-create the "business in the front, party in the back" cake from Episode 1 using all of the skills they have learned. |||||
| 10 | 10 | "Finale" | Jack McBrayer | August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) |
| The top two bakers get 12 hours to impress a panel of experts with their artistry . But who will claim the sweet cash prize? The final contestants create a cake and treats from their own imagination. To help the final two with the bake, two former contestants return as baking assistants for the bakers. There is no Baking 101 challenge. Guest panel of experts: Amirah Kassem, Sherry Yard, and Maya-Camille Broussard. |||||