The BEST episodes of Next Great Baker

#1 - Happy Birthday Kelly

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/28/2013

Former NFL player Michael Strahan asks the contestants to bake a birthday cake for his talk-show cohost, Kelly Ripa, that will be presented to her on TV.

#2 - Crown Winning Cakes

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/23/2012

#3 - Battle of the Sexes

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/21/2013

The contestants split into teams of men and women to create theme cakes for the bakery’s portfolio, but a late change in the rules by Buddy intensifies the competition.

#4 - Gators, Chimps and Bears...Oh My!

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/2/2012

The contestants' speed and agility are tested when they unload the industrial ovens at the new factory. Meanwhile, animal cakes are needed for a New Jersey zoo.

#5 - …And the Winner Is?

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/30/2012

Season 2 ends with finalists Marissa, Nadine and Ryan vying for the top spot, which includes a $100,000 prize, a feature in Brides magazine and a chance to work at Carlo's Bakery.

#6 - Momma Knows Best

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 2/4/2013

The final four contestants bake cakes to honor their mothers. Buddy recruits surprise helpers for the competition.

#7 - Nightmare on Baker Street

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/22/2014

Making cakes inspired by horror movies; gory cakes and a guest judge who is a scary film villain.

#8 - Bunny Suits and BB Guns

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 12/10/2012

The remaining chefs are tasked with creating a cake for the cast of Broadway's newest musical, one that pays homage to the holiday film, "A Christmas Story", after which their creations are judged by the movie's star, Peter Billingsley.

#9 - Cakes Al Dente

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/14/2013

Contestants create cakes resembling classic Italian meals.

#10 - Headbanging Bakers

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/16/2012

#11 - New Years Eve, Hoboken Style!

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/31/2012

The contestants discuss the casting process, their first day at the bakery and emerging rivalries.

#12 - Destination Wedding!

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/8/2014

The bakers switch partners to build a cake for a destination wedding, while Buddy gets help from two celebrity guest judges.

#13 - Vegas Showstoppers

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/19/2014

The top three teams remain, but only two will move on to Vegas; each team must create a masterpiece revolving around each judge's specialty.

#14 - Cake Powers, Activate!

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 12/3/2012

The chef-testants prepare to construct and decorate 3-foot-tall cakes that pay homage to their favorite childhood fantasies by creating a superhero cake; a surprise judge for the week worries the participants that they may be smashed to pieces.

#15 - Wedding Belles

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/7/2013

The competitors create wedding cakes, but they have to change course when the brides alter their design plans.

#16 - Buddy's Winter BBQ

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/15/2014

The teams must create barbeque inspired cakes and present them to Buddy's family; a six-foot long hot dog and a 4-foot wide hamburger.

#17 - Bakers On Ice

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/19/2011

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.

#18 - Long Island Medium Cakes

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/29/2014

The teams have to create life sized cakes in the form of the Long Island Medium, Theresa Caputo.

#19 - Gravity Defying Cakes

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/5/2014

A trip to Rachael Ray's show will decide the winner of a competition involving the creation of cakes that defy gravity.

#20 - Life-Sized Cakes

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 12/5/2011

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.

#21 - Sugar High

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/1/2014

Bakers choose their own teams in a challenge that involves 100 pounds of candy and a very demanding client.

#22 - It's Go Time!

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/28/2011

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?

#23 - Wedding Wonderland

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 12/12/2011

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.

#24 - Let the Sparks Fly

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/26/2011

"Engineered" cakes that spin, smoke and spark require the contestants to work together on a difficult challenge.

#25 - Cake Roast

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/17/2012

The remaining chefs form two teams to create life-size cakes of guest judges, Comics Judy Gould and Carol Leifer.