I think we all know by now that Nailed It! is supremely unserious (I mean, just look at the name of this spinoff). And if you know me at all, you’ll also know Nailed It! is one of my favorite comfort-watches—and so this was a cinch. In The Big Nailed It! Baking Challenge, we get a slight twist on the usual Nailed It! formula (but don’t worry, there are still plenty of hilariously horrifying cake attempts). Here, ten amateur bakers are given the chance to learn the craft of cake-making over the course of the series, in a bid to win a cash prize.
Hosted with aplomb by Nicole Byer and guided by everyone’s fave bakerman Jacques Torres, guest hosts and baking experts join the pair to lead the way and set new challenges—from a fearsome fruit cake, to frosted roller skates, to cupcake gardens. Baking is a learning curve that seems to only get steeper and steeper with these contestants but that will only bring you more joy as each reveal delights in disaster.
The competition to win $100k is hot but it’s not in any way catty—all the bakers recognize they are still very much in the learning phase and share laughter at their mistakes. And Byer uses her sparkling wit to creatively praise each cake’s effort, if not the taste or presentation. The bakers themselves also provide color commentary on their own creations with humerous confessionals to try and explain just what the hell they were thinking.
The Big Nailed It! Baking Challenge is another delightfully chaotic entry into the Nailed It! universe, giving you extra time to get attached to the bakers (and not just their cakes). It also gives you more of an opportunity to learn some new tricks…or at least learn what NOT to do. And that’s the true spirit of the series!
