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00:00It's week three of the competition and we are well on our way to Christmas Day.
00:11Gosh, I love an advent calendar.
00:13Let's see what delicious chocolatey treat awaits me today.
00:17Oh, three French hens, twelve drummers, seven swans.
00:27What kind of advent calendar is this?
00:29Well, welcome to Baked With Love.
00:39Last week, we decked the halls.
00:43La la la la.
00:45It's a dump cake.
00:47And said goodbye to one team.
00:49Armin and Inda.
00:51Amy and Sally triumphed.
00:53Gorgeous.
00:54Wow.
00:55Ben and Gaby clawed their way back from crumbled cookies.
00:59You got this.
01:00With a touching centerpiece.
01:02Congratulations.
01:03The comeback kids.
01:04And the twins.
01:05Our cake is like falling.
01:06Made it through by the skin of their teeth.
01:09Rene and Sade, they need to come back fighting.
01:12Hello.
01:13Hi.
01:14Week three.
01:15Oh, boy.
01:16I feel pretty good this time.
01:19I'm going to go in knowing that there's a business to be done.
01:22I think we're going to power through and make some good bakes today.
01:25Power through and prevail.
01:27The eyes are on us this week.
01:29They're going to be looking for us to bounce back to where we were when we started.
01:32We feel very lucky that we squeaked by in that last one.
01:35We can't keep doing that.
01:36We definitely need to pick it up in the surprise bake so that we're not playing catch up.
01:41Welcome back to the Baked with Love barn.
01:44We've made it to week three.
01:46There's a lot riding on this.
01:48The winning team of Baked with Love will win $50,000 and have one of their bakes appear in a Hallmark Christmas movie.
01:56Shall we get the judges in to find out what you're up to this week?
01:59Yes.
02:00Welcome, Anna and Vaughn.
02:05Hello.
02:06Hello.
02:07The theme this week, oh, it's a lovely one.
02:10The famous Christmas carol, The 12 Days of Christmas.
02:15Before the judges fill you in on what you'll be baking today,
02:19I would like each of you to pick a piece of paper out of my Santa hat here.
02:24Renee and Sade.
02:26Five golden rings.
02:29Eight maids a-milking.
02:32Eleven pipers piping.
02:34Two turtle doves.
02:36Twelve drummers drumming.
02:38Six geese a-laying.
02:40A partridge in a pear tree.
02:42You have your line, so what do they need to do with their line judges?
02:46I love this challenge.
02:49We want you to make 12 cupcakes.
02:52So we're looking for a sponge base, an Italian meringue buttercream, and a decorative element.
02:57They must taste delicious.
02:59Yeah.
03:00It is not style over substance.
03:02We want them to be uniform, perfectly baked, also inspired by the line that you chose, and, obviously, baked with love.
03:12But I have a little secret.
03:14I don't really like cupcakes.
03:15What?
03:16I know.
03:17So I want you all to make a cupcake believer out of me.
03:21No small feat.
03:22No pressure, guys.
03:25You have one hour and 30 minutes.
03:28Off you go.
03:33I'm team cupcake all the way.
03:35You're right.
03:36How about Eva?
03:37Yeah.
03:38Team cupcake.
03:39I pulled out Eleven Pipers piping.
03:41As a child, I would sing that song.
03:43I'm like, how am I going to make a connection here between music and what I want to make?
03:48But we're going to figure something out really quickly.
03:51We've got the two turtle doves, and we are using the inspiration of that turtle candy,
03:57which is that pecan, caramel, and chocolate combination.
04:02We're starting with our signature sour cream white cake.
04:05We've got some ideas for the decor, but...
04:08We're focusing on the bake.
04:09First thing is to nail the bake.
04:10Yeah.
04:11Three teaspoons of soda.
04:14That's a lot of soda.
04:15Baking soda.
04:16Okay.
04:17That's it.
04:18It's three teaspoons.
04:19Ben and Gabriel.
04:20Hey, Vaughn.
04:21Hi, Vaughn.
04:22My comeback kids.
04:23That's right.
04:24Hopefully not needing a comeback today.
04:26We have eight maids a-milking.
04:27Ben grew up on a farm where they raised dairy cows.
04:30Oh, cute.
04:31So this is a great nod to his childhood.
04:34I love that.
04:35So today we're going to do my sister's famous coconut cake.
04:38She makes it a lot during the holidays.
04:40We're working more collaboratively today, so we're going to be doing this essentially side-by-side.
04:44Being twins, I think, is going to be our superpower in this competition.
04:48As long as I have her by my side, I feel invincible.
04:52We just tend to have that instinct between us, and I don't think that's something that the other teams are going to have.
04:58What could go wrong in this challenge?
05:01Well, Italian meringue buttercream is really tricky, right?
05:04This is kind of embarrassing, but the first time I made Italian meringue buttercream, I cried.
05:08I added the butter, and it became soup.
05:10Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:11And my mom was like, just keep whipping it.
05:13Yeah.
05:14And I did, and it worked, and I was like, this is the most gorgeous buttercream.
05:16But you're dealing with temperatures, you're dealing with hot sugar, you're stabilizing the meringue.
05:21Yeah.
05:22And it can be really tricky.
05:24That's not the only thing that can go wrong.
05:26What?
05:27Well, they have to get the right sponge that's going to be able to hold the buttercream.
05:31And they need to make sure that they bake it quickly enough and cool it enough.
05:35Because if you put your buttercream on when it's warm, that's just going to melt and soak through the sponge.
05:39Yeah.
05:42There we go.
05:43Amy, Sally, how are you?
05:45I'm doing great.
05:46How about you?
05:47What's the flavor of your cupcakes?
05:48We drew a partridge in a pear tree.
05:50We're going to make a lemon sponge.
05:52This is a family recipe, and we're going to try to use some fresh pears that we're soaking in lemon juice and sugar right now to infuse into the buttercream.
06:00Have you made Italian meringue buttercream before?
06:03No.
06:04This is a new one.
06:05Do you feel the pressure because you have been, like, storming it?
06:09Like, last week you really came out on top, girls.
06:12It's motivational and pressure all at the same time.
06:15Right.
06:16You're so chill.
06:17You're like, it's motivational.
06:18It's a bit of pressure.
06:19Hey, don't take our pulse or heart rate right now because it would not be good.
06:24So we're making a puto cupcake, which is actually coconut milk and glutinous rice flour.
06:34Oh, yum.
06:35We steam it in the oven.
06:36It's chewy like mochi.
06:37So this is sort of a nod to my husband's Japanese heritage as well.
06:40I love that.
06:41Baking has been a really nice way for me to connect with my kids.
06:45My oldest son is on the autism spectrum.
06:47We have to make gingerbread cookies every holiday season.
06:50He's brought in Uncle James for that as well.
06:53And he reminds us that we did not do it.
06:56He always says, we got grit, we don't quit.
06:59So we're going to give it our darndest to make it to the end.
07:03Are those pandan leaves?
07:04These are pandan leaves.
07:05Yes.
07:06And I see jackfruit.
07:07And jackfruit.
07:08So we're going to be infusing those flavors into our bake.
07:10Oh, yum.
07:11So far we haven't thrown anything away.
07:14Don't get confident.
07:15I want to do a blend of a couple different types of cocoa.
07:21He likes milk chocolate.
07:22I like dark.
07:23I think the two of them need to come together and have a baby and it's called a cupcake.
07:27This bake is one I've made many times, but I have not made cupcakes with this.
07:33So we're going to do coffee flavoring.
07:36So since we're doing chocolate cupcakes, we thought, nice combo.
07:40I wish people could smell this bowl.
07:41It's really nice.
07:42One hour left.
07:44I'm popping this in.
07:46Hello, my little friends.
07:49Please be good to me.
07:51Go.
07:52Set a timer.
07:53You know, these are not the easiest things to work with.
07:59How's it going?
08:00Good.
08:01And how are you feeling after last week?
08:03We're feeling refreshed, actually.
08:04We had a chance to reset and refocus.
08:06It can be so hard when you can be on the bottom, but sometimes it can give you a bit of gasoline
08:11to kind of push you along.
08:13The five golden rings is exciting for me because my husband actually proposed just a few days before Christmas.
08:18That sounds perfect.
08:19So it's a really special memory for me.
08:21Halfway through, we completely forgot about the coconut.
08:24Oh, sorry.
08:25Not yet.
08:26I don't know what is going on with these cupcakes.
08:32Hey, Greg.
08:33If you'll just...
08:34Yeah.
08:35They didn't rise real good.
08:36They rise and they sunk.
08:37This recipe didn't work.
08:38They sunk.
08:39That's not like us.
08:40We might want to make another batch.
08:41We might need just a minute, okay?
08:42Yeah.
08:43You have 30 minutes left!
08:44What?
08:45Half an hour?
08:46So we have our cupcakes now out of the oven, cooling, and now we're working on our Italian
08:47meringue.
08:48Well, so I need your egg whites.
08:49Egg whites.
08:50Okay.
08:51Okay.
08:52Just a regular buttercream sort of person.
08:53So, yeah.
08:54I got to get this one down.
08:55I have made an Italian meringue buttercream before.
08:56Um, it's not like us.
08:57It's not like us.
08:58We might want to make another batch.
08:59We might need just a minute, okay?
09:00Yeah.
09:01You have 30 minutes left!
09:02What?
09:03Half an hour?
09:04So we have our cupcakes now out of the oven, cooling, and now we're working on our Italian meringue.
09:05Well, so I need your egg whites.
09:06Egg whites.
09:07Okay.
09:08Okay.
09:09Just a regular buttercream sort of person.
09:12So, yeah.
09:13I got to get this one down.
09:14I have made an Italian meringue buttercream before.
09:17Um, it can be a bit finicky because it can go wrong very quickly.
09:22We'll see how this batch goes.
09:24So the timing is critical because the sugar syrup has to be a certain temperature and the
09:30eggs have to be a certain consistency.
09:31You cannot none of this.
09:33This is very exact.
09:35If anything goes wrong, you have to throw out the batch and you start again, and we don't
09:39have time for that.
09:40A little sugar facial.
09:42Medium to stiff peaks here.
09:46240.
09:47We're there.
09:48All right.
09:49Bring it on over.
09:50Okay.
09:51I'm coming over, Renee.
09:52Yeah.
09:53Cool.
09:54You can do it faster than that.
09:5515 minutes left.
09:56Uh-oh.
09:57Come on.
09:58Next page.
09:59Next page.
10:00Next page.
10:01Next page.
10:02Oh, next page.
10:0312.
10:04455 grams of unsalted butter softened and cubed.
10:06So you want to measure that, please?
10:07I want the texture to be a little more firm before we add some additional flavorings.
10:12You could also easily mess this up.
10:14So, wish me luck, everyone.
10:16Inside our meringue, we put a little bit of spiced rum.
10:19Just to zhuzh it up a little bit.
10:26Don't overwhip the meringue.
10:28I don't know what is going on with these cupcakes.
10:33This cake is sinking again.
10:36There's nothing we can do about that.
10:38We'll just fill it with icing.
10:42I don't know what happened here.
10:45Ten minutes left.
10:49We don't have a picture of my dog.
10:51So we're just imagining how to put it together.
10:54That one kind of looks like a chicken.
10:57I'm making little drums out of marshmallows.
10:59Oh, how cute.
11:01I was a drummer when I was a kid.
11:03You were.
11:04I was.
11:05It's like the drum chose you.
11:07I think they look pretty good, actually.
11:09I've never seen anything like this before.
11:11So, I think the novelty alone, people should recognize.
11:18And then you're just going to dip them in chocolate?
11:20Yeah.
11:22Vaughn did say he doesn't like cupcakes.
11:25Does that make you guys nervous at all?
11:26Yes.
11:27I think we might be able to convince him to come to our side and love cupcakes.
11:30Okay.
11:31I love cupcakes.
11:32Okay.
11:33Who doesn't love cupcakes?
11:34Fingers crossed.
11:36Why is it all coming down?
11:39Is that, it's a little too soft?
11:42A little too soft, I think.
11:45I think you might have overdid it.
11:46That's what I was telling you.
11:48Okay.
11:49It's got to hold its consistency.
11:50Don't over-frost it, please.
11:52Yes.
11:55A little stressful right now.
11:57It's split.
11:59Oh!
12:00Ah!
12:01Okay, put it back in.
12:02Put it back in.
12:03I think you've kind of dropped the ball with the flavor.
12:05That was a little traumatizing.
12:06Five minutes left!
12:07I've got a really shaky hand right now because we are doing this as quickly as we possibly can.
12:22I'm trying to keep the finesse.
12:24Okay, look.
12:25We're just going to do this.
12:26There you go.
12:28That's what we need in the middle of each one, okay?
12:30I can do that.
12:31We are just going to fill the cupcake with buttercream because this challenge is more about decor than flavor.
12:41The quickest and fastest way to move is together.
12:43So this was actually kind of fun.
12:46Oh, he needs ears.
12:48He needs ears, too.
12:49I'm just going to spray our little pears.
12:51Nothing like Glitch and Glamour.
12:53Like, hustle and eat.
12:54Okay.
12:55Well, this one's good.
12:57One minute left!
12:58One minute?
12:59Oh my gosh, I love it.
13:00One minute left!
13:01Okay.
13:02Let's get those drummers drumming and those pipers piping!
13:04Oh, that's us.
13:05The pipers are piping!
13:06The pipers are piping!
13:08You can't drum without sticks.
13:1060 seconds.
13:13I don't know why I'm making those sound effects.
13:16Wait, wait.
13:20Prettiest guys on top.
13:22Time's up!
13:24Woo!
13:25Mommy, time's up!
13:27Hey!
13:30They're cute!
13:32We did that.
13:33Good job, Mom.
13:34Hope they like it.
13:35Yep.
13:40Gabrielle and Ben, please tell the judges about your cupcakes.
13:43So we pulled eight maids a-milking, so we wanted to really milk this challenge for you.
13:49I particularly like this one who's got cross-eyed.
13:52But I think you really captured the message of maids a-milking.
13:55Yes!
13:56They are so stinkin' cute.
13:59Can I just say, holiday classic round, you have a finished product.
14:05We do!
14:06Yes.
14:08I can taste bicarbonate soda.
14:09I think you might have put too much baking soda in the sponge.
14:12But I do think that your icing is quite delicious.
14:15The only thing is that little, tiny bit of metallic taste.
14:22I think they look like little drums, so I quite like that.
14:25From afar I'm like, yes!
14:26And then I get up a little closer, I wish there was a tiny bit more finesse.
14:33Your buttercream is delicious.
14:36Yes.
14:38You've struggled with your cake mix.
14:40Okay.
14:41It's a little bit slightly eggy, and it's a little bit dense.
14:43Okay.
14:45Today we made for you five golden coconut rings.
14:48Should we try them?
14:49Let's go for them.
14:51Your sponge is perfectly baked.
14:56It's beautiful.
14:57Your vanilla buttercream is really delicious.
14:59I absolutely love the coconut on the outside, because it gives texture.
15:04Technically, aesthetically wonderful.
15:07My ladies are back.
15:09They're back.
15:11Mmm.
15:13Oh my gosh.
15:14Carrots all over my face.
15:15Now, I know that your cake sunk a little bit, right?
15:23Yeah.
15:24It did.
15:25It did.
15:26What do you think happened there?
15:27I used a family recipe, and I had not tested it.
15:32So I think they look beautiful, but there really is very little cake in it, but I've got some to try.
15:38The butter icing is really silky smooth, but there's not a huge amount of flavor coming from it.
15:43I think you've kind of dropped the ball with the flavor, and with the sponge.
15:48We know you know how to do the aesthetics super, super well.
15:52What can you do to really push yourself with those flavors?
15:57We pulled out of the hat six Giselaing.
16:00So we have chocolate cupcakes with chocolate dipped strawberries for our eggs in our nests.
16:05Well, I like the look of the nest. That was very clever.
16:08I kind of wish that the eggs were like fully dipped, so it looked like a whole egg.
16:11But I do think that your sponge is lovely. It's really soft, it's really moist, and it's got a great kind of chocolatey flavor.
16:19They're gorgeous, and I do agree that the sponge is really, really nice.
16:22And you did a good job technically with the frosting.
16:26You keep eating it. That's a good sign.
16:28We have a spiced pecan cupcake with a chocolate Italian meringue with a little bit of spicy rum.
16:38It's split. Often when you're working with this type of buttercream, you can save it.
16:43Keep spinning it. Just keep letting it go.
16:45Because it's going to come back together.
16:47Okay. I clearly can see that they're doves, which I really like.
16:49Yeah.
16:52It's a little drier than I would want it to be.
16:55Okay.
16:56I do think the flavors are nice in there.
16:57I was a little worried about the chocolate buttercream because it looks a little gray.
17:01Okay.
17:02But it actually does have that nice little chocolatey flavor.
17:06They look a little rustic.
17:08Yeah.
17:09I think I struggle to see them as a pipe.
17:11Yeah.
17:12And then also with the leaves on the side, it doubly kind of confuses it.
17:18The mochi cake itself is super nice.
17:23I kind of wish there was a tart element in there to cut through some of that sweetness.
17:31It's really innovative to think outside the box of what a cupcake could be, but the appearance could be a bit more fitting to the line in the carol.
17:42Well done.
17:44You survived the holiday classic challenge.
17:47So judges, what did you think of their cupcakes?
17:51I don't necessarily know if cupcakes will be my favorite sweet of all time, but I did enjoy them.
17:59The two teams that we thought really excelled today were Susan and Salmon.
18:06Ah.
18:08And Rene and Sade.
18:12The concept was really good and your bake of your cupcakes was also really excellent.
18:18Now there were some teams that had a tougher time than others.
18:23Amy and Sally, while they look so beautiful, really on the inside, they were pretty much just frosting.
18:34Rosa and Rosanna, your buttercream was split.
18:37And Marco and Steven, I want you to engineer that sponge a little bit more and work on the finesse.
18:49So let's head back to the den and we'll see you back in here for the ultimate festive bake challenge.
18:58Sylvan said, my ladies are back and we can get back to where we would like to be in this competition, which is at the top.
19:06It was not our best bake.
19:09We have another challenge today and I've just got to put what's happened behind us.
19:15She and I are not as known for our aesthetics.
19:18Yeah.
19:19But it seemed that they like the flavors and so that's important to us.
19:22This is our first time, you know, in the bottom three.
19:26I knew it was coming because the scale was the buttercream.
19:29We added a little bit of rum to it.
19:31So I think that's when it split is when we added the rum.
19:35Do you think the alcohol in the rum hit something?
19:37Yes, that's what happened.
19:38It's the finding that balance between like being ambitious versus being safe.
19:42This is the first time for us being in the bottom.
19:44It's a little uneasy, but I feel that we can pull it out.
19:49We're not going home, no.
19:50Just go ahead and just pull it apart.
19:52I don't understand how you want it.
19:53You guys are going to have another rustic one?
19:55We hope not too rustic.
19:56I think that's my favorite thing that I've eaten so far on this show.
19:59Yeah.
20:06Okay.
20:07So now it's time for your ultimate festive bake challenge.
20:11Judges, what would you like them to make?
20:14Today, we would like for you to make a holiday trifle.
20:20Trifle for me is an absolute wow dish at Christmas.
20:25And you want it big, bold and beautiful.
20:28So your trifle needs to be six layers.
20:31Traditionally, it's custard, cream, jelly and sponge.
20:35But you can really push the boundaries here.
20:37We want it to have a beautiful decorative finish.
20:41Now, seeing as today's theme is the 12 days of Christmas, we want you to incorporate 12 different elements.
20:48So what you guys are saying, this is no trifling matter.
20:54You have two hours for this challenge. Off you go.
20:57So I should start with my oranges.
21:07I'm going to go grab a couple things from back here.
21:08Okay.
21:09Please be careful.
21:10I will.
21:11I've made trifles before.
21:12But I live in a studio apartment, which means I can only have no more than two people in my apartment anytime.
21:18So there's no need for a trifle unless I force feed my two friends a whole bowl that's meant for probably 10 to 12 people.
21:24We're doing one of my family's favorites in here, which is apple crisp.
21:29And it's actually an Amish apple crisp.
21:31A little nod to my Amish grandma.
21:36It's got vanilla pudding, cinnamon sponge, the homemade caramel sauce.
21:42I feel like this dish we've created is very much like a hug in a bowl.
21:46Yeah.
21:47So I'm hoping that's how they'll feel.
21:48Tastes like home.
21:49It tastes like home.
21:50It really does.
21:51So we listened to the judges and their critiques about our sponge being a little bit too condensed.
21:58This one is actually a very fluffy sponge.
22:00Lots of air bubbles in it, so it should lift and rise and give them what they're asking us for.
22:06To avoid a soggy mess, baked elements need to be cooked and chilled before they're added to the trifle.
22:12It smells like coconut.
22:15You guys look like you're busy, busy, busy.
22:17We are.
22:18So what are going to be the main flavors?
22:19It's essentially mango, lime, and coconut.
22:23Very reminiscent of things that we like to eat around Christmas time.
22:26One of the sponges will be babinka, which is a Filipino rice-based cake baked in banana leaves.
22:32And then there's also a creme fraiche and coconut pound cake, lime curd, and polveron on top.
22:38And how will your layers be? Nice and clean?
22:41Yes.
22:42We're going to do our best for that.
22:44Yeah.
22:45We're going to aim for pristine today.
22:46Yes.
22:47Yes.
22:48What we have here is Iranian saffron.
22:51It's the basis of Iranian cuisine.
22:53The saffron is the star of the show.
22:55It gives us the flavor, the scent, the color.
22:57It's really light, floral, delicate flavor.
23:01I see lots of different ingredients this time around.
23:05Yeah.
23:06That's what trifles are all about.
23:07Yes.
23:08You know, you can turn a trifle into anything you want.
23:11Trifles shouldn't just be vanilla on vanilla.
23:16Yes.
23:17And I feel like we've been getting a lot of vanilla recently.
23:19Yes.
23:20I want flavor.
23:22What else could possibly go wrong with a trifle?
23:24If you don't cook your custard out enough, it will be watery and wet.
23:29If you put it in when it's too warm, it will make everything else get muddled and soggy.
23:33We want to see clean lines.
23:35And with clean lines comes organization and good time management.
23:39And we know that's the Achille's heel of nearly everyone here.
23:43Yes.
23:44The recipe we're using to kind of base our whole trifle around comes from Salman's grandmother.
23:50We call her Sidi Jun, which is Sidi Deer in Farsi.
23:54She has a really lovely orange cake.
23:56To pair it, we came up with our own custard, which is inspired by Iranian sholazard,
24:02which is a rice saffron pudding.
24:05We're using an orange cake.
24:07We have some fresh fruit we're putting into a gelatin layer.
24:10And then it's rose water and orange blossom.
24:12Mascarpone.
24:13She hand wrote us her recipes, so we get that in Farsi with her beautiful handwriting.
24:19My grandma's always bringing that whenever we have a family dinner party.
24:23The flavors in our trifle today are inspired by my granny's ambrosia.
24:28It's a salad comprised of usually fruit, nuts, cream.
24:32I love ambrosia salad.
24:34Oh, awesome.
24:35We would eat it all the time growing up.
24:37That ambrosia is what we're trying to...
24:39To recreate.
24:40Recreate into a trifle.
24:42We have vanilla custard, an amaretto cream, pecan crumble, and there's angel food cake.
24:50Earlier today was kind of the first time that you all have fumbled a little bit in this competition.
24:54Yeah.
24:55How are you feeling about everything?
24:57I'm feeling like...
24:58I'm feeling better.
24:59Yeah, better.
25:00I mean, we learned a lot from what y'all gave us feedback on.
25:03To really focus on flavor, not just aesthetics.
25:07So we're working on that right now.
25:12Hello there.
25:13Oh my goodness.
25:14There's so much on your bench here.
25:15You guys are busy.
25:16We're busy bees.
25:17What's the main flavor kind of profile of us?
25:20Bourbon.
25:21Darlene, we are from Kentucky, the bourbon capital of the country.
25:25So we are bringing you a taste of our home state.
25:28The trifle is infused in bourbon.
25:30It is bourbon sponge.
25:32And the front of it is a state of Kentucky in blue with blueberries.
25:37And you get my great-grandmother's bourbon balls.
25:40We have been together...
25:42It will be 40 years next year.
25:45It's been quite a ride.
25:47It's been loads of fun.
25:52I knew in probably the first few seconds I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.
25:56It was one of those things.
25:59Ditto.
26:00He'll say different.
26:01Ditto.
26:02If you've ever had an old-fashioned cocktail...
26:04I love old-fashioned.
26:05So the pairing of the bourbon, the citrus...
26:08Wow.
26:09...you'll love it.
26:10We don't have trifle in Italy.
26:12We have something similar called tiramisu.
26:14Which is layers of the sabayardi cookies, coffee, and cream.
26:18So we wanted to do an American-Italian mashup.
26:22We are making an Italian sponge cake, but also our own sabayardi cookies as the two cake bases.
26:28We'll be having swan pate choux on top.
26:30And then we're incorporating marscapone creams, sabayone cream, and fresh figs.
26:35For the last 31 years, I've lived at home, and we cooked together every day.
26:40When I had moved out of the house right after I got married, you know, the rule was,
26:44oh, you know, we're not going to see you for a little bit, and that did not happen.
26:48You know, at times, there may be a tear or two.
26:51Right.
26:52But only because there's so much, like, intention and love that are in these bakes.
26:58We're looking good.
27:00There we go.
27:01So now I can just take a little cool in the refrigerator.
27:06That looks like a cake.
27:08Awesome.
27:14There we go.
27:15Clean.
27:16Where do you want it?
27:17That's what we like to see.
27:19Oop.
27:20Ah!
27:21Maybe not clean.
27:24Okay, put it back in.
27:25Put it back in.
27:26Oh, my God.
27:27Oh, yeah.
27:28That definitely needs to go back in.
27:29Okay, open up the oven.
27:31Got it.
27:32All right.
27:33Um, that was a little traumatizing.
27:35This is like a rice cooker or a pressure cooker?
27:37Yeah.
27:38All the bubbles are bubbling up.
27:39I can see you've poured yourself completely into this one.
27:42And the team that leaves this week is...
27:45You have 30 minutes left.
27:55Oh, wow.
27:56I have no idea.
27:57Okay, break it up.
27:58Break it up.
27:59Don't worry.
28:00Oh, my gosh.
28:01Spoon it out.
28:02I think we'll be okay.
28:03I don't really know.
28:04We'll see.
28:05We'll see.
28:06We'll hope and pray.
28:07Okay.
28:08This is gonna get broken apart anyway, so that's why I'm spooning it out.
28:11And I also need to just, like, get it cool quickly.
28:14It's gonna kind of be rustic anyway when we pop it.
28:17You guys are gonna have another rustic one?
28:19It's a rustic Christmas.
28:20We hope not too rustic.
28:21So they want you to add that finesse.
28:23That's what they're really looking for with you guys.
28:26Okay.
28:27Okay?
28:28If you guys really focus on the presentation...
28:30Okay.
28:31I have a feeling it'll be wonderful.
28:36Oh, I think we've got a custard.
28:38What do you think?
28:39Look.
28:40Ooh.
28:43We wanted to make sure we were incorporating flavors that you might see during the holidays.
28:47My aunts especially tend to make peach cobbler, which is one of my favorites.
28:50At the base, we're gonna have a pound cake.
28:52On top of that, we're gonna have a bourbon syrup, a vanilla custard, peach whipped cream,
28:58and then sprinkling that bourbon sauce on the top as well,
29:01because we know Yvonne really loves his bourbon.
29:04I am working on the rice saffron custard.
29:08So, actually, this custard, of course, is Chola Zard.
29:11Zard means yellow.
29:12So, if it's not yellow, you didn't put enough saffron.
29:18Smells good.
29:19Might work out there today, girlfriend.
29:22Ooh!
29:23Beautiful.
29:24Okay, so what are you making there?
29:25So, now I'm making the zambayon.
29:27Zambayon is like a sweet cream dessert that is made with marsala wine, sugar, and eggs.
29:34Italian food, you can't ever go wrong.
29:36It's always delicious.
29:37I know, I know.
29:38Come on.
29:39Yes, it's Italian.
29:40Zambayone.
29:42It's gotta be a certain consistency.
29:48One, two, oh, okay.
29:50Well, stop.
29:51Have you ever had divinity before?
29:56No, what's divinity?
29:57Divinity is, it's like a nougat.
29:59Ooh!
30:00Yeah, it's a very southern thing.
30:01My grandmother used to make it.
30:03Is it like a marshmallow?
30:04A little bit, yeah.
30:05Yes, very similar.
30:06Very similar.
30:07And we will have the state of Kentucky in this cake.
30:10This is the shape of Kentucky, colored in Kentucky blue.
30:14We wanted to share a piece of home with everyone here.
30:17Kind of what our story is with moving from Ohio to Kentucky, and kind of embracing the culture.
30:23Fifteen minutes!
30:25Do you need something with the mangoes?
30:27Um, oh my god.
30:28Yeah, I forgot about that.
30:29What that?
30:30Oh my gosh.
30:31Oh my gosh.
30:32It's okay.
30:33Don't freak out.
30:34It's fine.
30:35We will somehow pull it together.
30:42You need a minute.
30:44A little stressful right now.
30:46We got a lot of elements.
30:47We got this.
30:48It's all good.
30:51Okay.
30:52Rosa, Rosanna.
30:53Are you feeling the pressure after this morning?
30:56Yes.
30:57This is like a rice, a rice cooker, a pressure cooker.
30:59Yeah, yeah.
31:00This is exactly what it feels right now.
31:01All the bubbles are bubbling up.
31:02Right.
31:03We're just trying to make a comeback.
31:05I think you're a very resilient person.
31:11There's just ten minutes left to assemble and decorate.
31:16I am actually working on my great-grandmother's bourbon balls.
31:19So enough for the trifle and enough for me for later on today.
31:23You just pop them in and after a little while, you're very, very happy.
31:30Traditionally in the tiramisu, you soak it.
31:32This is espresso and amaretto.
31:34I'm making the swans.
31:37They're swimming.
31:39Five minutes left.
31:43Trying to make them all look kind of the same from the outside.
31:45Speechful.
31:48Watch your fingers.
31:49Okay, we have four minutes.
31:50Go.
31:51They don't have to be touching because we want the judges to see the layers in between.
31:53Just go ahead and just pull it apart and just shred it.
31:55Take this out?
31:56Yeah, just take it all out.
31:57I don't understand how you want it.
31:58Okay, then you have to watch that.
31:59Please cook it down.
32:00Yeah, you're going to have to cook it down.
32:01Yeah, let me do it that for you.
32:02Tell me how you want it because I don't know.
32:03Okay.
32:04Layers should be distinct and hold their shape.
32:06Not bleed into each other or collapse.
32:10Hopefully we don't get dinged for not being able to see all six.
32:12I think you can see six.
32:14It probably depends on where you're looking.
32:17So good.
32:18There's Kentucky.
32:20They said give them layers, so we'll give them layers.
32:25One minute left.
32:27Stand by.
32:28It's going to be hot.
32:30Yeah, just go.
32:33It was supposed to be a little bit like, you know, this, but not like this.
32:40Do you want to drizzle?
32:41If we had a little bit more time, we could be a little bit more elegant about it.
32:46Pipe, pipe, pipe, pipe, pipe.
32:52Time's up.
32:53Don't be trifling.
32:55Oh.
32:57I just hope it tastes good.
32:58I'm so scared.
32:59We finished.
33:00Oh.
33:02Oh my God.
33:06Rosa and Rosanna, you're up.
33:09So today we have the seven swans a swimming trifle.
33:13I love the coffee notes that go through there.
33:17I think it's very, very delicious.
33:18The figs, they look really good, but flavor-wise, they wouldn't be adding much to it.
33:24Your shoe is good.
33:25I think it could be a little crispier in spots.
33:28But I love the balance of flavor.
33:30Good job.
33:33Gabriel and Ben, you're up.
33:34So we have made a Merry Amish Apple Christmas.
33:40Now the pieces of apple are very nice.
33:42And your sponge is lovely.
33:43I think your custard, we need more of it because there's so much cake, but there's very little moisture.
33:50Apples and cinnamon, very traditional.
33:52But what can you do to really push yourself to think a little bit more creatively with your flavor profiles?
33:59This trifle was inspired by a family reunion to the Philippines.
34:03We wanted to bring all the flavors and everything about that trip into this trifle.
34:08I do know that it was a little haphazard how this was strewn on top.
34:13It was at the 11th hour.
34:14Yeah.
34:15We thought there wasn't going to be a trifle.
34:17We've got the banana leaf at the bottom.
34:19You're not meant to eat that.
34:20Of course not.
34:21Yeah, yeah, yeah.
34:23I can't taste all of the elements.
34:25They're kind of mixed together, but there's good moisture throughout.
34:29My critique was that I would want texture from this other than from the babinka,
34:34because, you know, that's gorgeous.
34:36Thank you, guys.
34:38Today we've made for you a sweet southern peach trifle.
34:42I would have preferred if you had just cleaner lines.
34:45Could definitely have looked more elegant.
34:50Your roasted peaches are lovely.
34:53Your kind of peaches on top, they're not as delicious, so they really needed that cooking.
34:57Trifles, to me, can just be so rich.
34:59What is that thing that's going to add a little bit of brightness?
35:02But I love the bourbon.
35:05Our trifle is inspired by my mother, our children's daughter, Granny.
35:09Granny.
35:10She made ambrosia every year at Christmas.
35:12I love the look of this.
35:14I think this is so retro cool.
35:18I want to make this.
35:19Wow, what a compliment.
35:21Yeah.
35:22And the layers are really good.
35:27Bravo.
35:29That was really good.
35:31There's texture, there's balance, there's distinct flavors that also work super well together.
35:38I think that's my favorite thing that I've eaten so far on this show.
35:41Wow.
35:42I think what makes this trifle really work is that I can taste each layer.
35:48Every element eats nice on its own, but delicious together.
35:52And these cherries.
35:55They're so cute.
35:58Amazing job, ladies.
36:01This trifle represents a lot about us living in a new state.
36:05It is flavored as a cocktail.
36:08So it's an old fashioned because we're old fashioned kind of guys.
36:12So on the very top of it are my great grandmother's bourbon balls.
36:17I feel emotional listening to you because both of you are looking at your trifle like it is the best thing that you've ever created.
36:27I can see your pride.
36:28I can see you've poured yourself completely into this one.
36:32There's a lovely kickoff bourbon in that.
36:37It's really balanced with the nuts and the cocoa.
36:41I might need that bourbon ball recipe.
36:43And the divinity is really good too.
36:46You've taken all the feedback and you've just come back with a bit of a masterpiece.
36:51So well done.
36:53Yeah, I'm going to try to talk without getting too emotional, but my boyfriend is from Kentucky.
36:59And being gay and from the south is something that is just really, really tough.
37:05Bourbon balls and divinity, things that I made with my grandma every year at Christmas.
37:11I just look at this and I see my past and I see my future.
37:14And I just want to thank you too for being people who help pioneer for future generations.
37:22I think you have knocked it out of the park here today, guys.
37:25Well done.
37:27We present to you our saffron trifle, inspired by my grandma, C.D. June.
37:34It's like something from a magazine.
37:36It's really beautiful.
37:39You have a beautiful light sponge.
37:40There is lovely acidity from your fruit.
37:42But actually, I think it could take a little bit more sweetness.
37:46The flavors are so, like, hit you over the face, but in the best way possible.
37:51I really, really, really love the saffron elements of it.
37:54It's really, really good.
37:56Oh, thank you.
37:58Wow.
37:59You guys have a really hard decision.
38:01Yeah.
38:02We put our heart and soul into it.
38:06That's what's hard.
38:07Yeah.
38:08Fingers crossed there is some grace and we can go for another week, which I would love.
38:13Yeah.
38:14Fingers crossed.
38:15I got to try ambrosia.
38:16I don't think I've ever had it before.
38:19I honestly almost cried.
38:21I thought, oh, they like it.
38:22And I mean, I thought, get a hold yourself, girl.
38:25In my heart, I thought about my mom.
38:28How did you feel about your feedback?
38:31I felt heard.
38:34Yeah.
38:35We do not have the traditional Americana family dynamic.
38:40Uh-huh.
38:41And they understood that in the South, being gay is not easy.
38:46Uh-huh.
38:47It truly touched my heart.
38:55You guys have some work to do.
38:57Who do you think did really well this week?
39:00I think that there's been a real flip from the cupcake challenge to the trifle challenge still.
39:06I think the people who really did very well in the cupcake challenge didn't necessarily all do well in the trifle challenge.
39:13And those who did bad in the cupcake challenge seem to kind of do well in the trifle challenge.
39:17So, what are you thinking?
39:18Sally and Amy completely redeemed themselves, produced one of my favorite things that I've eaten on the show.
39:25Susan and Saman excelled at the cupcake.
39:30And also, their trifle was so good.
39:33Who do you think struggled this week?
39:35I think Rene and Sade did such a fantastic job in the cupcake challenge.
39:40But their trifle needed a bit of work.
39:42They do so good in one and then the other.
39:45That seems to be kind of a common theme with a lot of these teams.
39:48I know. With a lot of these teams.
39:49Yeah, you never know.
39:50James and Karen really missed the connection with the 12 Days of Christmas.
39:55And there wasn't enough really different elements in their trifle.
39:59Rosa and Rosanna started off so strong in the beginning of this competition.
40:04And they're finding themselves in the bottom.
40:08What do you think is happening?
40:09This is a journey.
40:10It's just scary that, you know, when it happens again, they could have to go home.
40:15Well, you have to send someone home, guys.
40:17Well, I'm finishing my tea first.
40:18Okay, okay.
40:19I might spike mine with some of that bourbon that's out there.
40:22Bourbon.
40:23I hope you guys are extremely proud of yourselves.
40:30Because you all did an amazing job today.
40:35And it was really hard for the judges to decide which team is going home.
40:42So I have to ask, which team excelled today?
40:47So the team that we felt really represented themselves the best for our Cupcake Challenge
40:53and for our Trifle Challenge was Susan and Salmon.
41:00Wow.
41:06You really excelled when it came to showing us that you are now becoming very confident bakers.
41:11It was good use of flavor and some really beautiful presentation.
41:15Well done.
41:16Proud to make my grandma, Cidi June, proud of that.
41:19We did the family justice.
41:20We did the family justice, yeah.
41:21We can still stay in the family.
41:22They'll be happy for us.
41:23Your onion flavors are always a winner.
41:25Vaughn, which team struggled today?
41:29Rosa and Rosanna, maybe your confidence was a little bit shaken this week.
41:34It came down to the Italian meringue being split and a little flat.
41:42James and Karen, there was timing challenges and that led to challenges with finesse.
41:50We just want the execution to match the brilliant ideation.
41:55Sadly, one team has to leave us today.
41:59And the team that leaves this week is...
42:05James and Karen.
42:09James and Karen.
42:10Please hang up your aprons.
42:20Although it was their time to go home, when I've watched James and Karen cook together and work together, it's just a joy.
42:27We have to judge good versus great.
42:30And it's becoming tougher because they're only getting better.
42:34I couldn't have done this with anyone else.
42:36We did ourselves proud.
42:38I think we did our families proud, our cultures proud.
42:42This was a capital C challenge.
42:45Yeah.
42:46Truly.
42:47Every minute and second here was fantastic.
42:49I think our friends will be happy to eat whatever we make now because they know that we can make.
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