27 Of The Most Impressive "Great British Bake Off" Holiday Bakes That Deserved Multiple Hollywood Handshakes

Come on, Paul. Couldn't you get even a little bit festive?!

Beca Lyne-Pirkis, Season 1, Episode 1

Beca's combination of ginger, pistachio, and coffee yule log not only delivers on flavors, but her decorative elements of toadstools and squirrels evoke a whimsical forest where Santa's elves gallivant about on their breaks from the toy factory.

Paul Jagger, Season 1, Episode 1

Paul's attention to detail with his exquisite tempered chocolate sleigh and reindeer really impressed the judges. It's a simple design executed perfectly. I always think of tempering chocolate as an intricate science experiment, so kudos to him for pulling it off.

Sandy Docherty, Season 1, Episode 2

As Paul plunged the knife into Sandy's tart, both he and Prue reacted with delight at how smoothly the tart cut in half. The combination of mint ice cream, chocolate crust, and scorched meringue on top was a massive hit with the judges.

Benjamina Ebuehi, Season 1, Episode 2

The brief for this showstopper was to create a Winter Wonderland cake with decorative sugar elements, and Benjamina really nailed it. Her cake looks like something right out of a Rankin/Bass Christmas special. It's where the Snow Miser lives!

Jane Beedle, Season 2, Episode 1

I love my mom's Christmas cookies. Sitting at our table after dinner with a plate of cookies and a cup of tea is my favorite part of my family's holiday traditions. Jane's biscuits reminded me of my mom's, which makes them a perfect winner.

Steven Carter-Bailey, Season 2, Episode 2

Handshake King Steven managed to secure another Hollywood Handshake with this amazing bread bake, complete with an edible stag statue. The stollen is a marzipan-filled loaf, and Steven included hazelnuts, chocolate, raspberries, and cherries. 

Kate Henry, Season 2, Episode 2

Paul was entering his Handshake Renaissance period of the show around this time and doled out his second handshake of the challenge to Kate. She managed to make a simple, perfectly baked stollen and then intricately decorated it with icing, creating one of the more visually striking bakes of these holiday episodes.

Kate Henry, Season 2, Episode 2

For the second time in the same episode, Kate creates a beautifully intricate bake that represents her New Year's resolution to own a restaurant. And the spectacular design is matched by the internal flavor — a pistachio sponge and blackcurrant ganache that won over the judges. SPOILER ALERT: It's wild that Kate didn't win this episode.

Steven Carter-Bailey, Season 2, Episode 2

There is no denying that Steven has skills; his resolution cake turns out to be an intricate illusion cake, complete with handmade fondant. The judges loved this so much that it prompted the first-ever 'Hollywood Hug.' Steven and Kate were neck and neck this episode, making it one of the best holiday-themed episodes of the entire series.

Tom Hetherington, Season 3, Episode 1

This recreation of The Dome building in Scotland is impressively large and even has the famous glass dome on top. Tom manages to create precision with strong structure and a gingerbread that the judges loved.

Briony Williams, Season 3, Episode 1

Briony went all out with her turmeric-flavored gingerbread house, complete with a movable train with a smoking chimney and hidden bottles of booze in the back. Her ability to decorate with the icing sugar really replicates the feeling of a frost-covered Christmas season.

Terry Hartill, Season 3, Episode 1

Terry was famous in his season for highly ambitious, artistic bakes that he never finished in time. But it is with this challenge that he finally nails it. Not only does he make quite an impressive recreation of the Chrysler Building, but he also added a little surprise with an explosive popper and dancing Santas made to look like Paul and Prue. It's a truly delightful bake that earned a round of applause from everyone in the tent. You can't help but smile while watching it.

Ruby Bhogal, Season 4, Episode 1

For the illusion cake showstopper, Ruby conjured memories of her favorite Christmas movie Elf. Her bowl of spaghetti, meatballs, and pop tarts is actually a cake inside. I think it would make Buddy the Elf have a heart attack of joy.

Rosie Brandreth-Poynter, Season 4, Episode 1

Rosie, famously, is a veterinarian and loved to include animals in her bakes from her normal season. I don't know if it was painful for her to serve this cake that looks like a cooked turkey, but the illusion of it is pretty incredible. Paul and Prue commented that this is professional-level work, which ultimately led to Rosie winning the episode.

Helena Garcia, Season 4, Episode 2

Who cares if it's Christmas? If our goth queen, Helena, is on the show, you know there's going to be some sort of Halloween theme to her bakes. She comes through as expected by making a haunted graveyard. Hey, there are ghosts in A Christmas Carol, so this makes perfect sense!

Henry Bird, Season 4, Episode 2

I do not understand rhubarb as a cake flavor, but it appears constantly on GBBO. But this is the first time I've seen it in a bake where it was used as both flavor and decoration, and the result is quite striking. I'm more interested in the combination of raspberry, lemon curd, and thyme that runs throughout the cake, but I think Henry was quite clever in constructing this cake to look clean and professional. The judges agreed.

Hermine Doussou, Season 5, Episode 2

One of the great tragedies of the regular GBBO series was Hermine's season 11 semifinal elimination. She is known for her high-end French patisserie-style baking that is packed with flavor. Thankfully, she brings her A-game for this holiday episode, earning a Hollywood Handshake for her amazing breakfast buns. 

Kim-Joy Hewlett, Season 5, Episode 2

Kim-Joy is far and away the most whimsical, creative baker to ever enter the tent. Many of her bakes tell a story that adds a level to her creations that few other bakers can match. Here, she includes her love of animals, depicting the judges and hosts in their animal forms as they gather around the hearth. The precision and creativity she brought to this bake secured her the episode win.

Chigs Parmar, Season 6, Episode 2

For this showstopper, the bakers are asked to make a bûche entremet: an intricate, multi-layered dessert filled with multiple dessert elements like jellies, mousses, and sponges. Chigs's creation is filled with fruity flavors like raspberry, mango, and passion fruit, creating something that leads Prue to comment she's never had anything like it. It's really a beautiful bûche.

Lottie Bedlow, Season 6, Episode 2

Lottie's flame-inspired bûche entremet really packs a punch. The tartness of her yuzu mousse and moonshine jelly hit Paul so hard in the taste buds, he could feel the jolt all the way into his jaw. Both judges are nearly knocked off their feet by this one, literally.

Anthony Amourdoux, Season 6, Episode 2

Rolling with the bûches, Anthony manages to create an exquisitely looking dessert that both judges loved. Paul, in particular, comments on how well he is able to capture the traditional flavors of Christmas in such an intricate dessert. This makes three of the four showstoppers from this episode featured on this list. Can we go for a clean sweep?!

Manon Lagrève, Season 6, Episode 2

That's a grand slam challenge! Who knew that four bakers would produce four bûches of perfection? What's amazing about Manon's is that while it looks like a cake from an intricate mold, the entirety of the structure is made of chocolate mousse. To get that to perfectly set in the limited amount of time allotted for the challenge is, as Prue might say, "a bit of a triumph."

Dan Beasley-Haring, Season 7, Episode 1

Dan tackles this challenge of a "redemption bake," going back to a poached pear disaster he had on his season. Thankfully, he ticks all the boxes: excellent pear flavor, perfectly baked sponge, wonderfully executed decoration, and topped off with pear-shaped macarons, one of the most difficult bakes you can attempt. Paul gives Dan a well-deserved "welcome back to the tent" for this one.

Maxy Maligisa, Season 7, Episode 2

The 'smash cake' challenge involves the bakers creating a chocolate dome that Paul can smash with a wooden mallet. The whole idea gives new meaning to starting the New Year with a bang. Maxy's beautifully designed phoenix-themed cake delivers big on the passion fruit flavors contained within.

Jürgen Krauss, Season 7, Episode 2

"Vintage Jürgen" is Paul's comment about this smash cake, and I agree. Jürgen made a name for himself during his season as a highly skilled, creative baker who could execute very well. Here, he creates a massive chocolate recreation of Mount Fuji, hiding a strawberry and yuzu bavaois inside. It's really a stunner.

Norman Calder, Season 8, Episode 2

This episode is monumental for several reasons. First, it features all Scottish-born bakers from the show's history who have been tasked to incorporate the classic flavors of a Scottish cranachan. For the accents alone, it's worth watching. Second, this is the only time in the show's history that I can remember that a baker got two handshakes for a single bake. Norman's cranachan-flavored pavlova is so tasty that Paul comes around the table to give him a handshake. Then, Norman presents his shortbread biscuits that he added as a side, which are so good that Paul approaches him for a second handshake. Norman seems rather perplexed by the whole situation, but we, the viewers, are beaming with pride for him.

Peter Sawkins, Season 8, Episode 2

Peter's choux bun tower really epitomizes the term 'showstopper.' It's beautifully built, strong enough to hold a mini bottle of whisky and a glass, and each bun is filled with the classic cranachan flavors: whipped cream, raspberries, toasted oatmeal, honey, and, obviously, whisky. Prue labels it another triumph, and it is enough to get Peter the win for the episode.