“It’s a celebration” — The Great American Recipe star Rex Alba showcases festive Filipino culture during week three’s baking challenge

The Great American Recipe season 4 released episode 3, titled The Bakes Are High, on July 25, 2025. In this episode, Rex Alba paid tribute to Filipino heritage by preparing Torta de Argao and Sikwate during the first baking challenge of the week. He explained:

"Torta de Argao is a baked good in the Philippines. The authentic ones, you can only get it during fiesta. It's a celebration to honor the patron saint of the town or city."

His dish reflected both cultural tradition and personal history, offering a glimpse into how celebratory baking in the Philippines connected food to family, memory, and identity. Read on to know what else happened in the latest episode.

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Rex Alba presents Filipino baking and heritage on The Great American Recipe

Rex prepares Torta de Argao and traditional Sikwate hot chocolate

Rex opened the first round by preparing Torta de Argao, paired with Sikwate dip and beverage. While baking, he explained that when properly made, the top of the torta should “blossom,” meaning it had developed a distinct crack. He also introduced the audience to his "Batirol," a traditional whisk used for frothing Filipino-style hot chocolate. He said:

"It's a hot chocolate Filipino drink, and I'm using my grandma's pot. Normally she uses this for cooking rice."

During The Great American Recipe judges’ tasting, Francis noted the fusion influences and pointed out that the dish looked "Mexican" despite Rex being from the Philippines. He highlighted that there was a significant crossover between Mexican and Filipino cuisine due to Spanish colonization. He later described the dessert by saying:

"When you bite into this torta, it's crunchy. It's crackly. All that sugar has caramelized."

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Judges name Rex a top performer in the bread-centered challenge

Host Alejandra reminded the contestants that the goal was to present a bread-based dish in 75 minutes. Among the standout entries, Timothy identified Rex as one of their “favorite” dishes from the round. He announced the judges’ decision:

"This had, like this beautiful, lacy crust caramelization. And when you dipped it into the chocolate, which was kind of a little bit bitter, it was just the perfect pairing."

In a The Great American Recipe confessional, Rex reacted to the recognition:

"Wow. I was worried about this baking competition. So to be in the top two in this round, it was really good."

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Rex takes a flavor risk with durian-infused Silvanas

For The Great American Recipe episode’s bake sale segment, Rex chose to make Silvanas, meringue wafer sandwiches with buttercream infused with pineapple, durian, and mango. While preparing the dessert, Rex acknowledged the challenge, noting that even his wife had warned him it was a "risk" to use durian fruit since it is not widely liked. He told Timothy:

"Typical Silvanas back home is just plain buttercream, but I'm taking a risk of infusing our flavor of pineapple, durian, and also mango."

Francis provided feedback after tasting the dish, describing the meringue as barely sweet and comparing it to an "ice cream sandwich." Timothy appreciated the texture and the nuts on the outside, saying he thought the dish turned out well. However, Francis expressed a concern:

"They all look the same. So there was no way to know what flavor you were getting."

By the end of the episode, Rex and Fran were the top two in the second challenge, with Fran winning The Great American Recipe round.

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Stream The Great American Recipe season 4 anytime on PBS.