In the latest episode of Halloween Baking Championship, baker Alan turned a spooky story into an edible creation. His “spliced souls” dessert was inspired by a man practicing witchcraft in a cornfield, a tale that aimed to chill the judges as much as satisfy their sweet tooth.
The Spooky Challenge
Season 11, Episode 5 of the Halloween Baking Championship, which aired on October 13, 2025, presented the six remaining bakers with what host John Henson called their “most difficult challenge yet.” The task was to invent a “double creature” by constructing a spliced souls dessert. This required a horrifying fusion of two beings into one monstrous creation, complete with multiple limbs and facial features. The bakers also had to seamlessly blend two distinct flavors—one assigned, one of their choice—and present the story of their merged beings.
Host John Henson set the stage for the bakers, announcing:
“Today for your most difficult challenge yet you’ll invent your own double creature by constructing a spliced souls dessert. It would be the fusion of two beings into one by featuring multiple limbs and facial features. And make sure you give us the story of your merged beings.”
Alan’s Witchcraft Creation
For this high-stakes challenge, Alan decided to create a Corn Flan Cake soaked in Tres Leches. His assigned flavor was corn, which he paired with his own choice of coconut. He designed his dessert to represent a cornfield, with a central story of a scarecrow fusion.
Alan explained the inspiration behind his spooky bake to the judges:
“My inspiration, since I’m using corn, I’m trying to represent a cornfield. So it’s a man that was doing some witchcraft in the cornfield, and he got mixed with a scarecrow.”
Earlier, while preparing his dish, he elaborated to the host, saying, “I’m gonna represent it with a scarecrow. I got corn as my flavor. So I think that’s a good match with a scarecrow. In Mexican culture, we use a lot of corn for a lot of things. So I feel comfortable with it.” His plan involved making a little cornfield with a scarecrow in the middle, using fried rice paper to look like leaves, and placing the flan in the center.
The Judges’ Verdict
When Alan presented his finished dessert to judges Carla Hall, Zac Young, and Stephanie Boswell, the feedback was mixed. The judges acknowledged that the concept of the face blending into two entities was interesting. After tasting the bake, they praised the flavor of the corn flan cake, noting that it was “fantastic” and complimenting the successful combination of coconut.
However, the visual execution of the terrifying fusion faced some criticism. One judge pointed out that while the corn design was alright, the scarecrow part of the design was not very distinct. They also noted that the face sitting on the cake did not look as good as intended.
A Changed Competition Format
This season of Halloween Baking Championship has introduced a significant format change that has sparked reactions from viewers. Unlike previous seasons, which featured two baking rounds per episode, Season 11 now has only one round featuring all bakers. The bottom three contestants then face a “Sudden Death” round, where one is eliminated.
This shift has disappointed some longtime fans. On social media platforms like Reddit, one fan expressed a common criticism, writing:
“This sudden death thing is so stupid, half the reason we watched was to see all bakers make 2 desserts so 20 creations… And yet here they make 10 and then 3, that is just… Who decided this?”
Others felt the new format, along with a new balcony set where bakers watch the judging, focuses more on drama than baking. Another fan commented, “I just felt like there was too much crying and not nearly enough baking.” Despite the criticism, some viewers are willing to give the new structure a chance as the season progresses.
Other Eerie Entries
Alan was not the only baker facing the spliced souls challenge. The other competitors also created unique two-in-one creature desserts with chosen flavor pairings. The other creations in the episode included a Passion Fruit Coconut Mousse Cake by Cory, a Frangipane Pear and Cardamom Tart by Jake, and a Black Sesame Lemon Tart by Melanie. Each baker worked for three hours under pressure to impress the judges and avoid elimination.
The winner of the challenge received $1,000, while the least successful baker was sent home. With only six bakers left, the competition in the haunted mansion kitchen continues to intensify.
Also Read: From Hospital to Haunted Kitchen: Nurse Melanie Bjork-Jensen’s Unlikely Baking Championship Journey
