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That's a winner.
WILLMAN: In just a few moments, four previous losers
will square off for their shot at redemption.
And I am not taking that walk of shame again.
We're not going out this time without a fight.
One-by-one, they'll be booted
as they're judged on taste...
This cupcake is very hard to digest.
WILLMAN: ...presentation...
It really just felt unglamorous.
WILLMAN: ...and in the last round, the remaining two bakers
will bring it all together
into one jaw-dropping cupcake display.
The winner gets to have their cupcakes
as the centerpiece of a Hollywood bash.
It's a celebration of all things Marilyn Monroe
at Hollywood's famed TCL Chinese Theatre.
And they'll walk away with $10,000.
Our cupcakes!
Oh, my God, girl. It's burnt.
Ugh.
We're screwed.
Get ready...
'cause this is "Cupcake Wars."
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
What's up?
I'm Justin Willman,
and the ultimate cupcake clash is about to go down right here.
Overseeing today's war are our judges...
Candace Nelson,
founder of the world's first cupcake bakery,
Sprinkle's Cupcakes,
and Florian Bellanger, owner of Mad Mac Macarons
and former executive pastry chef at the world-renowned Fauchon.
The kitchen is primed. Our judges are hungry.
Let's meet these competitors.
Welcome to The Cupcake Emporium!
TAWNYA: My name is Tawnya Zerr,
and I'm the owner and flavor imaginator
of The Cupcake Emporium located in Ames, Iowa.
We've been in business for three years now.
I love experimenting
with all kinds of weird, different ingredients
like fried ice cream, puppy chow,
and peanut butter cup.
Last time we went to "Cupcake Wars",
it was kind of a disaster.
This is my second time on "Cupcake Wars."
We took a big risk, and we were eliminated in round 1.
It wasn't a disaster. It was a disappointment.
♪ Be -- Be aggressive ♪
My assistant is Katie Hickman.
She's my friend, and she knows how to bake.
Our goal is to expand.
We are waiting for a new kitchen.
It's the size of an apartment kitchen.
It is absolutely tiny.
I'm back, and we're ready for redemption.
We are gonna make it past round 1.
[ Laughs ]
Whoo-hoo!
That looks beautiful.
I'm Jeffery Rowe.
I work at Yummers 2 the 3rd Power Cupcake Factory
in Tacoma, Washington.
We got some of the best cakes ever.
I mean, mm-mm-mm good.
Here you guys go.
I'm not your typical cupcake baker.
People look at me, they think I'm a gangster,
but the truth is, I love cupcakes...
with pink sprinkles!
We were on "Cupcake Wars" before in the Monster Truck episode.
We went home in the second round.
It would be so great to have that plaque in our window
that says we won "Cupcake Wars," Jeff.
My assistant today is my cousin Amber Serrano,
the owner of Yummers 2 the 3rd Power.
She knows everything there is to be about cupcakes.
I'm back for revenge.
Last time, the judges didn't like the artificial flavors.
This time, we're bringing all-natural flavors,
so you better watch your heinies.
Got to get on that row.
Whoo!
Let'*** it.
Yeah, Yummers! Whoo!
[ Horn honks ]
Team cream!
Whoo!
CRYSTAL: My name is Crystal Nicole Jones,
owner and operator of Cream By Crystal
located in Los Angeles, California.
We specialize in the cheesecake cupcake.
We are online, and we bring it right to your door.
Pew! [ Laughs ]
I was on "Cupcake Wars" before,
but I went home for my cheesecake.
This time, I'm coming back with a new spin,
and it's gonna win.
Cake and cheesecake,
that's two different batters.
My assistant today is Allison Wilson,
and she's like the yin to my yang.
The judges are dying for something different.
If I go home in round 1 again, that just sucks.
Whoo!
Cupcake Wars.
Let's do it!
ALYSSA: I have no doubt in my mind that we're gonna win.
My name's Alyssa Wurtz,
and I own Cake Creations AK in Ward, Arkansas.
We've been in business about two and a half years now.
We just moved from Alaska to Arkansas.
We've definitely come a long way.
It's pretty terrifying to start over.
We don't have any clients in our new state.
In Alaska, our famous cupcake
was our reindeer's breakfast sausage cupcake.
We don't have any of that in Arkansas.
Smell these bubblegum ones.
This is my second time being on "Cupcake Wars."
I was in the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival episode.
Unfortunately, we went home first for a stupid mistake.
And this is why we're gonna win.
Jacie is an amazing assistant.
She was my best friend and then she soon became my business partner.
I think we need to buy a cupcake truck.
Winning would definitely help put us on the map.
This is my second chance to be a "Cupcake Wars" champion.
We wanted it bad the first time,
Let's do this.
Welcome back!
Come on up.
Welcome back to "Cupcake Wars," and, more importantly,
welcome to a very special starry night
because today's winner will be taking their cupcakes
to Hollywood's world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre
for an exclusive party
honoring one of the greatest legends of all time.
I'm talking about Marilyn Monroe.
JEFF: I love Marilyn!
I've had a crush on her ever since I was a young little kid.
It was 60 years ago that Marilyn placed her hands in wet cement,
creating two of Hollywood's most iconic handprints.
Tinseltown is celebrating with a once-in-a-lifetime bash,
and one of you guys will be there.
Of course, if schmoozing with movie stars
doesn't get your blood pumping, maybe this will --
$10,000 cash in your pockets.
Now, you've each been on this stage before,
and, sadly, you have each lost.
You know how this works.
There are three rounds of competition.
After each round, one of you will be sent home.
Round 1 is a taste test.
And since we're throwing a party for Marilyn,
you must create a scrumptious cupcake
using at least two of Marilyn's favorite foods.
On the inspiration table, you will find lamb chops...
grapefruit...
hot dogs...
caviar...
and so much more.
It's gonna be tough.
You also have just 45 minutes, so best of luck.
Clock starts...now!
TAWNYA: I would never use lamb chops or fish-egg caviar.
Who wants fish eggs in a cupcake?
So there's all kinds of disgusting things up there.
Lamb chops and hot dog.
Cottage cheese, orange juice.
Steak.
Fun.
Bubbly.
Champagne!
Marilyn was bubbly, and champagne is bubbly.
We are making a mimosa cake
using orange juice and champagne.
It's topped with a light cream cheese champagne frosting,
garnished with a candied orange peel and fruit caviar.
Katie, this is our second chance.
We are the baker from Iowa that can.
We're not that little Podunk shop
that doesn't know what we're doing.
"Podunk"?
Whoo!
[ Laughs ]
Nothing says "Marilyn" like champagne.
Today, I'm making a mimosa cupcake,
layered with white chocolate cheesecake
with champagne buttercream and a little edible glitter.
In lieu of the crust, we'll do a cake batter,
so we'll do a cake crust.
Last time I was on "Cupcake Wars,"
I came with my signature cheesecake cupcake,
and it didn't work.
I'm determined to redeem my cheesecakes.
We're not going out this time without a fight.
ALLISON: Absolutely not.
Here, you do the honors.
Oh, why thank you.
Champagne and caviar. Marilyn was a classy babe.
I'm gonna make a black truffle, salted caramel,
sweet potato cupcake
with a salted caramel champagne buttercream
topped with a very special secret ingredient --
black truffle salt and caviar.
This time, we're taking a risk. Hopefully, it pays off.
I'm putting in the truffle salt right now.
Black truffle salt is basically sea salt
with shaved-in truffles.
We're using a lot of bold flavors
and a lot of elegant ingredients.
We have it in the bag this time.
I think I'm gonna throw some orange zest in there.
I'm going to make an orange zest and champagne cake
filled with a cottage cheese cream
with a champagne and orange juice buttercream,
with a pink fondant bow just like the one
on the back of Marilyn's dress
when she sang "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend."
I'm putting the champagne and orange extract in it.
Using champagne in our cupcakes is a total risk
because it's very hard to get that flavor to really come through.
So we're gonna use a little bit of champagne extract.
The extract's gonna really help
that champagne flavor come through.
Last time, in round 1, Lucy forgot an ingredient.
You can't do that this time. Make sure you get everything.
All right. Double checking.
Triple checking.
Some like it hot.
We like it fast.
You've got only 30 minutes.
All right, let's get it done!
Just don't poke your eye out, Katie.
You don't want a pirate working for you?
JEFF: Because this black truffle salt is so potent,
I'm not sure how much I'm gonna need yet.
That batter needs more of that salt.
All right. Got it.
All right, I'm pretty much done. We just need to add in the zest.
I think we got it now.
Mmm! Mmm!
Cupcakes going in!
Jacie, I'm going in the oven.
Let's get those in.
Whoo.
This time, I think I have the winning combination --
by layering cake and cheesecake.
In order to get this cheesecake cupcake in the oven,
both the batters need to be done at the same time.
ALLISON: You're just waiting for my batter, right?
Well, yeah, 'cause I got to put it in the bottom.
The game plan is divide and conquer.
Aah.
There's something strange happening
with the bowl, actually.
Allison's working on the cake batter,
and she notices, like, this gray film
that's starting to form while she's blending.
That's weird. I don't know what's happening.
We're not sure what it is.
That in not a $10,000 batter.
Dump.
20 minutes into the round, and I have nothing in the oven.
There are so many steps involved
in making our cheesecake cupcakes.
I can't go home twice for the same thing.
I've just completely screwed myself.
That's weird. I don't know what's happening.
And it's getting in the batter.
I'm done with my cake batter,
and notice this gray film in the bowl.
And we're not sure what it is.
That is not a $10,000 batter.
There is nothing else to do but start over on the batter.
Almost done. Sorry about that.
I'm not sure I'm gonna finish in time.
I've just completely screwed myself.
We're not going out this time without a fight.
JEFF: Last time, Florian didn't think our flavors were refined,
so this time, I'm loading them up.
No one has ever on the show
made a black truffle, caramel, and caviar cupcake.
These ain't your mama's cupcakes, all right?
Mmm!
Mmm. That's really good.
Okay, cake's going in.
It looks awesome.
KATIE: Is that good?
Okay.
I'm getting ready to head to the stove with the custard.
Yeah, those are done.
Let me throw those in the fridge.
Yeah, they have a nice color.
Let's go.
WILLMAN: This is it, bakers! 10 minutes!
They look great, Crystal,
but they do need the extra minute.
CRYSTAL: We've only got 10 minutes left.
My cheesecakes, they're not done.
I'm freaking out because I'm thinking
They need to brown a little bit more.
Okay. We got this.
We had no time to get anything done.
This is gonna be a little bit messy.
Yeah.
The cottage cheese custard just looks like straight liquid
because it was not cooked long enough.
I want to leave them in the fridge
This really sucks.
We have no time to fix this custard at all,
but at least the flavor's there.
The filling is still pretty liquidy. I'm worried about that.
Is the cheesecake done and the cake?
ALLISON: Looks like it.
Let's try this one.
You can taste the champagne right away.
Yeah, that's good.
Mm-hmm. I think you should add more champagne.
A little bit 'cause a little will just --
Just a little. Just a little.
One minute!
Okay, Katie, get that done.
JEFF: This is it. This is our winning cupcake.
Oh, my God, these are adorable.
I can't even take it.
Yeah, that looks great.
Okay, so let's drizzle some caramel over the top.
You got to fill that one more, Jacie.
That's not enough custard.
TAWNYA: Oh, those look great, Katie.
Watch your hand.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
WILLMAN: 10...9...8...7...
6...5...4...
3...2...1.
Time's up.
Yeah!
Oh, my God. [ Laughs ]
Bakers, we asked you to bake Marilyn Monroe's favorite foods
into a red-carpet-worthy cupcake.
I'm excited to see what you did.
First off, let's meet the judges.
You already know Candace and Florian.
Here's our guest judge,
the president of the estate of Marilyn Monroe,
Nick Woodhouse.
Hi, Nick.
Bakers, Marilyn Monroe
is a Hollywood icon.
She exuded glamour, class, and beauty.
I expect to see the same in your cupcakes.
Hello. Thank you.
Today, you have a mimosa cupcake
with an orange zest and champagne cake,
a cottage cheese cream filling...
and a buttercream with orange juice
and a little bit of champagne, as well,
and a pink, sparkly bow
just like the bow on the back of Marilyn's dress.
Well, I really enjoyed the bright flavor
of orange juice in this cake,
but, unfortunately, there was a bit too much cream
in that cottage cheese cream filling,
and it was so runny,
it really just felt sort of unglamorous.
I ended up with an orange cupcake on me.
I could not really find the champagne.
And think about the guest at a party eating a cupcake.
It's not supposed to drip all over the place.
It didn't work for me.
And, Nick, what do you think?
Marilyn Monroe certainly had champagne dreams
when she was in Hollywood.
I would think she would like
the elegance of these ingredients,
and she would like the fact that they represented
what she wanted to be.
Jeff, welcome back, my friend. Tell us what you baked.
Today, we baked a black truffle, salted caramel,
sweet potato cupcake with champagne buttercream,
with back truffle and caviar on top.
I got to be honest with you.
I think you packed up so many ingredients
and so many flavors that I was very confused
about recognizing anything in this cupcake.
I ended up having this quite artificial flavor in my mouth,
which was, I believe, because of the mixture
of the caramel and the champagne.
I could not really taste the caviar.
It didn't work for me.
Marilyn was a star who was always effortlessly
glamorous and beautiful, and, unfortunately,
this cupcake was just trying too hard.
This cupcake was just sort of a big, busy mash-up
of flavors that didn't work.
Hi.
Thanks.
We used orange juice and champagne
to create a mimosa cake.
We topped it with a light cream cheese champagne frosting,
and then garnished it with fruit caviar
and a candied orange slice.
This is a delightful orange cupcake.
Your fruit caviar is creative, but where is the champagne?
I'm really mystified.
Champagne, the invisible man today.
I mean, it's just an illusion.
It's a good little orange cupcake.
That's what I end up with.
So...not enough.
I don't have the refined palates of my colleagues.
It tasted like a mimosa to me.
Hi, Crystal.
Hi, Justin.
Thank you. Nice to be back.
I'm nervous about what the judges' reactions
are gonna be to these cupcakes,
but I am feeling better about what I put on the plate.
We have our Marilyn mimosa orange cake,
topped with a white chocolate cheesecake,
and a champagne buttercream.
Well, I know cheesecakes are your thing...
...and last time the clock got the better of you.
You gave us a liquidy cheesecake,
No.
This was a brilliant move,
layering the actual cupcake with the cheesecake
and then the buttercream,
and it was a delectable little bite.
This one was not an ordinary cupcake.
Your technique of having a layer of cheesecake --
which was perfectly creamy and baked --
right on top of your cake was a very good idea.
The taste of the cupcake -- I agree with Florian.
I finished this one. It was my favorite so far.
Thank you, judges.
Thank you.
All right, bakers, we're gonna let our judges have a chat.
I'll bring you back in a minute. Thanks, guys.
ALYSSA: I definitely know the judges were right
when they said my filling was way too loose.
Now, I'm pretty much beating myself up
for not just leaving that filling out.
JEFF: I thought we had it in the bag this time.
And, unfortunately, again, Florian said
we used artificial flavors.
I think we might be going home.
Bakers, almost all of you fell into a classic cupcake trap,
which is cooking with one of the hardest ingredients out there --
champagne.
But the person they selected committed a worse crime.
Of all the ingredients they found,
none of them worked together well.
Jeff, I'm sorry. You're done in the cupcake war.
[ Sighs ]
We put blood, sweat, and tears into this.
I wish we would have done a different cupcake.
I'm heartbroken.
Well, bakers, you've made it through the first round,
but only two of you will survive the final challenge
where you'll each complete a 1,000-cupcake display.
But first, you need to prove
you're more than just a flash in the pan.
True stars need to have that "it" factor,
which, as Marilyn knew, is the intangible combination
of genuine talent and amazing beauty.
So, in this round, you must produce a trilogy of cupcakes
with taste and looks that embody the attitude and beauty
of Marilyn herself.
They'll be judging 50% on taste and 50% on presentation.
You get just a short 75 minutes. Good luck.
Clock starts now!
Oh, my gosh, Katie.
Okay, that didn't go completely how we wanted.
Thank God.
Ah! We passed it!
Happy dance.
Oh, that was the scariest judging ever.
I am passed round 1.
Yes.
What are some things we need to think about?
Stars, golden, blonde. Peach is great.
Our first cake is called Gentleman Prefer Peach.
It is a brown sugar, peach cake injected with a golden caramel,
with a peach buttercream, topped with golden, glittery stars.
I'm getting ready to put in the spices for the dark chocolate.
My second cupcake is Some Like It Hot.
It's a spicy dark chocolate cake filled with a chocolate ganache,
decorated with a caramel buttercream,
iconic red lips, and a beauty mark.
All right, I'm gonna get your white chocolate chopped.
For our third cupcake, we're going to create
a white chocolate cake with a raspberry swirl,
topped with a vanilla buttercream,
and then garnished with white chocolate
and a black, hand-piped "M."
Step it up. Make these things incredible.
Okay, I'm gonna start with the chocolate chili cheesecake.
My first cupcake is a chocolate, mayo cake
layered with a dark chocolate ancho chili cheesecake,
with a chili buttercream,
garnished with a lipstick tube.
I will.
My second cupcake is a lemon cake
layered with a lemon cheesecake,
with a whipped cream cheese frosting
with a glittered "6" and "0"
to represent Marilyn's 60th handprint anniversary.
I'm gonna start on the vanilla.
My third cupcake is a vanilla bean cake
layered with a salted caramel cheesecake,
topped with a vanilla bean mascarpone
with an edible Marilyn Monroe signature.
I think we'll do Marilyn good.
We got a good start.
A was a little nervous about coming back with the cheesecake cupcake,
but now that I've put my special twist on it,
I'm feeling confident.
I'm gonna blow the judges away with three new flavors
of my signature cheesecake cupcake.
We're gonna win this one, girl. I think we got it.
I think I'm gonna add some root beer extract
just to pump up the root beer flavor.
Our first cupcake is going to be a root beer float
topped with vanilla bean buttercream
and garnished with a silver-and-gold glittery star.
This is for the amaretto cupcake.
Our second cupcake is going to be an almond liqueur cake
topped with a coconut cream buttercream,
rolled in flaked coconut,
and garnished with red chocolate Marilyn Monroe glittery lips.
I'm gonna melt this chocolate.
So it will be super chocolaty.
Our third cupcake will be a blackberry wine chocolate cake
topped with a raspberry white chocolate buttercream
with a fondant film strip.
We can't wait to win.
Effortlessly glamorous is what they need to be.
Exactly.
Gentlemen may prefer blondes,
but we prefer chocolate and buttercream, am I right?
[ Laughs ]
One hour!
Oh, my gosh.
ALYSSA: Oh, my God, Jacie.
I want to win.
I am back for a second time,
and I am not taking that walk of shame again.
If the judges want chocolate, let's give them chocolate.
Amaretto is great. I love the almond flavor.
ALYSSA: We really wanted the almond flavor to shine through,
so we're gonna flavor our batter
with almond liqueur, almond meal, and almond extract.
All right, this one's going in the oven.
So, I'm gonna put the dark chocolate...
and the white chocolate razz into the oven.
TAWNYA: Okay.
Putting chocolate in.
I'm taking the root beer to the oven now.
Peach cupcakes going in.
All right, lemon cupcakes going in.
How's your caramel? Is it okay?
ALLISON: It started to melt. I just need it to brown.
The salted caramel cheesecake is gonna take a little more time
because we have to make caramel for it.
And is it gonna be enough time to cool?
Yeah. I think it's okay.
Taste good?
It's burnt.
It's burnt?
[ Groans ]
I'm tasting the caramel,
and it tastes burned.
I can't give this to the judges.
Okay. All right.
Just relax, and do it again, okay?
Let's just try to stay on track.
I need the caramel in the batter
before we can get these caramel cupcakes into the oven.
Now we're behind with our salted caramel cupcakes.
It's okay, Allison.
Oh, my god, Jacie! There's only 30 minutes left.
Okay.
Oh, my God.
These are super, like, weird looking, Jacie.
What is that?
I don't even know.
Feel the top. It's like crunchy.
This is really bad.
We need to make another batter and get it in there
Definitely.
ALYSSA: To fix the batter,
we're just gonna completely start from scratch,
get it in the oven, and hope we can cool it down in time.
I think this batter's looking a lot better, Jacie.
The question is, do we have time to cook and cool it?
It's going in.
Katie, white chocolate and Some Like It Hot are done!
Lemon coming out!
ALLISON: Are you okay with it?
It's a little bit lighter,
but I think we'll have to make it work.
CRYSTAL: Because Allison burnt the caramel,
the salted caramel cupcakes are getting in the oven way late.
Okay, last one going in.
All right.
I'll start with the vanilla buttercream.
This mold that I found in the pantry is so great.
Cupcake bakers, we're down to 10 minutes!
10 minutes, Katie! We don't have any done yet.
They're still raw, Jacie.
They need a little more.
The cake texture is still pretty funky,
and it's just not what I wanted it to be.
This round is really terrible.
We just need to really hurry up, Jacie.
Oh, they're perfect.
Yeah.
ALLISON: It's seven minutes.
Okay.
They look really good.
They look a lot better than the first ones.
We're really coming down to the wire, Jacie.
Okay. Taking them out.
The cupcakes are barely out of the oven.
We have nothing frosted, nothing decorated.
I'm having drama with the fondant.
I don't think that's gonna work.
Putting that in there.
[ Chuckles ] Not gonna happen.
I still need to finish my last decoration.
Oh, my God.
One minute!
CRYSTAL: There's not enough time.
My quick solution --
make a lemon out of fondant.
Hopefully, the judges will buy it.
Is that enough on there?
Oh, crap. I didn't ice this one.
Here, get coconut on them.
10...9...
Oh, my goodness. This is the most stressful day of my life.
6...5...4...
3...2...1.
Time's up!
Oh, my God.
Shoot.
Everything's a hot mess.
I lost track of time. I can't even believe it.
WILLMAN: Cupcake bakers, your round 2 challenge
was to invent three cupcakes whose looks and flavors captured
the essence of Marilyn Monroe.
Let's see how you did.
Hi.
Tell us about this trio.
The first is a root beer float cupcake
with a vanilla bean buttercream.
And it's garnished with two very glittery stars.
The second cupcake
is a chocolate and blackberry wine cupcake
with a fresh raspberry buttercream.
It's topped with a little fondant number 4
from the countdown screen.
The final cupcake is an almond cupcake
with a coconut cream buttercream.
And that's topped with glittery red lips just like Marilyn's.
So, Florian, how did Alyssa do?
I think the decoration is very generic.
There were a bit too simple.
Regarding taste -- Oh, man --
That root beer tastes like bad medication.
Your chocolate here, I think, was not powerful enough.
And that almond cake really tasted almond too much.
I can't say that I liked this plate.
Marilyn Monroe is the ultimate pop icon.
And while I loved your juicy, glittery red lips,
I really felt like your other decorations
were not specific enough to the theme.
In terms of the flavors,
I felt that you were really heavy-handed with your extracts.
And in general, I felt that the plate was a bit uninspired.
WOODHOUSE: One little known fact about Marilyn
is that she was a perfectionist.
I think Marilyn would be disappointed
with the fact that some of these decorations
aren't as crisp as they could be.
WILLMAN: Thank you, judges.
Thank you, Alyssa.
Hi, Tawnya. What'd you bake them?
TAWNYA: First, you have the brown sugar cake with peaches,
injected with a golden caramel,
frosted with a peach buttercream frosting,
and topped with a gold fondant star.
Next, is spicy dark chocolate cake
filled with chocolate ganache,
decorated with a caramel buttercream
and Marilyn's iconic red lips and beauty mark.
Last, we have a white chocolate cake
swirled with raspberry sauce,
topped with vanilla buttercream
and garnished with white chocolate
and a black, hand-written "M."
The chocolate "M" was very nicely done.
The lips along with that very famous beauty mark
really made a difference.
The star -- generic, not so much.
But all in all, I think you made a very nice nod to Marilyn here.
I wasn't quite as hot on your cupcakes themselves.
Overall, the frostings were very sweet.
I do like how you tried to work with fresh fruits.
But I felt that there was a lot of moisture in this peach cake
that tended to make a dense texture to the cake.
BELLANGER: I ended up with the same recipe of frosting
on the three of them,
just different flavors.
And that really kills the experience.
The decoration, I thought it was cute,
but besides that, just didn't work for me.
And last but not least -- Crystal.
What are the judges about to eat?
First cupcake is a vanilla bean cake
with a salted caramel cheesecake
topped with a vanilla bean mascarpone
and her famous Marilyn signature.
The second is a chocolate, mayo cake
with a dark chocolate ancho chili cheesecake
and a chili buttercream frosting.
And to capture her iconic red lips, a lipstick tube.
And then the third cupcake is a lemon cheesecake
topped with whipped cream cheese frosting,
and decorated with a fondant lemon ball.
Hey, Crystal, your cupcakes look cute.
I like the lipstick concept
and the Marilyn Monroe signature.
But the yellow ball --
This has nothing to do on that plate.
All the cupcakes --
Every single cupcake has some cheesecake on it.
That's a great concept. Good job on the baking.
WILLMAN: Candace.
The overall presentation wasn't as graceful and exquisite
as, I think, Marilyn would require.
In terms of your cupcakes, each one was rich and decadent.
I really had a great time tasting every single one.
WOODHOUSE: I really liked these.
I can really tell that this was a Marilyn plate.
WILLMAN: Thank you, judges.
All right, bakers, I'm gonna give our judges
a chance to compare notes.
I'll bring you back in a few.
ALYSSA: The bottom two is me and Tawnya right now.
I am totally nervous.
TAWNYA: The judges really liked my decorations,
but I know it's gonna be a close call.
WILLMAN: Bakers, you were brought back here today
not only to get a second chance at victory,
but to prove you could make cupcakes
for one of the most beautiful, glamorous,
iconic stars in history.
Now, in this round,
cupcakes that fall flat and decorations that underwhelm
are not gonna cut it.
Alyssa, I'm sorry. You're done in the cupcake war.
ALYSSA: I am really frustrated about this.
I didn't get my chance at redemption that I really wanted.
There's no doubt. I'm coming back.
And next time, I'm gonna win.
WILLMAN: Tawnya, Crystal, congratulations.
The last time you guys were here,
you were sent home broken-hearted and empty-handed.
Now, one of you is only a couple hours away
from returning home with a redeemed name and $10,000.
This time, I'm bringing it home.
Game on. I want to win this.
WILLMAN: For this final round,
you must each complete a 1,000-cupcake display
honoring one of America's most cherished film stars --
Marilyn Monroe.
Unfortunately, though, only one of you will make the cut.
Of course, as beautiful as Marilyn was,
she still needed a team of stylists, designers, and artists
to help get her camera-ready for a photo shoot.
So we're giving each of you your own team today.
You get a master carpenter to help you build --
Justin and Jake. What's up, guys?
You also get four baking assistants each to help you bake.
When the clock buzzes,
our judges will critique your cupcakes,
they will rate your presentation,
and based on how you bring it all together,
name one of you, finally, the winner of "Cupcake Wars."
You get two hours. It's gonna go by fast.
Starting now!
[ Laughs ]
[ Both speaking indistinctly ]
TAWNYA: Going into the last round,
I know it's gonna be a close call.
So there's no room for mistakes in this round.
It's all about Marilyn -- hourglass figure.
Skinny hourglass.
We want to represent all of Marilyn.
We want to show her hourglass figure,
and we want the cupcakes to be watching a Marilyn movie.
And then all along here, I want to see pretty much, like,
a filmstrip of her.
We want to see big, iconic images of Marilyn
all throughout the bottom.
Maybe show her legs.
Below the hourglass figure,
we want a ruffly dress and Marilyn's legs.
Thank you.
So I was thinking --
because we're doing a 60th anniversary of Marilyn,
it'd be really cool to really showcase the diamond.
I want to do an inverted diamond display.
The inside of the diamond is actually Plexiglas trays,
which are all clear.
And it'll have a "6" and a "0" in here.
We add some LED lights for fake diamonds
and a picture or two,
and our display will be like a glowing diamond.
And on the base of the tables, we can use a picture of Marilyn.
I want to have a photo of Marilyn
represented on the front of my display,
along with material from all the dresses she's famous for.
I want my display to be sleek and sophisticated
just like Marilyn.
I'll see you in a couple hours.
Bye, Justin. Thank you.
I'm gonna work on these batters.
All right. Will do.
I'm gonna start two at once.
Yeah.
These frostings -- This is what they're waiting on.
This is what's gonna make or break it.
In the last round, the judges thought
my frostings were all too similar
and a little too sweet.
White chocolate raspberry -- Let's change that completely.
Instead of doing a vanilla buttercream,
we're gonna do a whipped cream instead.
Go with it. That's a winner.
For the Some Like It Hot cupcake,
we're going to change the caramel frosting
by adding a little more butter and cream.
We want to win,
and we're not gonna win if we leave our cupcakes the same.
We're finalists on "Cupcake Wars"!
Whoo-hoo!
CRYSTAL: So you could do the "6-0",
and you could do the lipsticks,
and you could do the discs.
I've gotten great reviews on my cupcakes today.
The only thing I need to work on is decorations.
I'll take a heart and use this as the "6."
No more rolling up our "6"s and "0"s into balls.
I need to make sure that this gets done right.
Yes! Oh, my god! That's what I meant to have.
I know it's a lot work, but it's gonna be worth it.
Let's get moving.
We got to get this kicked into high gear.
Take a spoonful and dollop it on top.
And all you have to do is a "V."
Are all the batters being scooped?
Those are ready to go in.
Chocolate going in. Let's go.
Only about 800 more.
Some Like It Hot is going in the oven.
Cupcake bakers, 90 minutes!
90 minutes, Katie. Let's get moving.
We have got to pick up the pace.
This is starting to make me really nervous.
The pressure is intense right now.
There are so many steps to these cupcakes.
Things are really chaotic,
but I can't help but think about
what's going on with my display.
These are gonna be perfect for Tawnya's display.
Now to put it on.
Watching Marilyn at the movies.
Crystal wanted clean and simple. Clean and simple.
The chocolate is out.
Ladies, can you help me get all these cupcakes out?
Peach cupcakes look so much better than last time.
Whose cupcakes will get a real Hollywood premiere?
We'll find out in one hour!
One hour, guys!
Whew. Okay.
We are talking about $10,000 here.
Let's start piping!
All the cupcakes are getting out.
Just adding a little more cream and a little more butter.
Okay. Chocolate.
Still probably too sweet.
More butter.
TAWNYA: As I'm working on the frosting,
I completely forgot about the cupcakes in the oven.
I smell something burning. Oh, my God!
I see this black smoke coming out of the oven.
Get them out! Get them out! Get them out!
Oh, my God! They're completely ruined!
We forgot four trays of cupcakes in there!
Katie, these are completely destroyed.
Ah! How did we let this happen?!
Katie, we need to throw these away. Get new batters now!
We wanted redemption. Instead, we're screwed.
I smell something burning. Oh, my God!
I see this black smoke coming out of the oven.
Get them out! Get them out! Get them out!
Oh, my God! They're completely ruined!
We forgot four trays of cupcakes in there!
How did we let this happen?!
Katie, we need to throw these away. Get new batters now!
There isn't time to make these, but what other choice do I have?
Minions, minions, we got a problem.
We have three ruined batters. We need them in the oven now.
I have to have 1,000 cupcakes.
Hopefully, we can redo them in time.
Are we gonna have time to remake these?
Oh, my God. We got to get going.
We're looking for A-list cupcakes.
45 minutes.
We got 1,000 cupcakes to decorate, guys.
Come on. We can do it.
TAWNYA: Come on, minions! You can do it!
CRYSTAL: Pipe. Pipe. Pipe. Pipe. Pipe.
It's snowing on these cupcakes.
Katie, all the batters are scooped.
Finally, the cupcakes are in the oven.
We have to get these cupcakes done fast.
We have to get our game on.
Some Like It Hot is going in the oven.
WILLMAN: You got 30 minutes!
KATIE: 30 minutes! Oh, my goodness!
30 minutes! Keep moving!
CRYSTAL: Yeah. Let's just go. Hustle. Hustle.
Okay, guys. Hurry.
The chocolate is out.
Oh, my gosh! I can't believe it!
Oh! That stand looks amazing!
My display is perfect for the party.
It is amazing!
Oh. Wow.
Whoa.
It's nice, but I think mine is better.
Thank you.
Oh, my gosh! Look at it!
It looks so good!
CRYSTAL: I'm thinking it looks awesome.
It's sleek, it's sexy -- just like Marilyn.
This is just what I wanted. It's beautiful.
Thank you so much.
TAWNYA: I'm looking at Crystal's display,
and I'm trying to find
the things that scream "Marilyn."
And I'm not seeing it.
I have frosting hands, but up top.
WILLMAN: 10 minutes!
All right, girls,
we got to start loading those cupcakes.
They can go here, there.
Make in a row, even across.
CRYSTAL: We're just trying to load this puppy up.
Every space on this stand is gonna be covered
with cupcakes, ladies.
Whoa!
We have $10,00 on the line. We want it to look perfect.
We got a lot of room and a lot of cupcakes.
One minute!
KATIE: One minute, Tawnya!
One minute. We're almost there.
Clean space --
Keep it clean.
Load these fast and load them good.
We have $10,000 on the line.
10...9...8...7...
6...5...4...
3...2...1.
Time is up!
Frosting hands! Frosting hands!
Cupcake makers, for round 3 you were tasked
with constructing a 1,000-cupcake display
that pays homage to an actress who has come to symbolize
the very notion of Hollywood itself --
Marilyn Monroe.
So let's see what you did. Hi, Crystal.
We're celebrating Marilyn's 60th anniversary,
and 60 equals diamond --
not to mention, in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,"
which is on her hand print,
she sang "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend."
So I decided to pay homage to the diamond
and do an inverted diamond
and just have trays of cupcakes up the top,
along with the materials
from her famous dresses that she wore.
And kind of keep it artistic,
showcasing who she was as a person.
Any cupcake changes?
Yes. I took Florian's advice about cleaning up my lemon ball.
And it actually came out the way it was supposed to,
so...[ Chuckles ]
Hi, Tawnya. Present your display.
Well, we wanted to show all things Marilyn.
We have her hourglass figure which holds a lot of cupcakes.
Down below, we have her legs and the little ruffly dress.
In the middle, we made a kind of an old-style theater
with a marquee where Marilyn is on the big screen.
And the cupcakes are watching her.
Any cupcake changes for you?
We did make our frostings a little less sweet,
and we did change one of the frostings completely.
We made a whipped cream for the top
of the white chocolate dazzle berry.
All right, Tawnya, Crystal, nice work.
We're gonna let our judges
check out your displays, taste your changes, conversate.
I'll bring you back in a few. Thanks, guys.
Thanks.
CRYSTAL: We've had great moments,
and we've had awful moments.
I'm feeling anxious. My heart is pumping.
It's anybody's game.
TAWNYA: We did everything the judges wanted us to do.
We made a beautiful display.
We made the changes.
To win at this point would mean...
craziness.
WILLMAN: All right, judges.
We have two very different approaches
of capturing Marilyn in a display.
Let's talk about Crystal's first.
Crystal took such a creative approach here.
Actually constructing the display
to appear as if it's a diamond.
It literally glitters like Marilyn herself.
I think it hits just the right note.
I think it looks great.
I'm just a bit afraid
that this display is quite narrow.
When Marilyn walked in a room, all eyes were on Marilyn.
And I can see that happening with this display
'cause this really is a beacon, and it shines.
Crystal, of course, didn't have
any taste changes to make, which is a rare thing.
But she had a couple, I guess, aesthetic changes.
The lemon ball, she made into the "60."
Did you like how it looked in the end?
She did a good job.
Although I would have liked to see her
revising her first cupcake,
which we had a hard time to taste the champagne in it.
And she didn't do that.
So that's a negative point on my side.
She has impressed us with her baking.
It's been so strong all day,
including a cheesecake layer in each cupcake.
Mm-hmm.
...by having just that layer of cheesecake
on top of each cupcake.
Yes.
Let's talk about Tawnya's display.
I like the signature on top of each hourglass,
which is beautiful.
NELSON: What an imaginative take on the cupcake stand.
It's an hourglass figure just as Marilyn was known for.
I really love that approach. So creative.
And, Nick, she's got a lot of classic Marilyn images
going on here.
I think she's done a great job of picking some images
that really represent Marilyn very, very well.
And, Florian, you said that her frostings
were just overly sweet,
so she made a big frosting change.
They were not only overly sweet, they were identical.
So I told her to come up with something else, and she did.
She came up with the whipped cream.
And she did a good job.
All right, judges, do we know who's winning 10 grand?
Mm-hmm.
Let's bring them back in.
Crystal, Tawnya,
you have both traveled long roads
to get to this very moment.
Crystal, last time you were on "Cupcake Wars",
you gave the judges a cupcake so runny
they needed a spoon to eat it.
And, Tawnya, your last time ended in a disastrous quiche cupcake.
But this time,
the judges have nothing but pride for both of you.
Standing before them are two superstar displays,
each capturing Marilyn in its own unique way.
But unfortunately, only one of you can join Marilyn
in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre.
And the winning baker is the one whose display
not only embodies Marilyn's smart sensuality,
but whose flavors and decorations
are truly worthy of the red carpet.
Congratulations...
Crystal.
You're the winner of "Cupcake Wars"!
CRYSTAL: I can't believe this!
I'm the "Cupcake Wars" champion?
The person who went out in round 1 with soupy cupcakes?
This is amazing!
We gave it 100%.
But getting all the way into the final round,
it is a little harder to swallow.
WOODHOUSE: Congratulations, Crystal.
Now let's get those cupcakes down to Marilyn's handprints
at the Chinese Theatre.
CRYSTAL: My friends and family are gonna be absolutely amazed
that I am the "Cupcake Wars" champion.
Oh, my God!
Can I just grab all of those?
This is gonna change the game for Cream By Crystal.
And I can't wait to see what happens in the future.
It's delicious.
It was a hard road, but I would do it all over again.