Nothing like appealing to what I like because this week the Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship contestants are making my fave — cupcakes. In Round One, the contestants have 90 minutes to put together a cupcake flower arrangement with floral essences. I’m drooling. We’re only the second week in and some front-runners are already starting to show.
Nacho Aguirre got hibiscus essence and bakes a lime hibiscus cupcake. The judges like the cupcakes, but say that they are a little sweet. Heather Wong, a pastry check from Los Angeles, California, made a violet cupcake with violet earl grey milk chocolate ganache. The judges like her cupcakes. Andrew Belden got elderflower essence which he loves, so he made vanilla lemon cupcakes with blueberry elderflower jam and a white chocolate frosting. Overall, he’s getting good comments, but I don’t see anyone jumping out of their skin for his food. Cristina Vazquez, a pastry cook from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, presented pistachio rose cupcakes and the decorating on top was so beautiful that Duff told her she needs to teach a class and he needs to take it. Wow, what a compliment!
Aaron McInnis, a home baker from Newfoundland, Canada, had orange blossom essence and made orange blossom almond cupcakes with white chocolate mousse. He gets compliments on his balance of flavors. Ruby Bloch, a pastry chef from New Orleans, Louisiana, made magnolia honey cupcakes — who even knew you could bake with magnolia? — and her decorating left Nancy underwhelmed. Lorraine calls it messy, but Duff said the taste is great. Jessica Duggan, a home baker from Puyallup, Washington, presents a tray of lavender lemon cupcakes with a raspberry coconut filling and coconut buttercream — she threw the whole sink in! Nobody could taste the lavender — is anyone surprised? Depal Patel, a senior pastry chef from Kansas City, Missouri, got jasmine and made orange jasmine cupcakes. The judges seem to love them and it was presented very nicely. Caleb Fischer, a chef de cuisine from Auburn, Alabama, got honeysuckle and presented a honeysuckle pine nut financier (no, not fancier although it seems that way) cupcake. Nancy loves it, but says that the decoration was a little “wonky.”
The winner of round one? Cristina Vazquez and she gets an advantage in the main heat.
Main heat challenge is to make an edible mirror glazed gazing ball — um, excuse me? Jessica has never built one before, so she’s already an underdog. Cristina gets a basket of goodies — cookie cutters, etc. — to use.
Caleb is making a sabayon — a dessert sauce made with egg yolks, sugar and wine — he definitely seems a little more financier — I mean fancier — than the other chefs and can be a frontrunner here. He’s making a raspberry mousse sphere with lemon cake and a raspberry mousse over the top. Aaron’s inspiration is his grandmother’s garden and he’s making a chocolate cake with cream cheese pastry cream and fresh berries.
Nacho is making a ball made of almond apricot cake pops and making danish butter cookies but for what? I’m guessing decorations. The winner of the first heat, Cristina, is making a chocolate mousse with passion fruit ganache. Heather is making a chocolate orange liqueur mousse and, like many good chefs, she takes a sip of the liqueur first. Heather doesn’t seem like she can step out of the box to me, so we’ll see where she goes in this competition. Ruby is making a chocolate cake with fennel (fennel??) mousse. Definitely a risk taker. Depal is making a chocolate marquis sphere with buttermilk chocolate cake. Andrew is making a coconut and lime cake pop and a creme brulee insert. His creme brulee doesn’t come out right and his pops are way too big. I definitely don’t see him making it far in the competition if he keeps making mistakes. Jessica is making a sponge cake with blood orange white chocolate mousse. Jessica’s cakes are stuck inside the molds because she forgot to put plastic wrap in them — It’s Baking 101! She was nervous about this challenge to begin with.
Finally, a twist! The contestants must also add an edible garden gnome to the presentation. With 21 minutes left, we see Caleb has the ball part made but has also made a base. Aaron just puts a gnome cap on his cake, that’s all. Ruby takes a raspberry and sticks a leaf on it and calls it a gnome hat. Seriously? Cristina sticks on a gumpaste gnome — drawn very well — while Heather made meringue gnome hats. Jessica and Depal are making a fondant garden gnome — ew I hate that people think that is considered edible even though it is edible. Have you ever seen anyone snacking on a pure fondant dessert? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Andrew makes a gnome shortbread cookie. Jessica goes to take her cake out of the freezer and knocks over both Caleb and Depal’s cakes. Jessica’s cake looks horrendous and she’s freaking out. Baking is stressful folks!
During the last few minutes the glazes aren’t covering right and the balls are falling over. Hands up!
Time to face the judges:
Aaron: looking defeated, Aaron’s glaze looks bumpy, but Lorraine calls it cool looking and Nancy loves the taste.
Caleb: the ball definitely looks like it went into a fight and Lorraine loves the edible pedestal. She also loves the mousse, but Nancy and Duff debate on the dryness of the cake.
Depal: she doesn’t present a sphere and the cake doesn’t set, but Lorraine said it tastes really nice. I think it looked cool.
Cristina: Her sphere looks super shiny, round and colorful, but Nancy doesn’t like the passion fruit chocolate ganache.
Nacho: He made more of a snowman than a gnome and this is the first time I’ve actually heard Duff say “I don’t like it too much.” He says that the cake is underbaked.
Jessica, who caused the chaos in the kitchen, presents what Nancy describes as a “Christmas ham.” She says “that’s as good as it gets today.” Be quiet. Nacho, you might be safe after that comment. Nancy says it’s moist and lovely. Duff says that she keeps making delicious food that doesn’t look that good. Ouch.
Heather: Nancy says her food looks like liver pate and I think so too.
Andrew says that he went an untraditional route and claims that he ran out of time and didn’t have time for the gnome — no, no, never say that. Lorraine calls it an easy way out. “Not your best work,” says Nancy.
Ruby presents a pretty plate and Duff loves her mousse. The fennell actually works. Nancy says it’s delicious.
The top bakers in this challenge are Aaron and Ruby. The winner? Ruby.
Safe are Depal, Cristina, Heather, Caleb and Nacho (told ya Nacho). Jessica and Andrew are in the bottom two, deservably so. Going home this week?
Andrew
So, here is my list of my favorites to win — in order, but remember that any challenge can confuse any baker, but for now:
Cristina
Ruby
Depal
Caleb
Aaron
Heather
Jessica
Nacho
Till next week’s episode of Spring Baking Championship!
