The Great British Bake Off series 3

The third series of The Great British Bake Off began airing on Tuesday 14 August 2012. The series was filmed at Harptree Court in East Harptree, Somerset.
Seven thousand applied for the competition and twelve contestants were chosen. The competition was won by John Whaite.
The third series was broadcast as the fifth season on PBS in the United States.

Results summary

There was no elimination the sixth week after John sustained a major injury to his finger and could not complete the last bake. The judges determined it would be unfair to eliminate anyone and instead, two bakers were eliminated the next week.
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Episodes

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Episode 1: Cakes

For their signature bake, the contestants were required to make an upside-down cake filled with fruits of their choice in 2 hours. For the technical bake, Paul set the bakers the challenge of making 4 rum babas with cream in the middle and sliced fruits on top, to be completed in 3 hours. For the showstopper, the bakers were given the task of making a cake that would reveal a hidden design when sliced open in 5 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Plum, Sour Cherry & Walnut Upside Down Cake	10th	St. Patrick's Day Cake with Hidden Irish Flag*
Cathryn	Apple, Hazelnut and Calvados Upside Down Cake	5th	Hidden Cupcake Cake
Danny	Plum, Ginger & Orange Upside Down Cake	7th	Nectar Cake with Hidden Beehive*
James	Parsnip, Pear and Pecan Upside Down Cake	2nd	"Simmer Dim" Sunset Cake
John	Toffee Apple Upside Down Cake*	11th	Hidden Pink Hearts Cake
Manisha	Vanilla, Peach and Raspberry Upside Down Cake	6th	White Chocolate Cake with a Red Velvet and White Chocolate Mousse Heart
Natasha	Pineapple & Passion Fruit Upside Down Cake	12th	Mother's Day Layered Rose Cake
Peter	Pear, Muscat & Chocolate Upside Down Cake	3rd	Jubilee Cake
Ryan	Kumquat and Orange Polenta Upside Down Cake	8th	Hidden Flowerbed Mousse Cake
Sarah-Jane	Pear, Chocolate and Hazelnut Upside Down Cake	1st	Hidden Crown Cake
Stuart	Tomato and Ginger Upside Down Cake	9th	Lemon and Pistachio Union Flag Cake
Victoria	Pear and Pecan Upside Down Cake	4th	Blackbird Pie Cake

Unseen in the episode

Episode 2: Bread

For the signature bake, the bakers were required to make 12 flatbreads, 6 with yeast and 6 without, in hours. For the technical challenge, they had to make an eight-strand plaited loaf in 2 hours, using Paul Hollywood's recipe. For the showstopper bake, the bakers were given 4 hours to make 24 bagels: 12 sweet and 12 savoury.

Baker	Signature 12 Flatbreads	Technical	Showstopper 24 Bagels	Result
Brendan	Middle Eastern Taboon Bread Indian Roti	4th	Chocolate and Vanilla Bagels Cumin and Gruyere Bagels
Cathryn	Spiced Mango Naan Lime, Coriander and Chilli Tortillas	8th	Cranberry and Orange Bagels Chipotle, Chilli, and Smoked Cheddar Bagels
Danny	Lime Coriander and Coconut Tortillas Zaatar Naan with Dukkah	3rd	UNKNOWN
James	Tomato, Garlic, and Parmesan Flatbreads Tattie Scones	2nd	Orange, Mint and Chocolate Bagels 'Millers' Sourdough Bagels
John	Coriander and Chilli Rotis Garlic, Pomegranate and Potato Pitas	1st	Fig, Walnut and Gruyere Bagels Blueberry and White Chocolate Bagels
Manisha	Indian Flatbreads Italian Flatbreads	6th	UNKNOWN
Peter	Fennel and Nigella Seed Naan Bannock Bread	11th	Rosemary and Sea Salt Bagels Apple and Cinnamon Bagels
Ryan	Shanghai Spring Onion Flatbread Garlic and Coriander Naan	5th	Cinnamon and Date Bagels Tarragon and Rosemary Bagels
Sarah-Jane	Coconut Roti Oatcakes	10th	UNKNOWN
Stuart	Bombay Bread Chorizo and Spring Onion Naan	9th	Cinnamon and Cranberry Bagels Tomato and Thyme Bagels
Victoria	Coriander and Lemon Naan Garlic and Parsnip Chapatis	7th	Saffron and Golden Raisin Bagels Porcini Bagels

Episode 3: Tarts

The classic tarte tatin, either sweet or savory, was set as the signature challenge, to be finished in hours. Baking a treacle tart in 2 hours was set as the technical challenge by Mary Berry, with the requirement that the pastry lattice on top be woven. For the showstopper, the bakers were required to make a large designer fruit tart, fit for a window display, in 3 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Apple and Ginger Tarte Tatin	9th	Blackberry, Nectarine and Dragon Fruit Tart
Cathryn	Plum, Cherry and Five Spice Tarte Tatin	3rd	Raspberry, Pistachio and Lemon Tart
Danny	Savoury Pear and Roquefort Tarte Tatin	2nd	Pineapple, Coconut and Frangipane Tart
James	Apple and Lavender Tarte Tatin	1st	Rose, Lychee and Raspberry Fruit Tart
John	Apple and Vanilla Tarte Tatin with Walnut Praline	6th	Berries, Grapes, Pomegranate, and Dragon Fruit Tart
Manisha	Cinnamon, Apple and Pear Tarte Tatin	10th	Rum and Tropical Fruit Tart
Ryan	Spiced Pear Tarte Tatin	5th	UNKNOWN
Sarah-Jane	Caramelised Banana Tarte Tatin	8th	French Apple Tart with Blackberry and Cassis Jam
Stuart	Pear and Almond Tarte Tatin	7th	Raspberry Triple Chocolate Layered Tart
Victoria	Fig, Walnut and Pink Peppercorn Tarte Tatin	4th	Tropical Fruit Tart with Black Pepper Crust

Episode 4: Desserts

The bakers were given 3 hours to make a torte without conventional wheat flour as the signature bake. The torte had to be more than 20 cm in diameter. Mary set crème caramel as the technical challenge, to be finished in 2³⁄₄ hours. A four-layered meringue dessert was the showstopper challenge.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Clementine and Chestnut Torte	1st	Pear, Chocolate and Hazelnut Dacquoise
Cathryn	White Chocolate, Macadamia and Coffee Torte	3rd	Gooseberry, Almond and Honey Meringue
Danny	Blackberry, White Chocolate, Lemon and Elderflower Torte	2nd	'Monte Bianco' Chestnut, Chocolate and Coffee Dacquoise
James	Hazelnut, Chocolate and Passionfruit Torte	5th	Fig, Chestnut, Cherry and Chocolate Layered Meringue
John	'Torte Noir' Black Forest Torte with Boozy Cream	6th	Elderflower and Bramble Berry Pavlova
Manisha	Almond, Chocolate and Cherry Torte	9th	Tiramisu Layered Meringue Dessert
Ryan	Green Tea Opera Torte	7th	Strawberry, Rose and Pistachio Meringue
Sarah-Jane	Chocolate and Almond Truffle Torte	4th	Hazelnut Tiramisu Layered Meringue
Stuart	Black Forest Torte	8th	Choca Blocka Mocha Meringue

Episode 5: Pies

The signature bake was Wellington, which Paul specified should be at least 8 inches long and completely covered with pastry. The bakers were given 3 hours for the challenge. The technical challenge was to make a hand-raised pie in 2¹⁄₄ hours. This was to be made with a hot water crust and moulded using a dolly. The pie was left to set overnight and judged the next day. For the showstopper challenge, the bakers were required to bake a family-sized sweet American-style pie in 3¹⁄₂ hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Salmon Coulibiac in a Scandinavian Pastry	3rd	All American Chiffon Pie
Cathryn	Full English Wellington	1st	Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie
Danny	Chickpea, Spinach & Mushroom Wellington	7th	Trick or Treat Pumpkin Pie
James	Four Pig Wellington	6th	Sweet Potato Pie
John	Venison and Haggis Wellington	2nd	Star Spangled Pecan Pie
Manisha	Lamb Wellington with Rosemary and Mint	5th	Banana Scotch Pie
Ryan	Curry Spiced Seabass Wellington	8th	Key Lime Pie
Sarah-Jane	Beef Wellington with Parma Ham and Gorgonzola Cheese	4th	Chocolate and Banana Cream Pie

Episode 6: Puddings

The bakers were challenged to make, in 2 hours, 2 different flavoured sponge puddings with different accompaniments, 6 of each. Mary set the Queen of Puddings as the technical challenge. For the showstopper, the bakers were required to make a large strudel, either with sweet or savoury fillings, in hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Rhubarb, Strawberry and Ginger Puddings Sticky Toffee Puddings	1st	Spinach, Cheese and Walnut Strudel
Cathryn	Chocolate Walnut Whip Puddings Elderflower Sponges	3rd	Roasted Vegetable Couscous and Sheep Cheese Strudel
Danny	Banoffee Puddings with Walnut Butterscotch Sauce Jubilee Chocolate Fondants	2nd	Leek, Potato, Pistachio and Gruyère Strudel
James	Banana and Clove Puddings Clootie Dumplings	7th	Strawberry, Rhubarb and Ginger Strudel
John	Spicy Toffee Puddings Raspberry and White Chocolate Puddings	5th
Ryan	Chocolate Fondants Sticky Ginger and Date Puddings	6th	Apple, Sour Cherry, Raisin and Mixed Nuts Strudel
Sarah-Jane	Sticky Toffee Puddings Granny's Saucy Lemon Puddings	4th	Sweet Strudel with Sour Cherries

Episode 7: Sweet Dough

For the signature bake, the bakers were set to bake 24 buns made from an enriched dough with yeast in 3 hours. The buns should be all of the same size and evenly baked. For the technical bake, the bakers were challenged to make 10 jam doughnuts, using Paul Hollywood's recipe, in 2¹⁄₂ hours. They should be consistent in size, shape, jam distribution, and colour. For the showstopper, the bakers each made a celebratory enriched-dough loaf. This challenge started straight after the technical bake, so that the dough could be proofed overnight if necessary.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Chelsea Bunskis	4th	Black Forest Christmas Stollen
Cathryn	Lady Arundel's Manchet Buns	5th	Bonfire Night Tear 'N' Share Brioche
Danny	Bakewell Chelsea Buns	2nd	European Christmas Wreath
James	Easter Chelsea Buns	1st	Whisky Kugelhopf-Brioche Baba
John	Cherry and Almond Saffron Buns	3rd	Marzipan Stollen
Ryan	Lardy Cakes	6th	Char Siu Bao
Sarah-Jane	Orange, Nutmeg and Saffron Buns	7th	Sour Cherry and Dark Chocolate Christmas Plait

Episode 8: Biscuits

The bakers were given 2 hours to make 48 crackers or crisp breads for their signature bake. They should be thin, evenly baked and crack when snapped in two. For the technical challenge, the bakers were asked to make six chocolate teacakes in 2 hours using Paul Hollywood's recipe, a task made more difficult because the high temperature that day would not allow the chocolate to cool. For the showstopper bake, the bakers were challenged to make a gingerbread structure, which should not be a gingerbread house, in 4 hours.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Multi-Seed Savoury Crackers	2nd	Fantasy Gingerbread Bird House
Cathryn	Cheese and Pickle Crackers	5th	Gingerbread Buckingham Palace
Danny	Spiced Almond Drinks Crackers	4th	Gingerbread Big Ben
James	Smoky Cayenne, Cumin and Chilli Crackers	1st	Gingerbread Barn
John	Asian Spice Crackers	3rd	Gingerbread Roman Coliseum

Episode 9: Pâtisserie (Semifinal)

For the first pâtisserie test, the bakers were required to make 3 types of petits fours, 12 of each. These should be small, exquisite and perfect. Mary set the bakers to make a Fraisier cake for the technical challenge to be done in 2¹⁄₂ hours. Choux pastry gateau was set as the showstopper.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Coffee Meringue and Hazelnut Creams Apricot and Pistachio Friands Lime Curd Choux Pastry Cygnets	3rd	Gateau St. Honoré
Danny	Blackberry and Peppermint Macarons Miniature Raspberry and Basil Financiers Orange and White Chocolate Langues de Chat	4th	Rosewater and Lychee Gateau St. Honoré
James	Lemon and Rhubarb Tartlets Chocolate Indulgence Petits Fours Chilli, Lime and Raspberry Macarons	1st	Coffee, Caramel and Hazelnut Paris–Brest
John	Lemon Madeleines White Chocolate and Raspberry Tartlets Dark Chocolate and Cherry Macarons	2nd	Gateau St. Honoré a la Passion

Episode 10: Final

The finalists were set the task of making a savoury pithivier in 2¹⁄₂ hours. Paul and Mary's technical challenge required 25 fondant fancies to be done in 2¹⁄₂hours. For the final showstopper, the finalists were required to make, in 4 hours, a chiffon cake based on the theme of their personal highlights of 2012. All the bakes were served at a special summer fête held on the ground of Harptree Court.

Baker	Signature	Technical	Showstopper	Result
Brendan	Potato and Pepper Pithivier	3rd	Family Reunion Chiffon Cake
James	Spanish Pithivier with Chorizo and Red Pepper	1st	United Chiffon Cakes
John	Italian Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Pithivier	2nd	Heaven and Hell Chiffon Cake

Extras and special episodes (Episodes 11–14)

Four additional episodes were broadcast after the final.

Episode 11 was a masterclass by Paul and Mary where they demonstrated how to make the technical challenges they set – treacle tarts, rum babas, creme caramels, the hand-raised pie, and the eight-strand plaited loaf.
Episode 12 revisited the bakers from series two to catch up on what these contestants had been doing after the show ended.
Another masterclass was shown in episode 13 where Paul and Mary showed how to make Queen of Puddings, jam doughnuts, tempered chocolate teacakes, Fraisier cakes and fondant fancies.
In episode 14, Paul and Mary showed which signature bakes they would have chosen if they were in the bakers' shoes. Two further episodes of Masterclass were shown, one before Christmas and another before Easter.

Post-show career

John Whaite gained a first-class degree from the University of Manchester after sitting his law exams while filming Bake Off, but he rejected a career in law and opted to take classes at Le Cordon Bleu and pursue a career in baking. His book John Whaite Bakes: Recipes for Every Day and Every Mood was published on 25 April 2013. His second book, John Whaite Bakes at Home, was published on 27 March 2014. He first set up a chocolate shop The Hungry Dog Artisan Chocolates, and opened a cookery school on his family's dairy farm in Lancashire. He also appeared as a resident chef on the ITV show Lorraine, and wrote a column on food for The Daily Telegraph. In 2016, Whaite presented with Rosemary Shrager a daytime cookery competitive show Chopping Block on ITV. In 2018, after six years of directing his attention on writing cookbooks, leading baking classes, and making television appearances, Whaite decided to refocus on law.
James Morton aimed for a career in medicine but has written a book on bread, titled Brilliant Bread, published on 29 August 2013. He writes a baking column for the Scottish newspaper Sunday Mail. His second book, How Baking Works:...And what to do if it doesn't, was published on 12 March 2015. He later participated in both the 2016 and 2024 renditions of The Great New Year's Bake Off.
Brendan Lynch is teaching cookery classes.
Cathryn Dresser and Sarah-Jane Willis teamed up to open a stall at Horsham Market. Dresser wrote a baking book for children and parents titled Let's Bake, published on 22 May 2014. and ran The Little Handcross Bakery in Handcross, West Sussex between September 2014 and May 2015. Dresser later participated in the 2016 rendition of The Great Christmas Bake Off.

Ratings

The final of this series had a record overnight figure of 6.5 million viewers, beating every other programme in other channels in its time slot.
Official episode viewing figures are from BARB.

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking	Nightly ranking
1		3.85	1	7
2		4.60	1	5
3		4.53	1	5
4		4.71	1	4
5		4.61	1	3
6		4.82	1	3
7		5.10	1	4
8		5.35	1	4
9		5.70	1	4
10		6.74	1	3

Specials

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking
		2.76	4

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking
		3.48	2

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking
		2.76	3