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00:00It's week three of the competition and we are well on our way to Christmas Day.
00:06Gosh, I love an advent calendar. Let's see what delicious chocolatey treat awaits me today.
00:12Oh, three French hens, twelve drummers, seven swans.
00:22What kind of advent calendar is this?
00:25Well, welcome to Baked With Love.
00:30Last week, we decked the halls.
00:40It's a dump cake.
00:43And said goodbye to one team.
00:45Armin and Inda.
00:47Amy and Sally triumphed.
00:49Gorgeous.
00:50Wow.
00:51Ben and Gaby clawed their way back from crumbled cookies.
00:55You got this.
00:56With a touching centerpiece.
00:57Congratulations.
00:58The comeback kids.
00:59And the twins.
01:00Our take is like falling.
01:02Made it through by the skin of their teeth.
01:04Renee and Sade, they need to come back fighting.
01:09Hello.
01:10Hi.
01:11Week three.
01:12Oh boy, I feel pretty good this time.
01:14I'm gonna go in knowing that there's a business to be done.
01:17I think we're gonna power through and make some good bakes today.
01:20Power through and prevail.
01:22The eyes are on us this week.
01:24They're gonna be looking for us to bounce back to where we were when we started.
01:27We feel very lucky that we squeaked by in that last one.
01:30We can't keep doing that.
01:32We definitely need to pick it up in the surprise bake so that we're not playing catch up.
01:36Welcome back to the Baked with Love barn.
01:39We've made it to week three.
01:41There's a lot riding on this.
01:43The winning team of Baked with Love will win $50,000 and have one of their bakes appear in a Hallmark Christmas movie.
01:51Shall we get the judges in to find out what you're up to this week?
01:54Yes.
01:55Welcome, Anna and Vaughn.
02:00Hello.
02:01Hello.
02:02The theme this week.
02:04Oh, it's a lovely one.
02:05The famous Christmas carol.
02:08The 12 days of Christmas.
02:10Before the judges fill you in on what you'll be baking today,
02:14I would like each of you to pick a piece of paper out of my Santa hat here.
02:19Renee and Sade.
02:21Five golden rings.
02:24Eight maids a-milking.
02:27Eleven pipers piping.
02:29Two turtle doves.
02:30Twelve drummers drumming.
02:33Six geese a-laying.
02:35A partridge in a pear tree.
02:37You have your line, so what do they need to do with their line, judges?
02:41I love this challenge.
02:44We want you to make 12 cupcakes.
02:47So we're looking for a sponge base, an Italian meringue buttercream, and a decorative element.
02:52They must taste delicious.
02:54Yeah.
02:55It is not style over substance.
02:57We want them to be uniform, perfectly baked, also inspired by the line that you chose, and, obviously, baked with love.
03:07But I have a little secret.
03:09I don't really like cupcakes.
03:10What?
03:12I know.
03:13So I want you all to make a cupcake believer out of me.
03:16No small feat.
03:17No pressure, guys.
03:20You have one hour and 30 minutes.
03:23Off you go.
03:24I'm Team Cupcake all the way.
03:26You're right.
03:27How about Eva?
03:28Yeah.
03:29Team Cupcake.
03:30I pulled out Eleven Pipers Piping.
03:32As a child, I would sing that song.
03:33I'm like, how am I going to make a connection here between music and what I want to bake?
03:38But we're going to figure something out really quickly.
03:40We've got the two turtle doves, and we are using the inspiration of that turtle candy, which is that pecan, caramel, and chocolate combination.
03:56We're starting with our signature sour cream white cake.
04:00We've got some ideas for the decor, but first thing is to nail the bake.
04:05Yeah.
04:06Three teaspoons of soda.
04:09That's a lot of soda.
04:10Baking soda.
04:11Okay.
04:12That's it.
04:13It's three teaspoons.
04:14Ben and Gabriel.
04:15Hey, Vaughn.
04:16Hi, Vaughn.
04:17My comeback kids.
04:18That's right.
04:19Hopefully not needing a comeback today.
04:21We have eight maids a-milking.
04:22Ben grew up on a farm where they raised dairy cows.
04:25Oh, cute.
04:26So this is a great nod to his childhood.
04:29I love that.
04:30So today we're going to do my sister's famous coconut cake.
04:33She makes it a lot during the holidays.
04:35We're working more collaboratively today, so we're going to be doing this essentially side-by-side.
04:40Being twins, I think, is going to be our superpower in this competition.
04:43As long as I have her by my side, I feel invincible.
04:47We just tend to have that instinct between us, and I don't think that's something that the other teams are going to have.
04:54What could go wrong in this challenge?
04:56Well, Italian meringue buttercream is really tricky, right?
04:59This is kind of embarrassing, but the first time I made Italian meringue buttercream, I cried.
05:03I added the butter, and it became soup.
05:05Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:06And my mom was like, just keep whipping it.
05:08Yeah.
05:09And I did, and it worked, and I was like, this is the most gorgeous buttercream.
05:12But you're dealing with temperatures, you're dealing with hot sugar, you're stabilizing the meringue.
05:16Yeah.
05:17And it can be really tricky.
05:19That's not the only thing that can go wrong.
05:21What?
05:22Well, they have to get the right sponge that's going to be able to hold the buttercream.
05:26And they need to make sure that they bake it quickly enough and cool it enough.
05:30Because if you put your buttercream on when it's warm, that's just going to melt and soak through the sponge.
05:35Yeah.
05:37There we go.
05:38Amy, Sally, how are you?
05:40I'm doing great.
05:41How about you?
05:42What's the flavor of your cupcakes?
05:43We drew a partridge in a pear tree.
05:45We're going to make a lemon sponge.
05:47This 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.
05:55Have you made Italian meringue buttercream before?
05:58No.
05:59This is a new one.
06:00Do you feel the pressure because you have been, like, storming it?
06:04Like, last week you really came out on top, girls.
06:07It's motivational and pressure all the same time.
06:10Right.
06:11You're so chill.
06:12You're like, it's motivational.
06:13It's a bit of pressure.
06:14Hey, don't take our pulse or heart rate right now.
06:16Yeah.
06:17Because it would not be good.
06:23So we're making a puto cupcake, which is actually coconut milk and glutinous rice flour.
06:29Oh, yum.
06:30We steam it in the oven.
06:31It's chewy like mochi.
06:32So this is sort of a nod to my husband's Japanese heritage as well.
06:35I love that.
06:36Baking has been a really nice way for me to connect with my kids.
06:40My oldest son is on the autism spectrum.
06:42We have to make gingerbread cookies every holiday season.
06:45He's brought in Uncle James for that as well.
06:48And he reminds us that we did not do it.
06:51He always says, we got grit.
06:53We don't quit.
06:54So we're going to give it our darndest to make it to the end.
06:58Are those pandan leaves?
06:59These are pandan leaves.
07:00Yes.
07:01And I see jackfruit.
07:02And jackfruit.
07:03So we're going to be infusing those flavors into our bake.
07:05Oh, yum.
07:06So far, we haven't thrown anything away.
07:09Don't get confident.
07:11I want to do a blend of a couple different types of cocoa.
07:17He likes milk chocolate.
07:18I like dark.
07:19I think the two of them need to come together and have a baby, and it's called a cupcake.
07:22This bake is one I've made many times, but I have not made cupcakes with this.
07:28So we're going to do coffee flavoring.
07:31So since we're doing chocolate cupcakes, we thought, nice combo.
07:34I wish people could smell this bowl.
07:36It's really nice.
07:37One hour left.
07:39I'm popping this in.
07:41Hello, my little friends.
07:44Please be good to me.
07:46Go.
07:47Set a timer.
07:48You know, these are not the easiest things to work with.
07:50How's it going?
07:54Good.
07:55And how are you feeling after last week?
07:58We're feeling refreshed, actually.
07:59We had a chance to reset and refocus.
08:01It can be so hard when you can be on the bottom, but sometimes it can give you a bit of gasoline
08:06to kind of push you along.
08:08The five golden rings is exciting for me because my husband actually proposed just a few days before Christmas.
08:13That sounds perfect.
08:14So it's a really special memory for me.
08:17Halfway through.
08:18We completely forgot about the coconut.
08:19Oh, sorry.
08:20Not yet.
08:21I don't know what is going on with these cupcakes.
08:27Okay, Greg.
08:28If you'll just...
08:29Yeah.
08:30They didn't rise real good.
08:31They rise and they sunk.
08:33This recipe didn't work.
08:34They sunk.
08:35That's not like us.
08:36We might want to make another batch.
08:37We might need just a minute, okay?
08:38Yeah.
08:39You have to go.
08:40Oh, sorry.
08:41Oh, sorry.
08:42Not yet.
08:43I don't know what is going on with these cupcakes.
08:44Hey, Greg.
08:45If you'll just...
08:46Yeah.
08:47They didn't rise real good.
08:48They rise and they sunk.
08:49You have 30 minutes left.
08:52What?
08:53Half an hour?
08:54So we have our cupcakes now out of the oven, cooling.
08:57And now we're working on our Italian meringue.
09:00Well, so I need your egg whites.
09:01Egg whites.
09:02Okay.
09:03Okay.
09:04Just a regular buttercream sort of person.
09:07So, yeah.
09:08I got to get this one down.
09:09I have made an Italian meringue buttercream before.
09:12It can be a bit finicky because it can go wrong very quickly.
09:17We'll see how this batch goes.
09:19So the timing is critical because the sugar syrup has to be a certain temperature.
09:24And the eggs have to be a certain consistency.
09:26You cannot none this.
09:28This is very exact.
09:30If anything goes wrong, you have to throw out the batch and you start again.
09:34And we don't have time for that.
09:35A little sugar facial.
09:36Medium to stiff peaks here.
09:40240.
09:41We're there.
09:42All right.
09:43Bring it on over.
09:44Okay.
09:45I'm coming over again.
09:46Yeah.
09:47You can do it faster than that.
09:4915 minutes left.
09:50Uh-oh.
09:51Come on.
09:52Next page.
09:53Next page.
09:54Next page.
09:55Next page.
09:56Oh, next page.
09:5712.
09:58455 grams of unsalted butter softened and cubed.
10:01So you want to measure that, please?
10:02I want the texture to be a little more firm before we add some additional flavorings.
10:07You could also easily mess this up.
10:09So wish me luck, everyone.
10:12Inside our meringue, we put a little bit of spiced rum just to zhuzh it up a little bit.
10:17Don't overwhip the meringue.
10:23I don't know what is going on with these cupcakes.
10:28This cake is sinking again.
10:31There's nothing we can do about that.
10:33We'll just fill it with icing.
10:37I don't know what happened here.
10:4010 minutes left.
10:44We don't have a picture of my dog.
10:46So we're just imagining how to put it together.
10:49That one kind of looks like a chicken.
10:52I'm making little drums out of marshmallows.
10:54Oh, how cute.
10:56I was a drummer when I was a kid.
10:58You were.
10:59It's like the drum chose you.
11:02I think they look pretty good, actually.
11:04I've never seen anything like this before.
11:06So I think the novelty alone people should recognize.
11:11And then you're just going to dip them in chocolate?
11:14Yeah.
11:16Vaughn did say he doesn't like cupcakes.
11:20Does that make you guys nervous at all?
11:21Yes.
11:22I think we might be able to convince him to come to our side.
11:24Okay.
11:25And love cupcakes.
11:26Okay.
11:27Who doesn't love cupcakes?
11:28Fingers crossed.
11:29Why is it all coming down?
11:33Is that it's a little too soft?
11:36A little too soft, I think.
11:39I think you might have overdid it.
11:41That's what I was telling you.
11:42Okay.
11:43It's got to hold its consistency.
11:45Don't over frost it, please.
11:46A little stressful right now.
11:47It's split.
11:48Ooh!
11:49Ah!
11:50Okay, put it back in.
11:51Put it back in.
11:52I think you've kind of dropped the ball with the flavor.
11:53That was a little traumatizing.
11:54Five minutes left.
11:55We've got a really shaky hand right now because we are doing this as quickly as we possibly
12:16can.
12:17I'm trying to keep the finesse.
12:19Okay, look, we're just going to do this.
12:21There you go.
12:22That's what we need in the middle of each one, okay?
12:25I can do that.
12:26We are just going to fill the cupcake with buttercream because this challenge is more
12:33about decor than flavor.
12:35The quickest and fastest way to move is together.
12:38So this was actually kind of fun.
12:40Oh, he needs ears.
12:42He needs ears, too.
12:43I'm just going to spray our little pears.
12:46Nothing like glitz and glamour.
12:47Like, hustle and eat.
12:49Okay.
12:50Let's go.
12:51Let's go.
12:52One minute left.
12:53One minute?
12:54Oh, my gosh.
12:55One minute left.
12:56Okay.
12:57Let's get those drummers drumming and those pipers piping.
12:59Oh, that's us.
13:00The pipers are piping.
13:01The pipers are piping.
13:02Wow.
13:03You can't drum without sticks.
13:0560 seconds.
13:06Whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop.
13:08I don't know why I'm making those sound effects.
13:12Wait.
13:13Wait.
13:14Prettiest guys on top.
13:17Time's up!
13:18Woo!
13:19Mommy, it's time's up.
13:21Hey!
13:22They're cute!
13:23We did that.
13:24Say good job, Mom.
13:25Hope they like it.
13:26Yep.
13:27Gabrielle and Ben, please tell the judges about your cupcakes.
13:30So we pulled eight maids a-milking, so we wanted to really milk this challenge for you.
13:44I particularly like this one who's got cross-eyed.
13:46Yeah.
13:47But I think you really captured the message of maids a-milking.
13:50Yes!
13:51They are so stinking cute.
13:54Can I just say, holiday classic round, you have a finished product.
14:00Me too!
14:01Yes.
14:02I can taste bicarbonate soda.
14:04I think you might have put too much baking soda in the sponge, but I do think that your icing is quite delicious.
14:10The only thing is that little tiny bit of metallic taste.
14:14I think they look like little drums, so I quite like that.
14:19From afar, I'm like, yes!
14:21And then I get up a little closer, I wish there was a tiny bit more finesse.
14:25Mm.
14:26Mm.
14:27Your buttercream is delicious.
14:30Yes.
14:32You've struggled with your cake mix.
14:35Okay.
14:36It's a little bit slightly eggy, and it's a little bit dense.
14:38Okay.
14:39Today we made for you five golden coconut rings.
14:43Should we try them?
14:44Let's go for them.
14:49Your sponge is perfectly baked.
14:51It's beautiful.
14:52Your vanilla buttercream is really delicious.
14:54I absolutely love the coconut on the outside, because it gives texture.
14:58Technically, aesthetically, wonderful.
15:01My ladies are back.
15:02Yeah.
15:03They're back.
15:04Mm.
15:05Mm.
15:06Oh, my gosh.
15:07Carrots all over my face.
15:10Now, I know that your cake sunk a little bit, right?
15:16Yeah.
15:17It did.
15:18It did.
15:19It did.
15:20It did.
15:21What do you think happened there?
15:22I used a family recipe, and I had not tested it.
15:26So I think they look beautiful, but there really is very little cake in it.
15:31Yes.
15:32But I've got some to try.
15:33We know.
15:34The butter icing is really silky smooth, but there's not a huge amount of flavor coming from it.
15:38I think you've kind of dropped the ball with the flavor and with the sponge.
15:43We know you know how to do the aesthetics super, super well.
15:46Mm-hmm.
15:47What can you do to really push yourself with those flavors?
15:52We pulled out of the hat six Giselaing.
15:54So we have chocolate cupcakes with chocolate-dipped strawberries for our eggs in our nests.
16:00Well, I like the look of the nest. That was very clever.
16:02I kind of wish that the eggs were, like, fully dipped so it looked like a whole egg.
16:06But I do think that your sponge is lovely.
16:09It's really soft, it's really moist, and it's got a great kind of chocolatey flavor.
16:13They're gorgeous, and I do agree that the sponge is really, really nice.
16:17And you did a good job technically with the frosting.
16:20Mm.
16:21You keep eating it.
16:22That's a good sign.
16:23We have a spiced pecan cupcake with a chocolate Italian meringue with a little bit of spicy rum.
16:32It's split.
16:33Often when you're working with this type of buttercream, you can save it.
16:37Keep spinning it.
16:38Just keep letting it go.
16:39Because it's going to come back together.
16:41Okay.
16:42I clearly can see that they're doves, which I really like.
16:45Yeah.
16:47It's a little drier than I would want it to be.
16:50Okay.
16:51I do think the flavors are nice in there.
16:52I was a little worried about the chocolate buttercream because it looks a little gray.
16:56Okay.
16:57But it actually does have that nice little chocolatey flavor.
17:01They look a little rustic.
17:03Yeah.
17:04I think I struggle to see them as a pipe.
17:06Yeah.
17:07And then also with the leaves on the side, it doubly kind of confuses it.
17:11The mochi cake itself is super nice.
17:17Yeah.
17:18I kind of wish there was a tart element in there to cut through some of that sweetness.
17:25Mm-hmm.
17:26It's really innovative to think outside the box of what a cupcake could be.
17:30But the appearance could be a bit more fitting to the line in the carol.
17:35Mm-hmm.
17:38Well done.
17:39You survived the holiday classic challenge.
17:42So, judges, what did you think of their cupcakes?
17:45I don't necessarily know if cupcakes will be my favorite sweet of all time.
17:51But I did enjoy them.
17:53The two teams that we thought really excelled today were...
17:58Susan and Salmon.
18:01Ah!
18:02And Rene and Sade.
18:06The concept was really good.
18:08And your bake of your cupcakes was also really excellent.
18:12Now, there were some teams that had a tougher time than others.
18:18Amy and Sally.
18:19While they look so beautiful, really on the inside, they were pretty much just frosty.
18:27Rosa and Rosanna, your buttercream was split.
18:32And Marco and Steven, I want you to engineer that sponge a little bit more and work on the finesse.
18:43So, let's head back to the den and we'll see you back in here for the ultimate festive bake challenge.
18:51So, Vaughn 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.
19:00It was not our best bake.
19:05We have another challenge today and I've just got to put what's happened behind us.
19:10She and I are not as known for our aesthetics.
19:12Yeah.
19:13But it seemed that they liked the flavors and so that's important to us.
19:17This is our first time, you know, in the bottom three.
19:20I knew it was coming because the scale was the buttercream.
19:24We added a little bit of rum to it, so I think that's when it split is when we added the rum.
19:30Do you think the alcohol in the rum hit something?
19:32Yes, that's what happened.
19:33It's the finding that balance between, like, being ambitious versus being safe.
19:36This is the first time for us being in the bottom.
19:39It's a little uneasy, but I feel that we can pull it out.
19:43We're not going home.
19:44No.
19:45Just go ahead and just pull it apart.
19:46I don't understand how you want it.
19:47You guys are going to have another rustic one for Christmas.
19:50We hope not too rustic.
19:51I think that's my favorite thing that I've eaten so far on this show.
19:54Aww.
20:01Okay, so now it's time for your ultimate festive bake challenge.
20:06Judges, what would you like them to make?
20:08Today, we would like for you to make a holiday trifle.
20:15Trifle, for me, is an absolute wow dish at Christmas.
20:20And you want it big, bold, and beautiful.
20:23So your trifle needs to be six layers.
20:26Traditionally, it's custard, cream, jelly, and sponge.
20:30But you can really push the boundaries here.
20:32We want it to have a beautiful decorative finish.
20:35Now, seeing as today's theme is the 12 Days of Christmas,
20:39we want you to incorporate 12 different elements.
20:43So what you guys are saying, this is no trifling matter.
20:49You have two hours for this challenge.
20:52Off you go.
20:57So I should start with my oranges.
20:59I'm going to go grab a couple things from back here.
21:02Okay.
21:03Please be careful.
21:04I will.
21:05I've made trifles before, but I live in a studio apartment,
21:09which means I can only have no more than two people in my apartment anytime.
21:13So there's no need for a trifle unless I force feed my two friends a whole bowl
21:17that's meant for probably 10 to 12 people.
21:21We're doing one of my family's favorites in here, which is apple crisp.
21:24And it's actually an Amish apple crisp.
21:27A little nod to my Amish grandma.
21:31It's got vanilla pudding, cinnamon sponge, the homemade caramel sauce.
21:37I feel like this dish we've created is very much like a hug in a bowl.
21:41Yeah.
21:42So we're hoping that's how they'll feel.
21:43It tastes like home.
21:44It really does.
21:45So we listen to the judges and their critiques about our sponge being a little bit too condensed.
21:52This one is actually a very fluffy sponge, lots of air bubbles in it.
21:57So it should lift and rise and give them what they're asking us for.
22:00To avoid a soggy mess, baked elements need to be cooked and chilled before they're added to the trifle.
22:06It smells like coconut.
22:08You guys look like you're busy, busy, busy.
22:11We are.
22:12So what are going to be the main flavors?
22:14It's essentially mango, lime and coconut.
22:18Very reminiscent of things that we like to eat around Christmas time.
22:21One of the sponges will be the binka, which is a Filipino rice-based cake baked in banana leaves.
22:27And then there's also a creme fraiche and coconut pound cake.
22:30Lime curd and polveron on top.
22:33And how will your layers be? Nice and clean?
22:36Yes.
22:37We're going to do our best for that.
22:39We're going to aim for pristine today.
22:41Yes.
22:42Yes.
22:43What we have here is Iranian saffron.
22:46It's the basis of Iranian cuisine.
22:48The saffron is the star of the show.
22:50It gives us the flavor, the scent, the color.
22:52It's really light, floral, delicate flavor.
22:56I see lots of different ingredients this time around.
23:00Yeah.
23:01That's what trifles are all about.
23:02Yes.
23:03You know, you can turn a trifle into anything you want.
23:06Trifles shouldn't just be vanilla on vanilla.
23:11Yes.
23:12And I feel like we've been getting a lot of vanilla recently.
23:14Yes.
23:15I want flavor.
23:17What else could possibly go wrong with a trifle?
23:19If you don't cook your custard out enough, it will be watery and wet.
23:24If you put it in when it's too warm, it will make everything else get muddled and sodden.
23:28We want to see clean lines.
23:30And with clean lines comes organization and good time management.
23:34And we know that's the Achilles heel of nearly everyone here.
23:38Yes.
23:39The recipe we're using to kind of base our whole trifle around comes from Salman's grandmother.
23:45We call her Seedy June, which is Seedy Deer in Farsi.
23:49She has a really lovely orange cake.
23:51To pair it, we came up with our own custard, which is inspired by Iranian sholezard,
23:57which is a rice saffron pudding.
24:00We're using an orange cake.
24:02We have some fresh fruit we're putting into a gelatin layer.
24:05And then it's rose water and orange blossom.
24:07Mascarpone.
24:08She hand wrote us her recipes, so we get that in Farsi with her beautiful handwriting.
24:14My grandma's always bringing that whenever we have a family dinner party.
24:18The flavors in our trifle today are inspired by my granny's ambrosia.
24:23It's a salad comprised of usually fruit, nuts, cream.
24:27I love ambrosia salad.
24:29Oh, awesome.
24:30We would eat it all the time growing up.
24:31That ambrosia is what we're trying to recreate into a trifle.
24:36We have vanilla custard, an amaretto cream, pecan crumble, and there's angel food cake.
24:44Earlier today was kind of the first time that y'all have fumbled a little bit in this competition.
24:49Yeah.
24:50How are you feeling about everything?
24:52I'm feeling better.
24:53I'm feeling better.
24:54Yeah, better.
24:55I mean, we learned a lot from what y'all gave us feedback on.
24:58To really focus on flavor, not just aesthetics.
25:02So we're working on that right now.
25:05Hello there.
25:06How are you?
25:07Oh my goodness.
25:08There's so much on your bench here.
25:10You guys are busy.
25:11We're busy bees.
25:12Yes.
25:13What's the main flavor kind of profile of us?
25:15Bourbon.
25:16Darlene, we are from Kentucky, the bourbon capital of the country.
25:20So we are bringing you a taste of our home state.
25:23The trifle is infused in bourbon.
25:26It is bourbon sponge.
25:27The front of it is a state of Kentucky in blue with blueberries.
25:32And you get my great-grandmother's bourbon balls.
25:35We have been together.
25:38It will be 40 years next year.
25:40It's been quite a ride.
25:42It's been loads of fun.
25:44I knew in probably the first few seconds,
25:49I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.
25:52It was one of those things.
25:54Ditto.
25:55He'll say different.
25:56Ditto.
25:57Ditto.
25:58If you've ever had an old-fashioned cocktail.
26:00I love old-fashioned.
26:01So the pairing of the bourbon, the citrus.
26:03Wow.
26:04You'll love it.
26:06We don't have trifle in Italy.
26:08We have something similar called tiramisu,
26:10which is layers of the Saviardi cookies, coffee, and cream.
26:13So we wanted to do an American-Italian mashup.
26:17We are making Italian sponge cake,
26:20but also our own Saviardi cookies as the two cake bases.
26:23We'll be having swan patechu on top,
26:25and then we're incorporating mascarpone creams,
26:27sabayone cream, and fresh figs.
26:30For the last 31 years, I've lived at home,
26:33and we cooked together every day.
26:35When I had moved out of the house right after I got married,
26:38you know, the rule was, oh, you know,
26:39we're not gonna see you for a little bit,
26:41and that did not happen.
26:43You know, at times, there may be a tear or two.
26:46Right.
26:47But only because there's so much, like,
26:49intention and love that are in these bakes.
26:52We're looking good.
26:54Here we go.
26:56So now I can just take a little cool in the refrigerator.
27:00That looks like a cake.
27:02Awesome.
27:09Here we go.
27:10Clean.
27:11Where do you want it?
27:12That's what we like to see.
27:13Ooh!
27:15Ah!
27:16Maybe not clean.
27:18Okay, put it back in.
27:20Put it back in.
27:21Oh, my God.
27:22Oh, yeah.
27:23That definitely needs to go back in.
27:24Okay.
27:25Open up the oven.
27:26Got it.
27:27All right.
27:28Um, that was a little traumatizing.
27:30This is, like, a rice cooker, a pressure cooker.
27:33All the bubbles are bubbling up.
27:34I can see you've poured yourself completely into this one.
27:38And the team that leaves this week is...
27:49You have 30 minutes left!
27:51Oh, wow.
27:52I have no idea.
27:53Okay, break it up, break it up.
27:54Don't worry.
27:55Oh, my gosh.
27:56We're gonna spoon it out.
27:57I think we'll be okay.
27:58I don't really know.
27:59We'll see.
28:00We'll see.
28:01We'll hope and pray.
28:02This is gonna get broken apart anyway,
28:04so that's why I'm spooning it out.
28:06And I also need to just, like, get it cool quickly.
28:09It's gonna kind of be rustic anyway when we pop it.
28:11You guys are gonna have another rustic one?
28:14It's a rustic Christmas.
28:15We hope not too rustic.
28:16So they want you to add that finesse.
28:18That's what they're really looking for with you guys.
28:21Okay.
28:22Okay.
28:23Okay?
28:24If you guys really focus on the presentation...
28:25Okay.
28:26I have a feeling it'll be...
28:27It'll be wonderful.
28:31Oh, I think we've got a custard.
28:32What do you think?
28:33Look.
28:34Ooh.
28:35Ooh.
28:38We wanted to make sure we were incorporating flavors
28:40that you might see during the holidays.
28:42My aunts especially tend to make peach cobbler,
28:44which is one of my favorites.
28:45At the base, we're gonna have a pound cake.
28:47On top of that, we're gonna have a bourbon syrup,
28:50a vanilla custard, peach whipped cream,
28:53and then sprinkling that bourbon sauce on the top as well,
28:56because we know Von really loves his bourbon.
28:58I am working on the rice saffron custard.
29:03So, actually, this custard, unfortunately,
29:05is chola zard.
29:06Zard means yellow.
29:07So, if it's not yellow, you didn't put enough saffron.
29:13Smells good.
29:15My workout in today, girlfriend.
29:17Ooh!
29:18Beautiful.
29:19Okay, so what are you making there?
29:20So, now I'm making the zambayon.
29:22Zambayon is like the sweet cream dessert
29:26that is made with marsala, wine, sugar, and eggs.
29:29Italian food, you can't ever go wrong.
29:31It's always delicious.
29:32I know, I know.
29:33Come on.
29:34Yes, it's Italian.
29:35Zambayone.
29:37It's gotta be a certain consistency.
29:43One, two, oh, okay.
29:46Stop.
29:50Have you ever had divinity before?
29:52No, what's divinity?
29:53Divinity is, it's like a nougat.
29:54Ooh!
29:55Yeah, it's a very southern thing.
29:57My grandmother used to make it.
29:58Is it like a marshmallow?
30:00A little bit, yeah.
30:01Yes, very similar.
30:02And we will have the state of Kentucky in this cake.
30:05This is the shape of Kentucky, colored in Kentucky blue.
30:09We wanted to share a piece of home with everyone here,
30:12kind of what our story is with moving from Ohio to Kentucky.
30:15And, um, kind of embracing the culture.
30:1915 minutes!
30:20Do you need something with the mangoes?
30:22Uh, oh, my God.
30:23Yeah, I forgot about that.
30:24I thought, oh, my gosh.
30:25Oh, my gosh.
30:26It's okay.
30:27Don't freak out.
30:28It's fine.
30:29We will somehow pull it together.
30:37You need a minute?
30:39A little stressful right now.
30:41We got a lot of elements.
30:42We got this.
30:43It's all good.
30:44It's all good.
30:46Okay.
30:47Rosa, Rosanna.
30:48Are you feeling the pressure after this morning?
30:51Yes.
30:52This is like a rice, a rice cooker, a pressure cooker.
30:55Yeah, yeah.
30:56This is exactly what it feels right now.
30:57All the bubbles are bubbling up.
30:58Right.
30:59We're just trying to make a comeback.
31:00I think you're a very resilient person.
31:06There's just 10 minutes left to assemble and decorate.
31:11I am actually working on my great-grandmother's bourbon balls.
31:14So enough for the trifle and enough for me for later on today.
31:18You just pop them in and after a little while you're very, very happy.
31:25Traditionally in the tiramisu, you soak it.
31:27This is espresso and amaretto.
31:29I'm making the swans.
31:31They're swimming.
31:33Five minutes left.
31:34I'm trying to make them all look kind of the same from the outside.
31:39Beautiful.
31:43Watch your fingers.
31:44Okay, we have four minutes.
31:45Go.
31:46They don't have to be touching.
31:47Because we want the judges to see the layers in between.
31:48Just go ahead and just pull it apart and just shred it.
31:50Take this out?
31:51Yeah.
31:52Just take it all out.
31:53I don't understand how you want it.
31:54Okay, then you have to watch that.
31:55Yeah.
31:56Let me deal with that for you.
31:57Tell me how you want it.
31:58Because I don't know.
31:59Okay.
32:00Layers should be distinct and hold their shape.
32:01Not bleed into each other or collapse.
32:05Hopefully we don't get dinged for not being able to see all six.
32:07I think you can see six.
32:09It probably depends on where you're looking.
32:12It's all good.
32:13There is Kentucky.
32:15They said give them layers, so we'll give them layers.
32:20One minute left.
32:22Stand back.
32:23It's going to be hot.
32:27Yeah, just go.
32:29It was supposed to be a little bit like, you know, this.
32:32But not like this.
32:35Do you want a drizzle?
32:36If we had a little bit more time, we could be a little bit more elegant about it.
32:41Pie pie pie pie pie pie.
32:47Time's up!
32:48Don't be trifling.
32:52I just hope it tastes good.
32:54We finished.
32:56Oh.
32:57Oh, my God.
33:02Rosa and Rosanna, you're up.
33:05So today we have the seven swans a-swimming trifle.
33:09I love the coffee notes that go through there.
33:13I think it's very, very delicious.
33:14The figs, they look really good, but flavor-wise, they wouldn't be adding much to it.
33:19Your shoe is good.
33:20I think it could be a little crispier in spots, but I love the balance of flavor.
33:25Good job.
33:28Gabriel and Ben, you're up.
33:29So we have made a Merry Amish Apple Christmas.
33:33Let's try this.
33:35Now, the pieces of apple are very nice.
33:37And your sponge is lovely.
33:39I think your custard, we need more of it.
33:41Mm-hmm.
33:42Because there's so much cake, but there's very little moisture.
33:45Apples and cinnamon, very traditional.
33:47But what can you do to really push yourself to think a little bit more creatively with your flavor profiles?
33:53This trifle was inspired by a family reunion to the Philippines.
33:58We wanted to bring all the flavors and everything about that trip into this trifle.
34:03I do know that it was a little haphazard how this was strewn on top.
34:08It was at the 11th hour.
34:09Yeah.
34:10We thought there wasn't going to be a trifle.
34:12We've got the banana leaf at the bottom.
34:14You're not meant to eat that.
34:15Of course not.
34:16Okay.
34:17I can't taste all of the elements.
34:20They're kind of mixed together, but there's good moisture throughout.
34:24My critique was that I would want texture from this other than from the babinka,
34:29because, you know, that's gorgeous.
34:31Thank you, guys.
34:33Today, we've made for you a sweet southern peach trifle.
34:37I would have preferred if you had just cleaner lines.
34:40Could definitely have looked more elegant.
34:45Your roasted peaches are lovely.
34:48Your kind of peaches on top, they're not as delicious, so they really needed that cooking.
34:52Trifles, to me, can just be so rich.
34:54What is that thing that's going to add a little bit of brightness?
34:57But I love the bourbon.
35:00Our trifle is inspired by my mother.
35:03Our children called her granny.
35:05She made ambrosia every year at Christmas.
35:07I love the look of this.
35:09I think this is so retro cool.
35:13I want to make this.
35:14Wow.
35:15What a compliment.
35:16Yeah.
35:17And the layers are really good.
35:22Bravo.
35:23That was really good.
35:26There's texture, there's balance, there's distinct flavors that also work super well together.
35:33I think that's my favorite thing that I've eaten so far on this show.
35:36Wow.
35:37I think what makes this trifle really work is that I can taste each layer.
35:43Every element eats nice on its own, but delicious together.
35:47And these cherries.
35:50They're so cute.
35:53Amazing job, ladies.
35:56This trifle represents a lot about us living in a new state.
36:00It is flavored as a cocktail.
36:03So it's an old fashioned because we're old fashioned kind of guys.
36:07So on the very top of it are my great grandmother's bourbon balls.
36:12I 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.
36:22I can see your pride.
36:23I can see you've poured yourself completely into this one.
36:27There's a lovely kickoff bourbon in that.
36:32It's really balanced with the nuts and the cocoa.
36:36I might need that bourbon ball recipe.
36:38And the divinity is really good too.
36:41You've taken all the feedback and you've just come back with a bit of a masterpiece.
36:46So well done.
36:48Yeah, I'm going to try to talk without getting too emotional, but my boyfriend is from Kentucky.
36:54And being gay and from the south is something that is just really, really tough.
37:01Bourbon balls and divinity, things that I made with my grandma every year at Christmas.
37:06I just look at this and I see my past and I see my future.
37:09And I just want to thank you too for being people who help pioneer for future generations.
37:17I think you have knocked it out of the park here today, guys.
37:20Well done.
37:22We present to you our saffron trifle, inspired by my grandma, Citi June.
37:29It's like something from a magazine.
37:31It's really beautiful.
37:34You have a beautiful light sponge.
37:35There is lovely acidity from your fruit.
37:37But actually, I think it could take a little bit more sweetness.
37:41The flavors are so, like, hit you over the face, but in the best way possible.
37:46I really, really, really love the saffron elements of it.
37:49It's really, really good.
37:51Oh, thank you.
37:53Wow.
37:54You guys have a really hard decision.
37:56Yeah.
37:57We put our heart and soul into it.
38:01That's what's hard.
38:02Yeah.
38:04Fingers crossed.
38:05There's some grace and we can go for another week, which I would love.
38:08Yeah.
38:09Fingers crossed.
38:10I got to try Ambrosia.
38:13I don't think I've ever had it before.
38:14I honestly almost cried.
38:16I thought, oh, they like it.
38:17And I mean, I thought, get a hold of yourself, girl.
38:20In my heart, I thought about my mom.
38:23How did you feel about your feedback?
38:26I felt heard.
38:29Yeah.
38:30We do not have the traditional Americana family dynamic.
38:35Uh-huh.
38:36We understood that in the South, being gay is not easy.
38:41Uh-huh.
38:42It truly touched my heart.
38:50You guys have some work to do.
38:52Who do you think did really well this week?
38:55I think that there's been a real flip from the cupcake challenge to the trifle challenge still.
39:01I think the people who really did very well in the cupcake challenge didn't necessarily
39:06all do well in the trifle challenge.
39:08And those who did bad in the cupcake challenge seem to kind of do well in the trifle challenge.
39:12So, what are you thinking?
39:13Sally and Amy completely redeemed themselves.
39:17Produced one of my favorite things that I've eaten on the show.
39:20Susan and Saman excelled at the cupcake.
39:25And also, their trifle was so good.
39:28Who do you think struggled this week?
39:30I think Rene and Sade did such a fantastic job in the cupcake challenge.
39:36But their trifle needed a bit of work.
39:38They do so good in one and then the other.
39:41That seems to be kind of a common theme with a lot of these teams.
39:43I know.
39:44With a lot of these teams.
39:45Yeah, you never know.
39:46James and Karen really missed the connection with the 12 Days of Christmas.
39:51And there wasn't enough really different elements in their trifle.
39:54Rosa and Rosanna started off so strong in the beginning of this competition.
39:59And they're finding themselves in the bottom.
40:03What do you think is happening?
40:05This is a journey.
40:06It's just scary that, you know, when it happens again, they could have to go home.
40:10Well, you have to send someone home, guys.
40:12Well, I'm finishing my tea first.
40:14Okay, okay.
40:15I might spike mine with some of that bourbon that's out there.
40:17Bourbon.
40:18I hope you guys are extremely proud of yourselves because you all did an amazing job today.
40:30And it was really hard for the judges to decide which team is going home.
40:37So I have to ask, which team excelled today?
40:42So the team that we felt really represented themselves the best for our cupcake challenge and for our trifle challenge was...
40:53Susan and Simone.
40:55Wow.
41:01You really excelled when it came to showing us that you are now becoming very confident bakers.
41:06It was good use of flavour and some really beautiful presentation.
41:10Well done.
41:11Proud to make my grandma C.D. June proud of that.
41:14We did the family justice.
41:15We did the family justice, yeah.
41:16We can still stay in the family.
41:17They'll be happy for us.
41:18Rania Flavors are always a winner.
41:20Vaughn, which team struggled today?
41:23Rosa and Rosanna, maybe your confidence was a little bit shaken this week.
41:29It came down to the Italian meringue being split and a little flat.
41:36James and Karen, there was timing challenges and that led to challenges with finesse.
41:45We just want the execution to match the brilliant ideation.
41:49Sadly, one team has to leave us today.
41:58And the team that leaves this week is...
42:04James and Karen.
42:07Please hang up your aprons.
42:15Although it was their time to go home, when I've watched James and Karen cook together and work together, it's just a joy.
42:22We have to judge good versus great.
42:25And it's becoming tougher because they're only getting better.
42:29I couldn't have done this with anyone else.
42:31We did ourselves proud.
42:33I think we did our families proud, our cultures proud.
42:37This was a capital C challenge.
42:40Yeah.
42:41Truly.
42:42Every minute and second here was fantastic.
42:44I think our friends will be happy to eat whatever we make now because they know that we can make.
42:49Make it big.
43:19Bye.
43:20Bye.
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