Host Jesse Palmer invites 10 of America's top bakers to channel their summer joy through baked goods as they face two challenges week after week.
Put on your sunscreen! Host Jesse Palmer is ready to take a dip in the lake and uses his favorite summer floatie as inspiration for the first Preheat featuring floatie doughnuts in summer flavors! Then for the Main Heat, Jesse enjoys the water as he challenges the bakers to make gelatin water feature cakes, and judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips see which competitors sink or swim.
It's heating up in the kitchen, and Jesse Palmer wants to cool off with refreshing ice cream sandwiches with a bright summer inlay design! Then, Jesse brings all the childhood nostalgia when he drives an ice cream truck into the kitchen and asks the bakers to turn a classic confection into a high-end ice cream truck dessert before judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips bid one competitor a chilly farewell.
Host Jesse Palmer is all about the outdoors as the bakers take a trip to the Summer Baking Campground to make radical s'more desserts using wild chocolate flavors. Then, Jesse enjoys a bike tour while thinking about the one dessert that is inspired by bike riding -- the Paris-Brest! The bakers must use fresh-pressed juice in their summery Paris-Brest, or judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips will send them riding off into the sunset.
One of the best things about summer is the fruit stands that pop up when the weather gets warm, so host Jesse Palmer challenges the bakers to make a cobbler, crumble or clafoutis using the bounty of the fruit stand. Then, the bakers must make watermelon desserts that taste AND look like a watermelon before judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips send another competitor home.
Host Jesse Palmer is ready to feel the sand beneath his toes and smell the ocean because today is beach day! He tasks the bakers with capturing that coastal vibe by serving up beach drink trifles! Then when the sun starts to get too hot, the bakers try to avoid a scorching elimination by serving judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips refreshing summer cream pies.
With Father's Day around the corner, host Jesse Palmer is on the hunt to find great gifts for Dad! He challenges the bakers to get fired up with grill pan desserts for Dad, complete with grill marks! June is also Pride Month for the LGBTQ+ communities, so the bakers celebrate with bold rainbow desserts that will make judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips proud.
It's the semi-finals, and Jesse Palmer is celebrating the Warner Bros. Pictures' movie event of the summer, Barbie! Inspired by Barbie's signature color, he asks the bakers to make pink desserts using ingredients like pink grapefruit and pink pineapple. Then, the bakers take their cues from the Barbie Dreamhouse, one of Mattel's top toys of all time, by making toy cakes that look like they belong in the Dreamhouse Kitchen! Judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillips decide which competitor is everything and which one is leaving the Dreamhouse for good.
The competition has been hot all summer long, but the finale is SIZZLING! Jesse Palmer takes the final three bakers on a wild roller coaster ride as he challenges them to make three different amusement park treats! Then, fireworks explode as the remaining competitors roll out sparkler-studded 4th of July parade float cakes! The baker who leaves judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Damaris Phillip oohing and aahing walks away with the Summer Baking Championship title and $25,000!
