| The Great Canadian Baking Show | |
|---|---|
| Season 9 | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC Television |
| Original release | October 5 – November 23, 2025 |
| Season chronology | |
The ninth season of The Great Canadian Baking Show premiered on CBC Television on October 5, 2025. [1] As with previous seasons, ten amateur bakers compete over eight weeks of challenges, vying for the title. Ann Pornel and Alan Shane Lewis return for their sixth season as hosts. Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley return for their ninth and seventh seasons respectively as judges.
| Baker [2] [3] [4] [5] | Age | Profession | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Vano | 35 | Customer Success Associate | Burnaby, BC |
| Dominic Ménard-Bilodeau | 49 | CÉGEP Geography Teacher | Longueuil, QC |
| Jennifer Tsang | 24 | Masters Student | Burnaby, BC |
| Jo Mandet | 44 | Event Planner | Vancouver, BC |
| Kavi Chatoorgoon | 48 | Pediatric General Surgeon | Saskatoon, SK |
| Margaret Bose-Johnson | 66 | Part-Time Kindergarten Teacher | Parkland County, AB |
| Ryan Gridzak | 34 | Steel Mill Crane Operator | Sault Ste. Marie, ON |
| Shaneka Ekanayake | 38 | Sales Support Administrator | Barrie, ON |
| Tamara Church | 56 | Family Court Counsellor | St. John's, NL |
| Zoë Weinrebe | 31 | Marketing Manager | Toronto, ON |
Colour key:
- Baker was one of the judges' least favourite bakers that week, but was not eliminated.
- Baker was one of the judges' favourite bakers that week, but was not the Star Baker.
- Baker got through to the next round.
- Baker was eliminated.
- Baker was the Star Baker.
- Baker was a season runner-up.
- Baker was the season winner.
| Elimination chart | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||
| Jo | SB | SB | WINNER | ||||||||||||
| Ryan | Runner Up | ||||||||||||||
| Zoë | SB | Runner Up | |||||||||||||
| Jennifer | SB | OUT | |||||||||||||
| Margaret | SB | OUT | |||||||||||||
| Dominic | SB | OUT | |||||||||||||
| Kavi | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| Tamara | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| Shaneka | OUT | ||||||||||||||
| Dan | OUT | ||||||||||||||
For their first signature challenge, the bakers were given 2 hours to make a Korean lunchbox cake: mini layered cakes with adorable decorations that are included as single servings in takeout containers. In the technical challenge set by Bruno, the bakers had 2 hours to bake a bolo de cenoura , a dessert inspired by the Brazilian carrot cake flavoured with orange juice and zest and puréed carrots, and decorated with chocolate curls and candied carrots. [6] For the showstopper, the bakers had 4 hours to make a homegrown cake, a cake that embodies a place they call home. [7]
| Baker | Signature (Korean lunchbox cake) | Technical (Bolo de cenoura) | Showstopper (Homegrown cake) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan | Chocolate Hills Lunchbox Cake | 9th | Northern Lights Cake |
| Dominic | Tea-riffic Lunchbox Cake | 2nd | Home Away from Home Cake |
| Jennifer | Cherry Blossom Lunchbox Cake | 1st | Joffre Lakes Cake |
| Jo | Evil Eye Lunchbox Cake | 3rd | English Countryside Cake |
| Kavi | Tropical Carrot Lunchbox Cake | 7th | Journey Home Cake |
| Margaret | German Welcome Lunchbox Cake | 4th | Garden Bliss Cake |
| Ryan | Busy Bee Lunchbox Cake | 6th | Winter in the Soo Cake |
| Shaneka | Into the Sunset Lunchbox Cake | 10th | Ode to Sri Lanka |
| Tamara | Love in Full Bloom Lunchbox Cake | 8th | Back to Bay Bulls Cake |
| Zoë | Guava Nice Day Lunchbox Cake | 5th | Jamaican Beach Cake |
For their signature challenge, the bakers were given 2 hours to make eight steamed buns: fluffy and pillowy buns that are stuffed or filled. In the technical challenge set by Kyla, the bakers had 2 hours to bake a dozen Norwegian school bread, cardamom-infused enriched dough desserts filled with custard and decorated with icing dipped in grated coconut. For the showstopper, the bakers had 4 hours to make a muffuletta, a giant sandwich to be shared. [8]
| Baker | Signature (8 Steamed buns) | Technical (Norwegian school bread) | Showstopper (Muffuletta) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominic | Moroccan Dream Buns | 2nd | Banh-mi-Letta |
| Jennifer | Lucky Money Bag Bao | 6th | Blooming Rose Muffuletta |
| Jo | Sunny Salmon Steamed Buns | 1st | Mediterranean Feast Muffuletta |
| Kavi | Trini-Indian Steamed Buns | 3rd | Veggie Rainbow Muffuletta |
| Margaret | Black Pearl Burgers | 5th | Sea of Salmon Muffuletta |
| Ryan | Fluffy & Floral Steamed Buns [9] | 7th | Game Day Muffuletta |
| Shaneka | Sri Lankan Heat Steamed Buns | 9th | Pork & Jackfruit Muffuletta |
| Tamara | Ocean Breeze Steamed Buns | 4th | Jigg's Dinner Muffuletta |
| Zoë | Tangerine Twist Steamed Buns | 8th | All Things German Muffuletta |
For the first ever Carnival Week, the bakers were given 2 hours to make eight servings of fried dough treats, personalized with exciting flavours and garnishes, for their signature challenge. In the technical challenge set by Bruno, the bakers were tasked with making a prinjolata, a Maltese Carnival dessert, in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The dessert is made of lemon sponge cake, chocolate cookies, pine nuts, and amaretto buttercream in a marbled pattern to form a dome that is encased in a decorated torched Italian meringue. For the showstopper, the bakers had 4 hours to create a colourful cookie Carnival mask, taking inspiration from any carnival or festival. [10]
| Baker | Signature (8 Fried dough treats) | Technical (Prinjolata) | Showstopper (Cookie Carnival mask) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominic | Sweet Heat Peach Pies | 5th | Demon of Bali |
| Jennifer | Korean Corn Dog Rings | 2nd | Lion Dance Mask |
| Jo | With Love from England Apple Pies | 6th | Party in Rio |
| Kavi | Ruby Kurma Balls | 8th | Peacock for Madhuri Mask |
| Margaret | Mardi Gras Mash-Up [11] | 1st | Dapper Devil Mask |
| Ryan | Choco-Churro Carny Cones | 4th | Spiced & Iced Jester Mask |
| Tamara | Have a Touton or Do Wit'out 'Ne | 7th | Ode to Jellybean Row |
| Zoë | Lemony Stick-It Mochi | 3rd | Lime n' Thyme Caribbean Festival Mask |
For the first ever Maple Week, the bakers had to make eight pudding chômeur, or "poor man's pudding", a dessert from Quebec with a cake-like batter in a maple sauce, for their signature challenge, in 2 hours. In the technical challenge set by Kyla, the bakers were given 2 hours and 15 minutes to bake a maple mousse tart, with a shortcrust pastry shell, and layers of maple syrup mousse, maple butter-walnut fudge, and raspberry jam. [12] For the showstopper, the bakers had 4 hours to create a maple brunch platter, with sweet and savoury bakes featuring maple. The bakers needed to make six servings of three different bakes, which must include one with a laminated dough, one quick bread, and one being the baker's choice. [13]
| Baker | Signature (8 Pudding chômeur) | Technical (Maple mousse tart) | Showstopper (Maple brunch brunch) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominic | Miso Maple Kiss | 1st | Sugar Shack Brunch |
| Jennifer | Maple Margarita Chômeur | 3rd | Under the Apple Tree Brunch |
| Jo | Boozy Banana Chômeur | 4th | Family Favourites Brunch |
| Kavi | Maple Chômeur Latte | 7th | Mad Maple Mélange |
| Margaret | Maple Berry Bliss | 2nd | Buncha Bruncha |
| Ryan | Maple Cherry Bomb Chômeur | 6th | Sweet & Spicy Brunch |
| Zoë | Smokin' Sesame Chômeur | 5th | Jamaican Maple Brunch |
For the first ever Indulgence Week, the signature challenge required the bakers to make six decadent mini cheesecakes in 2 hours and 15 minutes. In the technical challenge set by Bruno, the bakers had to bake six Dubai chocolate cookies, made with three different types of chocolate and stuffed with a pistachio and tahini paste and fried kataifi dough filling, in 2 hours and 15 minutes. [14] For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were given 4 hours and 15 minutes to create a layer cake wrapped within sponge cake with a detailed printed design. [15]
| Baker | Signature (6 mini cheesecakes) | Technical (6 Dubai chocolate cookies) | Showstopper (Cake-wrapped layer cake) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominic | Berry Good Cheesecake | 5th | Dive into Fall Cake |
| Jennifer | Pretty in Pink Cheesecake | 3rd | Chinese Porcelain Cake |
| Jo | "Why So Blue?" Cheesecake | 1st | Boozy Black Forest Cake |
| Margaret | Strawberry Domes Forever | 2nd | Smell the Roses Cake |
| Ryan | Ube-tter Believe It's Cheesecake | 4th | Spooktacular Cake |
| Zoë | Cherry Chai Cheesecake | 6th | Strawberry Patch Cake |
For their signature challenge, the bakers were given 2 hours and 15 minutes to make a birthday pie. In the technical challenge set by Kyla, the bakers had to bake a lenza, a hybrid dessert from Egypt made of a cake-like batter that is pressed into a tart pan and then filled with mahalabia, a milk pudding, and pomegranate jam, in 2 hours and 15 minutes. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were given 4 hours to create a family-sized mille-feuille. [16]
| Baker | Signature (Birthday pie) | Technical (Lenza) | Showstopper (Mille-feuille) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer | Par-Tea Hat Pie | 2nd | Fan-tastic Mille-Feuille |
| Jo | Caviar in the Country Pie [17] | 3rd | English Trifle Mille-Feuille |
| Margaret | Live, Laugh, Lemon Birthday Pie | 5th | Trip to Sicily Mille-Feuille |
| Ryan | Pear-fect Birthday Pie for Grandma | 1st | Hearty Mille-Feuille |
| Zoë | S'more Pie for Dad | 4th | Picnic Party Mille-Feuille |
For the first-ever Fairy Tale Week, the bakers were given 2.5 hours to reinvent fairy bread, a popular treat in Australia and New Zealand at children's parties, as eight buns with sprinkles made by the bakers, for their signature challenge. In the technical challenge set by Bruno, the bakers had to bake ten cookies as a reimagining of sugar plums, in 1 hours and 45 minutes. The cookies must resemble plums and are composed of soft cookies sandwiched around plum jam and whipped ricotta cheese. [18] For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were given 4.5 hours to create an edible pop-up story book of their favourite fairy tale, with components made of cake and cookies. [19]
| Baker | Signature (8 Fairy bread buns) | Technical (10 Sugar plum cookies) | Showstopper (Pop-up story book) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer | Spill the Tea Fairy Buns | 4th | Beauty & the Beast Rose Garden |
| Jo | Sweet Sunset Conchas | 2nd | Snow White Pop-up Book |
| Ryan | Sticky Ooey-Gooey Fairy Buns | 1st | Jack & the Beanstalk Pop-up Book |
| Zoë | B-A-N-A-N-A Land Fairy Buns | 3rd | Princess & the Pea Pop-up Book |
For the signature challenge, the bakers had 2 hours and 15 minutes to make a bossche bollen vlaai, a dessert that combines two popular Dutch pastries: the vlaai , a flat tart with a yeasted crust, and bossche bollen , profiteroles filled with whipped cream and covered in dark chocolate. The bakers may use any fillings and toppings for their version of the bossche bollen vlaai. In the technical challenge set by Kyla, the bakers had to bake a crema de fruta, a Filipino dessert made of a calamansi chiffon cake and vanilla custard, and decorated with whipped cream, graham cracker crumbs, and fruit cocktail set in pandan gelatin, in 2 hours and 15 minutes. [20] For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were given 4.5 hours to create a madeleine tree, a stunning tower made of madeleines and paired with an additional bake of their choice. [21]
| Baker | Signature (Bossche bollen vlaai) | Technical (Crema de fruta) | Showstopper (Madeleine tree) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jo | Poire Belle Bossche Bollen Vlaai | 3rd | Sweetie Tree |
| Ryan | Charcuterie Picnic Bossche Bollen Vlaai | 1st | Garden Party Tree |
| Zoë | Fiery Ginger-Carrot Bossche Bollen Vlaai | 2nd | Tree of Fortune |