It’s the second season of Best Baker in America on the Food Network, with your host Scott Conant. Dang, I love baking shows and was disappointed when The Spring Baking Championship ended, so this will fill my cravings (see what I did there?). The contestants include:
Adam Young, Mystic, Conn. — Talks about having a bakery in Connecticut. So far, he hasn’t mentioned that he’s been on Spring Baking Championship before.
Becca Craig, Philadelphia — featured in Zagat’s Top 12 and has baked for Beyonce.
Frania Mendivil, Los Angeles — she has competed with Jean-Francois! She cooks for the Emmys, Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
Jean-Francois Suteau, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. — He’s won too many awards. Why isn’t he a judge?
Jeremy Fogg, New Orleans — Works as a pastry chef at Emeril’s restaurant in New Orleans.
Kym Delost, Chicago — Competed in the Star Chef competition.
Lasheeda Perry, Atlanta — She talks about her 10 competitions that she’s entered and won.
Leigh Omilinsky, Chicago — Talked about working in Michelin star restaurants.
Max Santiago, Miami — “I’m just impressed with myself.” Wow.
The first round will be a 90-minute skills challenge where they must make petit fours — think tiny cakes cut from a bigger cake. Here is what each contestant is making:
Lasheeda: Mixed berry vanilla petit fours with a donut glaze.
Jeremy: Peach/lemon/almond petit fours.
Adam: Amaretto Chocolate Petits Fours with a coffee buttercream.
Jean–Francois: Mango passion petit fours.
Frania: Pistachio cherry petit fours with cherry jelly.
Leigh: Raspberry key lime petit fours.
Kym: Amaretto Cherry petit fours
Becca: Chocolate citrus petit fours.
Max: Key lime pie petit fours.
Are you hungry yet?
Adam thought Jean-Francois was there to judge!
Max is already having problems with the baking of his petit fours right off the bat. Now it could be editing, but no one else was shown with the same problem — not cooked inside, but browning on the outside. Jean-Francois talks about the glazing being the most difficult part of it.
Judges Marcela Valladolid and Jason Smith, the winner of the Next Food Network Star.
Welcome, judges @chefmarcela and @lowcarb77! #BestBakerInAmerica pic.twitter.com/I0iQHbbS1C
— Food Network (@FoodNetwork) May 8, 2018
Here’s how they did:
Max: They look pretty, Marcela loves the meringue. Jason said it’s the best key lime he ever had. Marcela said it was delicate and not too sweet.
Leigh: Marcela said it’s a little heavy-handed on the decorations, but she sees the uniformity. Jason said he gets a little lime, but that’s it. Marcela said it’s too sweet.
Lasheeda: Jason said it is like a sexy nightie that you can see through, but you shouldn’t. All he gets is vanilla.
Adam: Wow, love the circles on the top. Beautiful technique. Jason says it’s a perfect bite. Marcela says lovely.
Jean–Francois: Jason loves the preciseness. Marcela said it’s delicate and it’s a homerun for the petit four. Jason wanted it moister.
Frania: Jason loves the cherry jelly and Marcela loves it.
Jeremy: Jason’s biggest problem is the fondant peach that he put on top. Flavor-wise, Marcela likes it and says she can taste the subtle hickory.
Kym: Jason said it’s clean and smooth and has a nice crumb fill. Marcela said the cherries are delicious.
Becca: Jason said it’s a little big and Marcela said that it’s a shame she didn’t decorate them all evenly. Jason loves her ganache, but it overtook her orange.
The winner of the first challenge: Adam.
Now they have to go big — a cake that is “mindbending.” The cake should be an illusion. It should be vanilla. They have six hours.
Missed the mind-bending cakes on the #BestBakerInAmerica premiere? Watch the FULL EPISODE here: https://t.co/FoOjE5dYtz pic.twitter.com/pG7saM0iBE
— Food Network (@FoodNetwork) May 8, 2018
Here is what they are making:
Max: a rum vanilla python cake (python?)
Frania: Vanilla yuzu butterfly cake (yuzu definition: a round, yellowish citrus fruit with fragrant, acidic juice, used chiefly as a flavoring)
Adam: Orange bourbon vanilla marble cake
So far, I don’t see anything “mindbending.”
Lasheeda: Vanilla pound monster cake — so far that’s the cutest. Mind-bending? Maybe.
Jean–Francois: Coconut vanilla mushroom cake — cute! Very whimsical, but again, what is the definition of mind-bending?
Jeremy: Brown sugar vanilla mountain cake — not impressed with the shape of it. Just looks like a mountain, but maybe if he had done a cave with the mountain, I don’t know.
Kym: Vanilla carrot pizza cake — it’s a simple round pizza idea, maybe if she had taken a slice out?
Leigh: orange run vanilla tree cake — that looks cool because she’s sticking mushrooms out of the side. That’s unique.
Becca: Rum-soaked vanilla cake — doesn’t quite look like anything but three squares and/or rectangles, so we’ll have to see the final product.
Lasheeda is freaking out because she didn’t make enough of layers. She decides to make more cake.
Special guest judge Gemma Stafford, chef and YouTube star.
Up first is Jean–Francois — Gemma loves the theme and Jason says it looks like it’s in his gnome garden. Marcela thinks it’s beautiful, but is it mind-bending, no not really. Gemma says right amount of buttercream. Marcela says it’s dry.
Adam: Jason says it’s mind-bending that he works with such big hands. This cake is beautiful with the marbling technique, etc. Gemma loves the layers but isn’t getting vanilla, the challenge ingredient. Marcela says it’s the one cake that would finally get her married. That’s how good it is.
Frania: Jason says it’s an overall good concept, but the top layer is only white. The butterflies are nice, but the cake itself isn’t mindbending, says Gemma. Jason says no vanilla.
Max: It really doesn’t look like a cake, so in that sense it IS mind-bending. Scott says his layers are precise, Marcela says the flavors are beautiful and Jason says it’s a best baker in America cake.
Leigh: Marcela says it’s a tree trunk and Gemma said she pushed it the right amount. Marcela says the citrus is overpowering, but she can take the vanilla. Jason says sponge is spot on.
Becca: The cake looks like concrete blocks, so it did come out as mind-bending. Jason says it’s the perfect texture.
Kim: Marcela says from the top it’s exquisite, it’s a pizza. From the side, Jason said it looks like a deep fried marshmallow. Marcela said the nutmeg is overpowering the vanilla.
Lasheeda: Marcela, said it’s super cool, but Gemma questions her level of experience with fondant. Gemma says the buttercream is gorgeous. Marcela says her poundcake is dense.
Jeremy: Gemma says it’s true to life. Jason says it’s dry, while Marcela loves the buttercream.
Who won?
Max’s python cake and Becca cement cake both came in as the top two. Max wins this challenge. Both are safe. The bottom two are Frania and Lasheeda. Going home this week is Frania.
Out of who is left, where do I see them in a chance to win? This is my order:
Adam Young, Mystic, Conn.
Max Santiago, Miami
Becca Craig, Philadelphia
Jean-Francois Suteau, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.
Leigh Omilinsky, Chicago
Jeremy Fogg, New Orleans
Kym Delost, Chicago
Lasheeda Perry, Atlanta
