"I don't feel like the underdog anymore" — The Great American Baking Show season 3 winner Kim Goldfeder Clarke reacts to her victory

The Great American Baking Show season 3 premiered on April 11, 2025, featuring a lineup of amateur bakers striving to become America's best baker and earn the coveted cake stand. Episode 6, titled Grand Finale, saw the top three bakers go head-to-head for the winner's title. While each attempted to rise above the rest, Kim Goldfeder Clarke wowed the judges and was announced the winner.

While reacting to her victory, Kim told the cameras:

"I did it! I can't believe I did it. I'm always like the bridesmaid, but I don't feel like the underdog anymore. I hope I'm deserving of the title. I still have that little, like, 12-year-old girl going, 'What the hell, what just happened?' But I'm holding this thing [cake stand] and I'm just very proud."

Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith congratulated Kim on winning The Great American Baking Show, saying she deserved to win because she consistently delivered noteworthy performances in the tent. While speaking to the cameras, Paul stated that Kim practiced some of her bakes almost 30 times, proving that she had the "passion and the drive" to emerge victorious.

Prue expressed a similar sentiment, stating that Kim could be an "ambassador" for the Baking Show because she enjoyed baking above all.

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What did the judges say about Kim's dishes in the finale of The Great American Baking Show?

For the Signature Challenge, the finalists, Daniel, Adela, and Kim, had to bake chocolate tarts decorated with tempered chocolate. Kim prepared a chocolate coffee tart with a baked chocolate coffee filling, topped with dark chocolate hazelnut ganache, and delicate chocolate feathers, roses, and spiral decorations.

While reviewing her dish, Paul appreciated the tart's appearance, saying it looked "unorthodox." However, he added that he would have preferred to see more of the ganache.

"It's very delicious. I like the brownie texture very much. But it's very rich. You wouldn't be able to eat a huge piece of it," Prue said.

Although he appreciated the flavor, Paul noted that the tart needed something "lighter" to blend with it. He also criticized the tart base, saying it was "too thick."

For the Technical Challenge, the finalists of The Great American Baking Show were tasked with making "six perfectly twisted and shaped kanelbullar Swedish cinnamon buns."

The judges blind tasted the buns, and while reviewing Kim's buns, they noted that it was not a cinnamon bun because it lacked cinnamon.

"The shaping's wrong, the cinnamon levels are wrong. The bake's okay though," Paul said.

Consequently, she was ranked second, while Daniel received the first spot.

For the Showstopper Challenge, the three bakers of The Great American Baking Show were asked to make a spring landscape centerpiece. Each centerpiece had to feature a cake and two additional bakes, one of which would be savoury.

With four and a half hours, Kim prepared a cinnamon carrot cake rabbit filled with sweet sultana cream cheese icing, alongside a cherry rhubarb pie bursting with fruit. She also made a rosemary focaccia bread with colorful vegetables added to resemble a blossoming garden.

The Great American Baking Show judges were immediately impressed by Kim's preparation, as Paul said he liked the "look of this." The experts tasted the focaccia first and complimented its taste, however, Paul pointed out that the structure could be "much more open."

Then they tasted the cherry rhubarb pie. Prue said, "Delicious," while Paul stated that although the texture was nice, the pie could have had more rhubarb.

"I think the pastry's delicious, the filling's delicious, I would just like the ratio of pastry to be a little bit more," Prue added.

While the panelists found minor flaws in the other elements, they could not fault the carrot cake. Paul called it "refreshing" and said the "booze level" was "spot on."

After tasting all the dishes, the judges deliberated on who the winner should be and decided to grant the victory to Kim, based on the spring centerpiece and her overall performance throughout the season.

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The Great American Baking Show is available to stream on Roku.