This Week’s Theme
This was the second episode in a new series battling to determine the Cupcake Champion. All contestants were previous finalists or winners and are coming back to find the best of the best.
The judges for this episode were Florian Bellanger of MadMac Macarons and Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes. The guest judge for this episode was Tom McGrath: the director of the movies and the voice of Skipper the penguin. This week’s prize was a $50,000 cash prize and to present the winning cupcakes at a sneak preview in Hollywood for Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.
Contestants
The four competing bakeries were Alyssa Magliato for Perfect Circle Cupcakery located in Orange County, California; Winnette McIntosh Ambrose for The Sweet Lobby located in Washington DC; Kyra Bussanich for Crave Bake Shop located in Lake Oswego, Oregon; and finally Andrea Ballus for Sift located in Napa, California.
Round 1: Taste Challenge
The taste test challenge was themed with where the movies came from: Africa. The teams had to use three of these African ingredients, including: plantain, clove, tamarind, coffee, yam, lentils, and coconut.
Winnette McIntosh Ambrose chose to top their cupcake with a macaron. Macarons are notoriously difficult to make and Florian Bellanger was particularly impressed with their cupcake.
All of the competitors did an excellent job on their taste challenge. It was Alyssa Magliato who was sent home due to gooey, sweet frosting.
Round 2: Visual Challenge
The visual challenge was very difficult. While they only had to do two cupcakes, they had to arrange them visually as a mosaic. It was a display before the presentation challenge and this surprise had all the contestants freaking. The mosaic had to be done with a big sheet of fondant and stamped onto the cupcakes.
While all the cooks did a fantastic job last round, they all had major difficulties this time. Winnette McIntosh Ambrose was sent home for not completing her mosaic.
Round 3: Presentation Challenge
The final round had Kyra Bussanich and Andrea Ballus competing in a 1000 cupcake battle. The contestants had to create a display for their cupcakes that invoked the circus theme of this next movie. Each also had a special effects person to help make their display move and spin.
Final Results
The final winner was Kyra Bussanich for her amazing branding in the display.
