The Secrets Behind Filming ‘The Great American Baking Show’

Something sure smells good. That’s probably because The Great American Baking Show, the stateside version of the beloved The Great British Baking Show, is back with a brand-new special.

On a glorious summer day last year, I went behind the scenes of the Great American Baking Show at the legendary Pinewood Studios in the U.K. There were no soggy bottoms. No bad bakes. Just treats: I got the inside scoop of the Celebrity Big Game special to see how all that baking goodness goes down.

Streaming on Roku Feb. 3, it actually is the perfect special to get you hyped for the Super Bowl, as divergent as these two pop-culture events may seem. The special will certainly inspire you to try your hand at some epic game day goodies.

Hosted by actors and comedians Casey Wilson and Zach Cherry and judged by master bakes Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, Big Game consists of three baking challenges, which collectively determine who will win the title of Star Baker. The contestants on the Big Game are Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, sports broadcaster and Celebrity Jeopardy finalist Katie Nolan, Varsity Blues actor Amy Smart, and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Arik Armstead.

The competition isn’t any easier just because celebs are in the tent. On the first day, the contestants have two challenges to complete. First, the competitors must bake a pastry appetizer perfect to serve on Game Day. Then there’s a technical challenge, in which they all are tasked with baking the exact same dessert. That leads to Day 2, and the big challenge—so epic it’s literally called the Showstopper. For the Celebrity Big Game special, the five contestants have to make an extravagant layered cake that’s based on their favorite sports memory.

I attended the second day of filming, where the contestants were doing the Showstopper challenge. Before that, they filmed their introductions, which happened in a precise spot of the tent.

To ensure everything looked identical, some players had to step up on a box to be at the same height as others. This led to plenty of laughter—both the very-tall Gonzalez (who stands at 6 feet, 5inches) and Metcalf (6 feet, 4 inches) experienced some feelings of playful inadequacy as they had to get on the box to match Armstead (a staggering 6 feet, 7 inches). It was truly hilarious to watch athletes I’ve watched dominate for years get thrown by something so silly. Ladies Smart and Nolan (both significantly shorter than the NFL players) had no problem getting on a couple of extra boxes.

Shot over two days, Celebrity Big Game pits the five competitors against each other for one epic prize: a Great American Baking Show-themed cake tray. Remarkably, the iconic tent looks exactly like it does in person as it does on TV. Inside the tent is surprisingly spacious, with warm and bright greens and blues that give a cozy feeling, like you’re about to curl up with some delectable treats by the fire.

For the Big Game special, bunting replete with footballs and black-and-white referee stripes was all over the tent, alongside plenty of footballs, helmets, and goalposts to add a dash of sportiness to the proceedings.

When the baking gets underway, the smells of desserts merge with the fresh air to create a scent that can only be described as intoxicating. Each of the contestant’s workstations has all the equipment and ingredients they need laid out and organized.

The surrounding greenery is also a huge part of the set’s charm. The set is on a studio lot, but the Baking Show set is completely outdoors and feels like a private oasis, complete with a fish-filled pond and a lovely brick bridge (that was also used in Mary Poppins Returns, among other films).

Because it’s outside, weather can make things unpredictable, particularly when there are thunderstorms or rain, though that doesn’t stop the crew from filming. “You’re competing against mother nature,” executive producer Todd Frangella told me. Noise is often the biggest issue, but thankfully when I was there, it was nothing but clear skies and beaming sunlight (something of a rarity in England) when filming Big Game.

Filming in the U.K. means the culinary team has to adjust for the differences between American and British measurements. Paul Hollywood, for the record, is not a fan of American measurements. “The U.S. system is so antiquated, it really has to change with the rest of the world. You can measure much more accurately!” Hollywood said.

Production also has to factor in particular nuances between U.S. and U.K. food, like how eggs are refrigerated in the U.S., but not in the U.K., which is all considered when creating the recipes. I was lucky enough to try some of the desserts created by the culinary team, and I still think about those gloriously decadent chocolate brownies—I’ve accepted I may never have one as good again.

There’s one major difference between the regular Great American Baking Show and the celebrity version. Competitors on the regular series come up with all the concepts and recipes on their own, but there’s a culinary team that works with the celebrity contestants to design recipes.

It’s all about setting them up for success—the celebs are encouraged to practice as much as they’d like at home, allowing them to give feedback and adjust recipes until it suits them perfectly. Or, if they want to try the recipe for the first time on the day of the competition, they’re welcome to do that too.

That doesn’t mean the athletes are given any special advantages when the baking begins. They do all of the baking themselves and do it within the allotted time. The timing is strict too—once Wilson and Cherry say time’s up, that really is the end of each bake. “It’s not mean. Some shows, people barely get something in the oven. It’s like exactly enough time—but barely!” Wilson explained.

While there’s a strict time limit, both with baking and ensuring it’s all wrapped before the sun goes down, that doesn’t mean there aren’t issues during filming. When hosts Wilson and Cherry were introducing the challenge, a line was flubbed by Wilson, but it was so irresistibly sweet I almost wish they kept it in the special. Thankfully, the mood never shifted, and the joke was delivered on the second attempt to great laughter.

For judges Leith and Hollywood, there are some key differences between the way Americans and Brits compete and bake.

“They’re much louder,” Hollywood joked about the Americans. “They like sweeter things than we do—they’re keen on sugar,” Leith chimed in. The sweetness isn’t a problem for Leith, though: “I’d prefer things to not be so sweet, but I’m very greedy and can be persuaded to eat them.” But when it came to the actual bakes, however, both judges were surprised with what the celebs cooked up.

“If an American show is competitive, everyone is out to kill their opposition. They dissed them, sabotaged them, shout, trying to hog the camera, and they wanted to win,” Leith said, relaying her preconceived biases. Despite that worry, she was relieved with what she saw from American contestants: “They’re kind to each other, humourful, very kind to each other, help each other, form bonds with each other—they slot into the atmosphere of the show, rather than what I expected, which was fisticuffs.”

This different style of competition is what makes the Great American Baking Show so watchable, and unique from other reality shows.

“It just makes your blood pressure go down watching it,” said Wilson. “It’s just so dignified and sweet and warm. Everyone’s really supportive of each other, while still having an element of competition.” Her co-host agreed. “The pressure and the tension comes internally from people wanting to do well,” Cherry said. “It’s not like they’re pitted against each other, it’s just people want to make a great cake, which is hard to do. So that’s where the pressure comes from.”

Athletes, according to Wilson and Cherry, are the perfect competitors for the show. “The athletes are very confident. They’re also comfortable on camera; they do their jobs in front of people all the time. And they’re also here to have fun,” Cherry said.

“They’re surprisingly laid back! It’s almost a low-key energy. They want to be competitive but still have fun. It’s the perfect sweet spot for celebrities,” Wilson agreed. The NFL players really do make for exciting competitors. It’s a truly special moment of television to see a towering professional athlete glow with pride when his baking gets praised.

Though everyone wants to win, the atmosphere also allows the contestants to let loose and have fun with baking. There’s plenty of banter to go around. Tony Gonzalez took some time out of his baking to scare production by covering his face in red food coloring to make it look like he suffered a nasty cut. Despite the pranking, the atmosphere never turned sour, and everyone laughed it off—though I was admittedly convinced he hurt himself!—and got back to making the show.

The relaxing atmosphere of the Great American Baking Show makes you want to try out some new recipes and become a baking pro yourself. If you’re struck with inspiration, the show’s judges have some tips to get you started.

“Buy a good book,” Hollywood advised. “You’ve got to have good equipment and a good set of scales. A good recipe and equipment and you’re halfway there.”

For Leith, it’s important to just dive in. “My advice would be: Think of what you like to eat, find a similar recipe, watch how it’s done, and just have a go! You’ll be surprised how well it will work.”

Who knows? You may just end up on the Great American Baking Show.