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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode brings together three incredible Bake Off champions for a lively, heartfelt, and wonderfully nerdy deep dive into the world of competitive baking. Lisa and Cristina are joined by Peter Sawkins, winner of Great British Bake Off 2020, Laura Foo, winner of Great Australian Bake Off 2023, and Loïc Fauteux-Goulet, winner of Great Canadian Baking Show 2023. Each baker shares the winding path that led them to their respective tents, from Loïc discovering his passion through late-night Bake Off marathons, to Laura’s roots in Singaporean home baking and her pandemic baking adventures, to Peter becoming utterly captivated by the show at age ten.
The bakers compare the unique rhythms of their different franchises, reflecting on the pressure, the unpredictability, and the strange comfort of baking under the watchful eye of a production crew. Together they recount the chaos, the camaraderie, the victories, the disasters, and the moments when everything just seemed to magically work in the tent (or shed!).
By the end, the trio has formed a cross-continental pact: an international baking challenge club designed to push each other’s limits in the most joyful way possible.
This conversation is warm, generous, and full of insights for bakers of every level. Whether you are a Bake Off fan, a home baker, or just someone who loves hearing passionate people talk about the craft they adore, this episode will make you smile.
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Get ready to meet Adela Mou, finalist of The Great American Baking Show Season 3 - a self-taught home baker from Brooklyn who blew us away with her bold flavours, creativity, and fearless experimentation.
From decorating ice-cream cakes as a teen at Cold Stone Creamery, to quietly baking birthday cakes in college, Adela carved her own baking path, inspired by global flavours, especially Asian ingredients like pandan and hojicha, that she blends into desserts in unexpected ways.
On the show she stayed true to that vision, juggling “Bake Off” classics like cookies, cakes, and pastries, while infusing them with her unique flavour flair.
In our Baking Scraps conversation, Adela opens up to Lisa and Cristina about what it felt like to step into the iconic baking tent, bake under pressure for judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and how those friendships and memories - not just the competition - became the heart of her experience.
She also shares what home-baking means to her now: balancing her baking passion with a full-time job and community, experimenting with flavours, and merging cultural influences in dessert…reminding us all you don’t need to be a “professional” to bake something truly special.
Tune in for a warm, real, and inspiration-filled chat.
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This week we sit down with two of the three incredible finalists from Season 9, Jo and Ryan, for a conversation that is honest, funny, emotional, and full of the heart that made this season so special. They take us through their journeys into baking, the surprises and struggles of auditioning, the surreal moment of seeing themselves in the tent, and the behind the scenes stories that made us laugh until we cried. From apron trouble to late night practice bakes to the challenge of keeping the biggest secret of their lives from their families, they paint a picture of a whirlwind experience that changed them forever.
We also talk about the emotional toll and the joy of the competition, the friendships that formed under pressure, and the way bakers quietly supported one another even when the cameras were not watching. Jo reflects on the challenge of being away from her kids, Ryan shares the love and encouragement that carried him through his third audition attempt, and together they describe a season filled with extraordinary bakers, long nights, and small victories that meant everything. Their reflections on the finale, the editing, the judges, and the iconic bakes give such a beautiful glimpse into what it felt like to live those moments from the inside.
As we wrap this episode, the conversation turns to gratitude, growth, community, and what comes next. Jo and Ryan share the techniques they are proud of, the lessons they will carry forward, and the surreal experience of finding themselves recognized in their hometowns. We talk favorite challenges, baking trends, memories from the tent, and the joy of staying connected after the show. It is a warm and heartfelt visit with two bakers we absolutely adore, and the perfect way to celebrate the end of an unforgettable season.
Clips and footage from The Great Canadian
Baking Show © 2025 Boat Rocker’s
Proper Television Inc., in association with
CBC/Radio-Canada and Love Productions.
Used under fair dealing for review and
commentary.
Photography © Geoff George / CBC. Used
for review and commentary under fair
dealing.
All other content © 2025 Baking Scraps
Podcast. All rights reserved.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week we sit down for a full recap of the episode and a heartfelt look back at the season, made even sweeter because Cristina and Lisa were finally together in Vancouver for the finale party thrown by three of the bakers to watch Jo, Zoe and Ryan in the Finale. There is plenty of laughter, plenty of reminiscing, and plenty of the joyful chaos that always seems to follow our little baking family whenever we manage to gather in the same place; we talk about the bakes, the celebrations, the hugs, the proud moments, and the kind of warmth that only comes from being surrounded by people who genuinely love this strange and wonderful baking world.
With applications now open for the next season of the Great Canadian Baking Show, there is a whole lot of excitement and nervous energy in the air. Cristina and Lisa share their hopes and plans for auditioning again, while Steven and Vincent offer us the kind of sometime brutally honest insight that only former contestants can give. It is a conversation full of encouragement, teasing, and support, with everyone cheering each other on in the most wholehearted way. And of course, we break down the entire Finale episode, with HUGE congratulations to the winner and every single person who grace us with their talent and energy in the Tent this season.
As this is our last episode together this season with the Fabulous Baker Boyz, we wrap things up with gratitude, affection, and a little touch of bittersweet - what a recipe for a great send-off. We talk about what this season has meant to us, how much joy and comfort these weekly chats have brought, and how lucky we feel to have built a community that shows up with so much love. It is sad to see it end, but we cannot wait to come back for more.
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Lisa and Cristina welcome Jennifer Tsang to the show and celebrate her incredible run on The Great Canadian Baking Show Season 9. Jennifer shares how her love of baking began in childhood and how support from her family and friends helped her take the leap to apply. She talks about the surprise of meeting fellow contestants on the flight to Toronto and the excitement of stepping into the tent for the first time.
Jennifer reflects on her competition experience, including the long filming days, the bonds she formed with the other bakers, and the skills she discovered through practice and pressure. She describes the emotional response from classmates, professors, and her community after the episodes aired and speaks about how much she learned from both the judges and her fellow contestants.
The conversation also explores Jennifer’s creative interests, from fusion baking to tea experiments to molecular gastronomy. She shares stories about baking with her sister, her love of musicals while she works in the kitchen, and her thoughtful approach to recipe testing. The episode wraps with lighthearted games, future baking plans, and appreciation for Jennifer’s joy, curiosity, and resilience throughout her baking journey.
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In this episode of Baking Scraps, we sit down with the most recent baker to leave the Great Canadian Baking Show, Margaret Bose-Johnson, to dig into her incredible journey, her gluten-free baking expertise, and the highs and lows of competing in the tent.
Margaret shares how her love of baking began on her family’s sugar beet farm, opening up about supportive parents, early baking experiments that didn’t always go to plan, and the path that eventually led her to apply to the Great Canadian Baking Show three times before finally earning her spot. We explore Margaret’s deep dive into gluten-free baking and how years of testing, failing, adjusting, and experimenting helped her create her own custom gluten-free flour blend. She talks about the science behind GF baking, how excitement replaced frustration once she cracked the code, and how that passion shaped her time on the show.
Margaret reflects on the intense challenges of the tent, including weather, humidity, time pressure, and the underbaked pie (was it the oven???) that ultimately sent her home. She shares behind-the-scenes insights about equipment quirks, supporting fellow bakers, and the chaotic yet inspiring atmosphere that makes the tent unlike any other kitchen. We also chat about her bi-monthly bake-offs with fellow contestants, favorite technical bakes, gluten-free recreations, and why the Dubai chocolate cookie might be the wildest recipe tackled.
Beyond baking, Margaret opens up about balancing her love for dragon boating with her culinary passions, her joy in making puff pastry from scratch, and that age old question: how do you like your butter tarts? We wrap up with a playful round of “This or That,” where Margaret's charming indecisiveness steals the moment.
If you love baking, behind-the-scenes stories, and hearing directly from the heart of the Great Canadian Baking Show, you will love this conversation with Margaret.
Clips and footage from The Great Canadian
Baking Show © 2025 Boat Rocker’s
Proper Television Inc., in association with
CBC/Radio-Canada and Love Productions.
Used under fair dealing for review and
commentary.
Photography © Geoff George / CBC. Used
for review and commentary under fair
dealing.
All other content © 2025 Baking Scraps
Podcast. All rights reserved.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Scrap Recap, we jump into Fairytale Week where the theme is whimsical, sparkly, a little chaotic - and some like it more than others. The Baking Scraps and the Fabulous Baker Boyz have plenty to say about the mix of magic and mayhem in the tent, especially when it comes to the smart strategies of the four incredible bakers who are left. There is excitement, confusion, and a lot of laughter as everyone puts in their take of a week that feels like stepping into a glitter-filled storybook.
Things heat up with a colourful Signature and a Technical that leaves the whole panel talking. The textures, the timing, the tricky components, and the emotional moments give us a lot to unpack. There are jokes about the buzzwords that always seem to show up and appreciation for how hard it is to stay consistent when the pressure is on. It is one of those weeks where even the smallest details spark big reactions.
The Showstopper sends the conversation into overdrive with ambitious concepts, wild ideas, and storybook structures that were pulled off beautifully. We give our own thoughts on moving pieces, towering designs, and the challenge of creating magic with limited tools.
As we near the finale of Season 7, we celebrate milestone moments, reflect on the creativity in the tent, and agree that Fairytale Week delivered everything we love about this show.
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The baking talk heats up! With only five bakers left in the competition, and (possibly?) a Fairytale Week on the horizon, Lisa, Cristina, Steven and Vincent break down the birthday pie signature challenge, swooning over flavour choices and intricate sugar work. We debate par-baking versus raw crusts, share favorite pie plate materials, and even wander into savory pie territory...cheese, onions, caviar, and all.
This week, the bakers tackled the tricky Egyptian Lenza technical challenge, and we swap shortcuts for pomegranate prep and suggest possible alternatives for home bakers. It’s a mix of laughter, learning, and layered pastry talk: just the way Baking Scraps listeners like it. There’s plenty of friendly disagreement about whether to par-bake or risk it all, whether puff pastry should be sprinkled with a spoonful of sugar or left bare, and whether to use glass or metal pie plates - and we can’t resist a few tangents about flavor pairings that might be a little too adventurous for our own kitchens. When the technical challenge arrives, we collectively question the sanity of attempting something so complex under time pressure, and somehow end up swapping ideas for how we’d “simplify” it… which, of course, get increasingly elaborate as we talk.
Discussion of the Mille Feuille Showstopper brings out everyone’s inner pastry artist, and by the end, we celebrate the baker who won the Star Baker crown this week, reflect sadly on another departure, and hope against hope that the “Curse of the Star Baker” is not a real thing.
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This week on Baking Scraps, Dominic Ménard-Bilodeau joins Cristina and Lisa to reflect on his unforgettable run on The Great Canadian Baking Show. Fresh off his Week 5 elimination, Dominic opens up to us about the high level of talent this season, the pressure of limited practice time, and the emotional challenge of leaving just before the final stretch.
The conversation dives into everything from Pastry Week predictions to Maple Week memories (where Dominic earned his “King of Maple” title) and his creative approach to flavour in his bakes. He shares how his baking obsession began, the story behind his memorable “treasure box” audition bake, and the long-kept secret of filming under wraps (complete with an excuse that we are thrilled and delighted to find that we contributed to!).
It’s a warm, funny, and inspiring conversation that celebrates growth, creativity, and the joy of baking under pressure.
Clips and footage from The Great Canadian Baking Show © 2025 Boat Rocker’s Proper Television Inc., in association with CBC/Radio-Canada and Love Productions.
Used under fair dealing for review and commentary. Photography © Geoff George / CBC. Used for review and commentary under fair dealing.
All other content © 2025 Baking Scraps Podcast. All rights reserved.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Scrap Recap, we dive into Indulgence Week on The Great Canadian Baking Show, where luxury takes center stage and even the cherries glitter! We unpack all the lavish challenges, the creative flavor combinations, and all the high-stakes energy that comes with trying to make mini cheesecakes worthy of the title “indulgent.”
We also get into the week’s wild Technical Challenge, featuring the viral Dubai chocolate bar turned into a giant cookie. It’s a bake that has us talking about textures, fillings, and just how over-the-top a single cookie can be. Vincent might actually be the only person alive who hadn’t heard of the Dubai chocolate craze until now, but he’s already planning to make his own kataifi to try it out. Steven, meanwhile, wants absolutely nothing to do with that plan.
And once we get to chatting about the incredible details and thoughtfulness that went into the Showstopper (a CAKE-WRAPPED CAKE?? What is that even ABOUT?!), we can’t help but marvel at how talented these bakers are. Every episode feels tighter than the last, and at this point, it’s almost impossible to guess who might go home. Watching them create such detailed, imaginative bakes each week is inspiring, and saying goodbye never gets easier.
By the end, we’ve covered all things indulgent: sparkle, skill, and the difficulty in seeing anyone go home. It’s decadent, unpredictable, and totally Baking Scraps.
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This week, the Baking Scraps celebrated the first-ever Maple Week on The Great Canadian Baking Show with a very special guest, Rejean Mayer (the King of Maple!), joining us for the discussion. Lisa couldn’t make it this week, but the rest of the team had plenty to say about the syrupy sweetness of the challenges, and the incredible talent of the bakers this season.
Cristina, Rejean, and the Fabulous Baker Boyz Steven and Vincent explore the rich traditions behind maple-based desserts and how this iconic Canadian ingredient can shine in both classic recipes and inventive new creations, even if a couple of us - ahem! - aren’t the biggest fans of maple.
We also unpack a technical challenge that tested precision and patience, share our thoughts on single-dessert versus multi-bake showstoppers, and reflect on the risks of working with sticky syrups and hot sugar (and empathize with one baker who unfortunately got injured this week). The episode celebrates the creativity, craftsmanship, and nostalgia that maple brings to every bake, and how each baker combined that classic taste with their own individual heritage.
Join us for a conversation that captures everything we love about baking, Canadian traditions, and the joy that is the Great Canadian Baking Show. It might be a little bit sappy…but that’s why we love it.
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The Baking Scraps crew is back "in the tent" (or rather, peeking through the door) for Carnival Week, and it’s a wild ride of deep-fried dough, bold flavors, and big laughs! After taking a short break to reflect on listener feedback, Lisa, Cristina, and Steven return with gratitude, energy, and a fresh appreciation for the bakers of Season 9.
The team dives into the Great Canadian Baking Show episode, celebrating standout moments like Dominic’s peach-themed pies, Jennifer’s Korean hot dog mochi rings (complete with instant noodle powder!), and Jo’s beautifully simple apple hand pies. We admire how the bakers’ confidence has grown, leading to more authentic, creative bakes full of color and personality.
From Margaret’s sesame mochi donuts and Ryan’s churro cones to Tamara’s Newfoundland toutons with rum glaze, we can’t help but be impressed by the imagination and heart in every bake. Along the way, there’s plenty of laughter, including a detour into Newfoundland traditions; a memorable “deep-frying cat turds” moment; and a chat about pop culture crossovers (hello, K-Pop Demon Hunters meets Bake Off?).
We also share our own kitchen adventures recreating the week’s bakes, including Lisa’s scrambling for a Prinjolata Technical Bake recipe (since CBC didn’t share it this week) and Cristina and Steven's thoughts on mastering Italian meringue.
The recap wraps up with praise for the Cookie Mask Showstopper Challenge, featuring jaw-dropping designs, and a sad farewell to the latest baker to leave, who will be missed. We now look ahead to next week: Maple Week (and Steven teases his secret for silky maple buttercream!).
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This week on Baking Scraps, Vincent and Steven step in as guest hosts while Cristina’s away, and the laughs come easy with our guest: the charming, witty, and wonderfully honest Shaneka Ekanayake, the second baker to leave the tent in Season 9 of The Great Canadian Baking Show.
Shaneka opens up about her love of cake (for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, thank you very much), what first inspired her to bake, and the heartfelt reason she and her family moved to Canada: to support her son’s dream of becoming a pilot. Between stories of family, cake, and why she won’t let anyone into her kitchen while she’s baking, we get to see Shaneka’s humor, warmth, and honesty shine through.
We chat about the strength of her support system, why she hasn’t been able to watch the Bread Week episode yet, and why she keeps a little Santa outside her house all year long. (Spoiler: she would celebrate Christmas every day if she could!)
It’s a funny, tender, and delightfully festive conversation that reminds us why we love bakers like Shaneka…full of heart, hope, and holiday spirit.
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It’s Bread Week on The Great Canadian Baking Show, and the puns are on the rise! Lisa, Vincent, and Steven are joined by the ever-yeasty Larry Harris - bread expert and GCBS alum - to break down every moment of this week’s challenges.
The gang dives into the bakers’ steamed bun signatures, shares behind-the-tent stories (including proofing memories and pandemic filming quirks), and laughs their way through the ups, downs, and dough disasters of Week 2. Lisa talks about improvising her own steamed buns at home, Vincent gets nostalgic about tea breaks in the tent, and Steven manages to sneak in some yoga jokes.
It’s a warm, pun-filled, and slightly unhinged deep-dive into one of the most beloved GCBS weeks of the season - with plenty of laughs, baker insight, and just the right amount of gluten.
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This week on Baking Scraps, special guest hosts Vincent Chan and Steven Levitt (from Great Canadian Baking Show Season 5) join Lisa to chat with Dan Vano, the first baker eliminated on Season 9 of The Great Canadian Baking Show. His time in the tent may have been short, but it was packed with heart, humour, and plenty of butter.
Dan talks about the whirlwind experience of stepping into the tent, the nerves and laughter of that first challenge, and the friendships that made it all worthwhile. He shares what surprised him most about being on the show, how he handled the pressure, and why he’s still smiling about it all.
It’s an honest, funny, and uplifting conversation that reminds us why we love the bakers as much as their bakes.
Clips and footage from The Great Canadian Baking Show © 2025 Boat Rocker’s Proper Television Inc., produced in association with CBC/Radio-Canada and Love Productions. Used under fair dealing for review and commentary purposes.
Photography © Geoff George Photography. Used for review and commentary under fair dealing.
All other content © 2025 Baking Scraps Podcast. All rights reserved.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The tent is open, the ovens are hot, and the bakers are back! Lisa, Vincent, and Steven reunite for another delicious season of The Great Canadian Baking Show, and they waste no time diving into the sugar, spice, and slight chaos of Week 1.
The episode kicks off with laughs and a little teasing as we adjust to being one voice short - Cristina is off living her best life in Spain and France, and while we all claim to “miss her terribly,” there’s plenty of good-natured ribbing about French butter and European desserts.
From there, we get into the heart of the premiere: the excitement of meeting this year’s new batch of bakers, the pressure of that first Signature Challenge, and the joy (and heartbreak) that always comes with the first elimination. Lisa, Vincent and Steven share first impressions, early favourites, and a few bold predictions - plus some passionate opinions about the length of episodes and just how extra the opening montage might have been.
It’s a fun, cozy, and slightly chaotic return to the world of butter, flour, and friendship: the perfect way to kick off Season 9.
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In this episode of Baking Scraps, we welcome the endlessly joyful and creative Amos Lilley. From the moment the conversation starts, his energy and humor light up the screen…and it only gets better from there. Amos takes us on a journey from his acting days in London’s bright lights to finding his true passion back home in Nottingham, where baking became both his art and his joy.
With warmth and wit, he shares how his mum, a home economics teacher, unknowingly planted the seeds of his baking journey, and how those early lessons transformed into a raw talent and deep love of cake. From hilarious kitchen stories to heartfelt reflections on creativity, Amos reminds us that following your passions isn’t always straightforward, but it’s always worth it.
This episode is full of laughter, inspiration, and that irresistible “why not?” spirit Amos carries into everything he does. If you’re looking for a conversation that will lift your mood, spark your creativity, and maybe even leave you craving a slice of chocolate orange cake, you won’t want to miss this one.
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Kim Goldfeder Clarke, winner of Season 3 of the Great American Baking Show, brings a theatre background and a lifelong love of baking to a conversation filled with heart and creativity. She talks about how a childhood watching family bakers sparked a passion that eventually led to the Great American Baking Show, describing the thrill of finally getting the call to compete and the behind-the-scenes challenges of unfamiliar ovens, new ingredients, and high-pressure finals.
She shares vivid memories of marathon practice sessions in London, a quirky lucky-number superstition, and the deep support system she calls her Harry Potter style “army of goodness.” Kim also offers expert tips for building intricate gingerbread dioramas while baking along with the current season of Great British Bake Off, like a gorgeous time capsule cookie box and oven inspired showpiece, while reflecting on the contrast between the intensity of a baking tent and the joy of relaxed home baking.
The conversation also celebrates how the spirit of the original Great British Bake Off connects bakers and fans around the globe. Lisa, Cristina, and Kim talk about how much fun it is to watch every version of the show and how sharing those stories builds a worldwide baking community. Woven throughout is Kim’s commitment to kindness and animal rescue and the many people she touched through sharing the world of her English Bulldog Mr. Bentley: a reminder that her Hot Mess of Love is as generous as it is delicious.
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Karen Mealing, manager of culture and tourism for Midland, Ontario, joins Lisa and Cristina to explore the rich story of Canada’s most beloved dessert: the butter tart.
Karen traces its origins from early settler kitchens to Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival, a free street celebration that draws about 60,000 visitors and sells more than 300,000 tarts every June.
Fans of The Great Canadian Baking Show will recognize the most delicious controversy at the heart of this treat and a running joke on both CBC and Baking Scraps: are butter tarts best with raisins, or no raisins? Karen shares how that spirited debate once lit up the festival’s social media and continues to shape conversations among bakers and fans alike.
She also takes listeners inside the festival’s detailed judging process, reveals flavor combinations ranging from traditional pecan to adventurous black garlic or peanut curry, and describes how the event adapted during the pandemic with a butter tart bicycle trail.
With traditions like the ceremonial “piping of the tart,” more than 400 vendor applications each year, and a team that has grown to five planners, this festival has become a beloved cornerstone of Canadian food culture. Along the way, Lisa and Cristina reflect on their own evolving appreciation for butter tarts, making this episode a warm and lively celebration of culinary heritage and community spirit.
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In this vibrant first episode of Season 3, Lisa and Cristina sit down with Gregson Gastar, a Filipino-Australian hairdresser turned baking luminary. Gregson’s lifelong love for baking began at nine years old and evolved alongside his creative passions: hair styling, photography, dancing, and dabbling with flavor-rich recipes inspired by his heritage.
Despite his impressive enthusiasm and flair, Gregson found himself the first to leave The Great Australian Bake Off Season 9 during cake week. But the judges and audience weren’t left remembering what went wrong; they remembered his “pineapple dance” and the warmth he brought to every whisk and roll.
From his early days in the kitchen to his bold leaps into the public eye, Gregson is definitely making his mark, not only with his bakes, but with the joy and authenticity he brings to everything he does.
Gregson opens up about the inspirations that shape his flavors, the ways he weaves culture and heritage into his food, and the resilience it takes to keep pursuing your passion even when the journey takes unexpected turns. With warmth, honesty, and his signature “sprinkles and love,” he reminds us that baking is about so much more than what comes out of the oven - it’s about connection, courage, and celebration.
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