DEBUT: "Next Great Baker" (THIRD SEASON PREMIERE)

First Baker's Challenge: Each baker had to bake something & deliver it to "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro at the Penn Studio in Manhattan using the NY Waterway from Carlo's Hoboken Bake Shop to Manhattan (when they reached that city, they had to run). Buddy only tasted five entries in this challenge (he would definitely taste the first one that got to him, whether it tasted good or not) & the last baker that got there was out of this challenge.

ENTRIES:
Emme Tyler: Cinnamon roll cake
Jess Reyling: Blueberry boy bait
Melissa Payne: Lemon poundcake w/ fresh raspberries in the middle
Jennifer Kwapinski: White chocolate brownie w/ almond extract & raspberry layer in the middle
Gretel-Ann Fischer: Apple-cranberry crostata using Cheddar pie dough
Letty Alvarez: Dark chocolate cranberry pistachio almond bark
Paul Conti: Chunk-a-monk cupcakes
Garrett Wallace: Bacon-fried pie w/ peanut butter & banana
Ashley Holt: Brown sugar bourbon pie w/ oatmeal cookie crust
Chad Durkin: Chambord & chocolate ganache torte made w/ pistachio crust & topped w/ raspberry and chocolate beignet, micro matcha cake & fresh raspberries (w/ a little bit of gold flakes)
Chris Luna (Lucky 13 via online compeition- thus, he was the last baker chosen for this season): Triple chocolate butter brownie
James Brown: Bourbon chocolate pecan pie
TARDY- Peter Gray (32:02)

TASTED BESIDES EMME- Gretel-Ann, Ashley, Chad & James
WINNER- Chad

FIRST ELIMINATION (CAKE) CHALLENGE: Four teams had to make groom cakes for Mario Lopez & Courtney Mazza in seven hours. Chad got to choose which team he wanted to be on since he won the first challenge. The MVP won a five-night trip to the Occidental Grand Puerto Vallarta (because Mario & Courtney's wedding will take place in Mexico).

CAKES:
Chad, Emme, James & Jen: Guitar w/ black sombrero & red cape
Letty, Gretel-Ann & Garrett: Bunch of boxes w/ various objects (unfortunately, the French Bulldog didn't have a structure & fell over)
Ashley, Jess & Paul: Mexican Fiesta w/ dog Julio & giant cactus w/ Christmas lights on it
Chris, Melissa & Peter: Spinning dinner table w/ pinata over it

WINNER- Ashley
THIRD-PLACE TEAM- Garrett, Gretel-Ann & Letty
ELIMINATED- Emme

(Final notes: This season premiere ran for 90 min. Each eliminated contestant's driven off by Danny in the back of a box truck labeled "Not the Next Great Baker".)