As their nightmare begins in the grand foyer, host Carla Hall encourages the 10 competitors to reveal their deepest fears by baking haunted house cakes. Then, the bakers compete in the dagger game for a reward that could be the difference between life and death in the competition judged by Carla, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young.

Host Carla Hall meets the nine remaining competitors on the frightening front porch, haunted by eternally disappointed trick or treaters. The bakers are challenged to create Halloween candy croquembouche with a stunningly sweet illusion to impress Carla and the other judges, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young.

Descending into a spooky cellar is enough to make any baker's blood run cold, and blood is always on the menu for a vampire party. Host Carla Hall asks the eight remaining bakers to team up and create desserts for a vampire buffet to satisfy the bloodsuckers' appetites as well as Carla and the other judges, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young.

The seven remaining bakers continue their journey through the haunted house to the creepy nursery. Host Carla Hall challenges the competitors to bake 3-D demon doll cakes with a diabolically assigned flavor to be judged by Carla, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young.

In the devil's den, host Carla Hall challenges the six remaining bakers to conjure up a devilish dessert using unusual ingredients, such as sauerkraut, beets, tamarind paste and canned tomato soup. The competitors must get creative to avoid the fiery pit of elimination and impress Carla and the other judges, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young.

Host Carla Hall invites the five remaining bakers to a party in the haunted ballroom. For a spot in the finale, the competitors must create impressive costume cakes that will dazzle Carla and the other judges, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young.

The final four bakers reach the last leg of their haunted house journey in the mad doctor's surgical room, where they face off to make severed limb cakes. Then, host Carla Hall challenges the competitors to reach new heights with floating cakes to impress her and the other judges, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young. The most successful baker wins $25,000 and is named Halloween Baking Champion.