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We just have to get it right.
What do you think?
WILLMAN: In just a few moments,
four special teams of mother-daughter cupcake bakers
will go head-to-head...
Mom! Mom! Mom! Quit talking!
...in a battle for cupcake domination.
I don't know.
Mom!
WILLMAN: And one by one, they'll be eliminated
as they're judged on taste...
This cupcake is crazy, but crazy good.
WILLMAN: ...presentation...
This cupcake had me skipping down the aisle.
WILLMAN: ...and in the final round, the last two bakers standing
will have to bring it all together
into one beautiful cupcake display.
The winners' creation will take center stage
at one of the poshest wedding events in Los Angeles --
the L.A. Bridal Bash.
And they'll walk away with $10,000.
Ohh.
Ugh! My mom is driving me crazy.
RACHEL: Oh, my God!
I-I don't know if I'm gonna survive.
Get ready 'cause this is "Cupcake Wars."
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
[ Ding! ]
What's up, guys? I'm Justin Willman.
And the world's ultimate cupcake smackdown is about to begin.
Overseeing today's war are our judges --
Candace Nelson, founder of the world's
first cupcake bakery, Sprinkles Cupcakes.
And Florian Bellanger, owner of Mad Mac Macarons
and former executive pastry chef at the world-renowned Fauchon.
The kitchens are stocked. Our judges are hungry.
Let's meet our contestants,
who, today, have a very special family connection.
We're cupcake magicians.
Cupcake magician.
And I can't wait to show them what's up our sleeves.
My name is Rachel Young,
and I'm the owner
of Miss Moffett's Mystical Cupcakes.
We're an online bakery in Olympia, Washington.
I'm a self-taught baker. I was a stay-at-home mom.
This became a hobby of mine. It turned into an obsession.
You know, Rachel, GranMoffett would be so proud of you.
My assistant is Victoria Cunningham.
She is my mom.
My mom inspired me to go into business.
She helped train me. I love working with her.
Oh, I am ready.
Let's start packing up, Mom.
I need to win because I want to prove to myself
that a self-taught baker can win "Cupcake Wars."
"Cupcake Wars," here we come!
Here we come.
It's almost my time. Almost my time to shine.
My name is Rhonda Owens.
I'm owner of Owens Occasions in Etiwanda, California.
Trying to do something different and out of the box.
Everything is ooey-gooey, delicious, yummy.
Owens Occasions is a bakery and event-design company.
It's just basically me. My mom helps out.
Someone has to be willing to follow directions.
So that means just listen to you, Mom?
My assistant is Mabel Owens, and she is my mom.
We're pretty much like sisters.
I'm very close to my mom, and we're friends.
Organize. Organize. Pre-preparation.
But I'm still 8 in her eyes.
Mom, we're gonna win "Cupcake Wars."
Our time is now.
I need to win "Cupcake Wars" because the business has grown,
and I need a storefront badly and some employees.
We've got everything.
Let's go.
We've got it. "Cupcake Wars."
Whoo!
Triple J's Sweets is coming to get...
And we are!
My name is Michelle Munoz, and I own Triple J's Sweets,
an online bakery in Azusa, California.
My favorite is the coconut one.
Being from the Philippines, I am trying to incorporate
a lot of tropical flavors a lot of bakeries don't offer,
like mango, coconut.
We're gonna win this, right, Michelle?
Yes, we are.
My assistant is my mom, Josephine.
She's actually just learning how to bake,
but she knows exactly what I want and how to get things done.
I've been ready!
Winning "Cupcake Wars,"
I would use the $10,000 to invest into my own storefront
and really put Triple J's Sweets' name out there.
"Cupcake Wars," we are coming!
We're gonna win!
I'm Angela Diaz, and I co-own HappyCakes Cupcakery,
an online bakery in Morehead City, North Carolina.
Think how busy we're gonna be when we win "Cupcake Wars."
Our business is gonna explode.
Morehead City is a really small town,
and there's not any cupcakery places,
and we've gotten so busy
that we're gonna need a storefront soon.
Most mother-in-law/ daughter-in-laws
don't get along that well.
And yet, you're my best friend.
My assistant is Kaylee Diaz.
She's my daughter-in-law and also my business partner.
We're also like best friends.
We just do everything together
and complement each other in the baking process.
We have to win. We need a storefront.
I need to win "Cupcake Wars" because we'd be able to get
the ovens and the equipment that we need.
Morehead City really needs a cupcake shop.
Whoo!
Hello, ladies. Come on up.
Welcome to what may be
the most romantic episode of "Cupcake Wars" ever.
Aww.
Because, tonight,
we're walking down the aisle to the L.A. Bridal Bash.
It's a one-of-a-kind mixer
that brings together the hottest names
in Hollywood's bridal industry.
If that's not enough, today's winner
will also unwrap something they will never want to regift --
a cash prize of $10,000.
Because weddings are about the creation of new families,
we decided to make today's episode a family affair.
The pairs you see aren't just your competitors.
They're also mothers and daughters.
This should be fun.
Or a complete disaster.
I'm excited either way.
There are three rounds of competition.
After each round, sadly, one of you will be eliminated.
Your first challenge is a taste test,
and since we're here to help people plan their weddings,
today's taste test is about preparing
for the biggest moment in any ceremony -- the kiss.
So you're gonna give us a cupcake
that will prepare any bride and groom for that big moment.
Our inspiration table
is packed with classically fresh ingredients
like anise, mint, cinnamon, and fennel.
Your job is to use at least two of these ingredients
to create a cupcake that will leave anyone
deliciously kissable, even Florian.
You have 45 minutes -- Good luck -- starting now!
ANGELA: The first thing I see is fennel.
I think fennel does not belong in a cupcake.
I am staying clear of the fennel.
So, the ingredients, it was like lemon, mint...
...Cinnamon, cloves...
Anise.
Fennel?
Why would you use that?
I'm thinking there was the cinnamon.
Oh, that's a good pairing.
We could do, like, a snickerdoodle.
We are in it to win it.
Today I'm gonna bake
a white-chocolate macadamia cupcake
with cinnamon and cloves in the batter,
a filling of white-chocolate ganache
with cinnamon and cloves,
a mascarpone whipped-cream frosting
with cinnamon and cloves,
garnished with crushed macadamia nuts, white-chocolate chips,
and a white-chocolate set of lips.
So, I know that this is just the taste challenge,
but we're still gonna put a decoration
because we want to be over the top.
The cinnamon smells amazing.
Oh, good. This is gonna be awesome.
We are destined to win today.
Mom, cinnamon, eggs, sugar.
Mix that and taste it
and tell me if it's enough cinnamon in it.
I'm gonna make a banana cupcake
with a cinnamon cheesecake filling
with a ginger, caramel frosting,
and I'm gonna decorate it with a pearl wedding band on top.
I need you to mash these bananas.
Mom!
My mom can be a little erratic under stressful situations.
Ohh. This is too much.
So the hardest part about executing this cupcake
is deciding what my mom is going to be comfortable at doing.
I got the mixer going.
How do I turn it off, young lady?
Mom.
Maybe 2 tablespoons -- I mean, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon?
I'd say go crazy
'cause that's the secret ingredient, you know?
I'm gonna do a cinnamon cake
with a snickerdoodle cookie base,
fresh mint-tea buttercream,
and for the topping,
I'm gonna do a heart snickerdoodle cookie.
So, how much longer, you think, on that snickerdoodle?
Ohh. I need a couple more minutes.
The homemade cookie base is going to add
the nice crunch and texture,
and I think it's gonna surprise the judges
and propel us over the top.
It's gonna work. Yes! Okay. It's perfect.
Yes!
All right!
Okay. I'm zesting the lemon.
I need this to go in my wet mix.
I am making a lemon cupcake
with a lemon cream cheese frosting,
a strawberry filling, topped with a candied mint.
I know this cupcake is gonna taste really good.
Nice and refreshing.
Just like a nice kiss.
Best part of the Bridal Bash --
all the glamour, none of the in-laws.
30 minutes to go.
30 minutes!
Time! Time! Time!
We've got to get something in quickly.
ANGELA: Get them smooshed into the cookie sheet
as fast as you can.
Let's get them in the oven.
We got to go. We got to go. We got to go.
How many minutes would you like me to do?
Mom, until you see it melting together.
I'm trying to make the cupcake batter,
and my mom's over there at the stove making caramel.
Did you start the batter yet?
Okay.
She was driving me crazy, and I can't function.
She's gonna make me lose it.
We are way behind.
I'm trying. I'm trying. I'm working hard.
Ohh.
Mom, I'm gonna get these in the oven.
Going to the oven!
Okay. You got it, Mom?
'Cause I can't keep going over there.
The batter is not done, and we are counting down.
How many minutes would you like me to do this?
Ohh.
My mom is driving me crazy right now.
Now what's next? Ohh.
Calm down, Mom.
Now, don't call that.
I don't have time for all these questions.
I can't manage her
and manage to bake all these cupcakes, also.
I got this. Back up.
Her stress was heightening my stress.
What else would you like me to do?
Go over there.
You know how I am about racing against time.
Mom!
Put that down, Mom. We have no minutes.
How many minutes would you like me to do this?
Ohh.
RHONDA: I don't have time for all these questions.
I can't manage her
and manage to bake all these cupcakes, also.
The batter is not done, and we are counting down.
What? What else would you like me to do?
Go over there.
I had to just tell my mom, "Just stay over there,"
because she is driving me crazy right now.
We are up crap creek.
Let's get this going.
RACHEL: I'm making a mascarpone whipped-cream frosting
with cinnamon and cloves
for our white-chocolate macadamia-nut cupcake.
I don't know.
It doesn't taste like anything.
I'm not sure if it has enough
of the cinnamon and cloves flavor it needs to have.
I've watched this show before.
I know the judges need to taste the challenge ingredients.
Otherwise, we'll be going home.
Please, taste good.
All right. This is done. I want you to get ready to scoop.
How much time do we have?
We're cutting it close, Mom.
Center rack. Set the timer. Go 15 minutes.
MICHELLE: We're getting the strawberry filling started.
Make sure it doesn't burn or crystallize.
VICTORIA: Taste the frosting. I think it's fine.
Yeah. It's good. I think it's better.
ANGELA: You're doing that. How long is that gonna take?
KAYLEE: Five minutes or less in the fridge.
All right. Perfect.
Freezer.
MICHELLE: How's it going, Mom?
The strawberries are hard.
Okay. Just put it on high.
ANGELA: Okay. Great!
MICHELLE: I think we're good.
Coming through. Hot.
Oh, come on and mix. Please, please!
WILLMAN: 10 minutes left.
Mom!
MICHELLE: That's cutting it really close.
I am incorporating the lemon zest and the lemon juice
and put the chopped mint into the frosting.
I need more sugar in this. It's a little too runny.
Which made my frosting too watery and too runny.
Not a good thing.
Still looks runny.
Okay. I'm finishing up the frosting, Kaylee.
Gonna put about a half a cup. What do you think?
KAYLEE: I think that's good.
I mean, we need that mint taste now really bad.
I know.
What do you think?
That's good.
Oh, gosh.
No, I didn't taste it. I was still stirring.
The ganache is so good.
I think it's okay, Rhonda. It looks okay.
Did you take it out? Why did you take it out?
Well, it looks fine.
Okay. Okay.
Let's take three out.
Finally, the cupcakes are out of the oven.
Let me -- Let go.
It's molten lava. That's why we needed it cool.
How many minutes? Could you tell me?
Here we go! One minute!
Oh, my God.
These are not frosted.
I think the snickerdoodle cookie hearts are good.
MICHELLE: And I got to get this in. Wow.
Just put the pearls on there.
Okay.
Okay. Ready? Ready?
Yep. Perfect. Perfect.
It's slipping.
But it's gonna be okay.
Okay.
WILLMAN: 10, 9, 8...
I can sprinkle.
...7, 6, 5.
Please, please cool off.
...4, 3, 2, 1.
Time's up!
We did it. All right.
[ Sighs ]
Shh.
Bakers, we asked you to use at least two ingredients
to bake a cupcake our judges could lock lips with.
Excited to see how you did.
First, let's meet our judges.
You already know Candace and Florian.
Let's meet our guest judge, celebrity event planner
behind some of the town's most unconventional weddings,
Hi, bakers.
Hi.
Weddings are an incredible opportunity
to think outside of the box
and do something a little less conventional,
and you're not gonna be able to hold your own
at the L.A. Bridal Bash if you don't bring something new.
Hi.
Welcome. What'd you make?
It is a cinnamon cake with a snickerdoodle cookie base,
a cinnamon honey glaze, a fresh mint-tea buttercream,
topped with a snickerdoodle cookie and a candy heart mint.
Candace, how'd Angela do?
Well, I have to say,
this cupcake had me skipping down the aisle.
The way you made your mint-tea buttercream,
which was so luscious, a little bit salty,
actually helped to cut the sweetness
in the cinnamon and the snickerdoodle base.
Bravo.
Thank you.
This cupcake is crazy, but crazy good.
You just balanced enough the cinnamon and the mint,
and it paired perfectly.
Thank you.
Kristin, how would this go over at the Bridal Bash?
I like my weddings to have a fresh spin
on something that's an age-old tradition.
This tasted like it.
Thank you.
Hi.
What'd you bake them?
I made for you a lemon cupcake
with a strawberry filling,
topped with a lemon-mint buttercream,
and garnished with a chocolate heart and a candied mint.
The combination, it's a no-brainer.
I mean, you know, strawberry, mint, and lemon juice.
You know, can't go wrong with that.
Unfortunately, you went wrong.
That cupcake was collapsing.
The cream-cheese frosting was way too liquidy.
Didn't work for me.
Well, I felt like I was sort of drinking
a refreshing summer cocktail here.
The flavors were really bright and fresh.
However, like a cocktail, this cupcake was sort of wet.
The frosting was goopy and the cake was soggy,
so you kind of broke my heart with the textures here.
Okay.
Unfortunately, there was a lack of structure,
which made it a little bit difficult to eat
and certainly would be a little challenging in a party.
Hello.
What'd you bake?
I have prepared for you a cinnamon banana cupcake
with a cinnamon cheesecake filling
baked in with a ginger caramel buttercream on top,
decorated with a fondant pearl wedding band.
I'm not sure that the baked-in cheesecake mixture
did work very well.
Your cupcake is extremely moist.
It's on the verge of collapsing almost.
Well, I loved all the spiced flavors.
You have a really great, moist banana cake,
but I have to agree with Florian.
I felt the texture
left something to be desired in this cupcake.
I feel that at a wedding,
it would be a little bit difficult to eat
based upon how sort of soupy it's gotten.
And, finally, Rachel. How are you?
What did you bake the judges?
Today we've made for you a cinnamon and cloves
white-chocolate macadamia-nut cupcake
with a cinnamon and cloves white-chocolate ganache filling,
topped with a mascarpone whipped-cream frosting,
and a white-chocolate set of lips
to represent that magical moment --
"You may now kiss the bride."
The texture was good. It was just moist enough.
I think the combination of those two flavors --
cinnamon and cloves -- was really well done.
But what really amazed me on this cupcake,
that frosting you made is so light.
It is melting in the mouth, so good job on that.
Well, obviously, cinnamon and cloves
is really a blissful pairing,
and you worked with those flavors really well.
This was love at first bite.
You took something that had a traditional feeling
and brought something really fresh and new,
Thank you.
Thanks.
All right, bakers.
We're gonna give our judges a chance to deliberate.
We'll bring you back in a minute. Thank you.
I made mistakes on a lot of the components of my cupcake.
I am definitely freaking out.
Florian was pretty much right with the hot cheesecake.
I'm feeling that it's a 50/50 chance that I'm going home.
Everybody's a sucker for a good love story,
but not everyone's ready to walk down the aisle.
Michelle, I'm sorry. You're done in the cupcake war.
MICHELLE: I'm crushed. I made mistakes.
I definitely think I could have done a lot better.
Well, bakers, you made it through the first round,
but don't expect a honeymoon just yet.
Only two of you will survive to the next round
where you'll have to sweep our judges off their feet
with a 1,000-cupcake display,
but first, you must design three cupcakes glamorous enough
to strut their stuff at the swanky L.A. Bridal Bash,
which means these cupcakes can't just taste the part.
They need to look aisle-ready.
This round is judged 50% on flavor and 50% on presentation,
and remember, marriage may last forever,
but round 2 only lasts 75 minutes.
Good luck.
Starts now!
Oh, my gosh! We made it! They loved our cupcake!
We made it!
That was close, Mom. We almost didn't make it.
I just want you to calm down and not get so excited.
So we need to come up with three
that would work for out-of-the-box weddings.
A tuxedo cupcake?
Yeah! Black and white.
My first cupcake is gonna be a dark-chocolate cupcake,
a vanilla-bean cream filling, an espresso buttercream,
with a Mr. and Mrs. stamp,
a black wedding dress and a red bow tie for the groom.
Let's do like a flavor opposite again.
Yes.
We're gonna do a pecan cake, a salted caramel glaze,
chocolate buttercream frosting, a heart-shaped pie crust,
and a brooch topping to represent a brooch bouquet.
I got my coconut going.
For our last cupcake, we're gonna do a coconut cake,
coconut meringue buttercream frosting,
and we're gonna top it
with a black lace garter and a purple bow.
I know.
I'm just getting the butter ready for the yellow cake.
My first cupcake is the bride's cupcake.
It's a yellow cake with a blueberry filling,
a graham cracker crust,
and a cheesecake mousse frosting.
We're gonna top it
with a white-chocolate cameo and fresh blueberries.
I am going to do dry ingredients for gluten-free chocolate.
Our next cupcake is the groom's cake.
It's gonna be a gluten-free chocolate cupcake,
it has a peanut-butter cream cheese frosting,
and we're gonna garnish it
with a chocolate fondant mustache
with a little bit of gold glitter spray.
Can you get the strawberries pureed?
Our final cake is a strawberry colada cupcake.
It's gonna have rum in the batter
with a strawberry coconut milk filling,
a coconut whipped-cream frosting,
and we're garnishing that by rolling it in coconut.
We're doing a rice-paper feather
and the word "love" spelled in chocolate.
I love the wedding-inspired theme.
I'm excited about that.
It's a big risk to have so many components
to your cupcakes at this round,
but we really want to be over the top.
We're going above and beyond.
It's gonna be so awesome.
Adding in the passion fruit. That's going in.
My first cupcake is gonna be a passion-fruit cupcake
with an apricot mousse in the middle,
a swirled apricot cream cheese, with a fondant heart
that represents the corset on top of a wedding dress.
This is for the white-chocolate cake.
The next cupcake is gonna be
the traditional white-chocolate cupcake
with a raspberry cookies-and-cream buttercream
swirled on top
with a simple fondant flower.
I'm adding the rest of the ube and the eggs.
The last cupcake is gonna be an ube purple yam cupcake
topped off with a coconut buttercream
and a fondant Mardi Gras mask to represent
the celebration and colors of any event.
I want to make them totally out of the box and different.
Flavors that you never really see too much.
To make my ube cupcake,
we're gonna use ube jam in the batter.
Ube is an exotic yam popular in the tropics and Philippines.
I don't think the judges
have had this type of cupcake in their competition.
How you doing, Mom? Go a little faster.
We want three cupcakes on this altar in one hour.
Mom, we got to hurry. Go a little bit faster.
You're gonna have to get the rum.
Put it in there.
Got my coconut extract going in.
But where's the dry?
That's it?
It looks too liquidy. Something's not right.
I see my mom making the ube batter,
and I see that it's looking like water.
Mom, you put powdered sugar instead of flour.
I'm looking at the flour,
and I see that it's actually powdered sugar.
Mom, we got to redo that batter.
We're gonna have to scrap this
and start all over and try to make it work.
Let me breathe. Let me breathe.
KAYLEE: Okay. I'm scooping the chocolate cakes.
It's gonna be messy, but delicious.
Cupcakes going in.
RHONDA: Come on, Mom, with the ube.
Passion fruit going in.
VICTORIA: All right. Blueberry cheesecake.
Here we go.
RACHEL: Coming through.
It looks great this time.
Right. It's not powdered sugar.
It's the right stuff.
Okay. Last cupcakes going in, Kaylee.
That's it.
Bakers, we're not looking for a ring on a finger.
We're looking for three cupcakes on a plate,
and you got 30 minutes left.
I don't know if we're gonna finish.
Oh, wow.
I think I was too ambitious in this round.
We're running around like crazy.
We still have to get fillings in these cupcakes.
Those fillings have to cook for about 30 minutes each,
and they have to cool.
There's so much to do.
We got to get that wrapped up
so we can finish the decorations and start on frostings.
Keep going, Mom.
All right. Coconut out.
Done.
These look beautiful.
RHONDA: Let's start the buttercream. Go! Go!
ANGELA: I just got to get these buttercreams.
All of our buttercreams
are Swiss meringue cooked buttercreams.
We use salted butter because it has a better flavor
and brings out the richness of the frosting.
The coconut is perfect.
What do you think?
That is so good.
RHONDA: Apricot going into the apricot buttercream.
It needs to look like a mask, Mom.
It doesn't look like a mask.
Well, this is the shape I have.
I know, but an eye. Look. Eye.
Oh, put it inside. Oh, okay.
Oh, these flowers are looking nice.
Oh, gosh. Black wedding dress.
I know.
Check the cake over there for me.
I'm worried about the white-chocolate cupcake.
It doesn't seem like it's firm enough.
We've only got 10 minutes left,
and they're still not fully baked.
I don't know how we're gonna do it in 10 minutes.
Keep going. Just do what we can.
Apricot mousse in the passion fruit.
ANGELA: All right. We got our coconut.
RACHEL: Okay. Good.
I want to get a nice layer, but I don't want it to drip.
Come on. Work with me.
ANGELA: So, what do you think? That little bit?
Yeah. That's pretty.
[ Gasps ] Five minutes, Mom! Five minutes! Five minutes!
I look down at the plates.
We still have to get fillings in these cupcakes.
I mean, we've just got to book it.
I know.
MABEL: Two minutes left.
I'll take it out.
We're coming down the wire,
and finally the white-chocolate cupcakes are out of the oven.
I don't know about the consistency.
Those needed more time.
We have souffles.
This is it. One minute!
Oh, my gosh, Angela. One minute.
I need the coconut ready right now.
Oh, my God! I can't believe it.
Oh, my God. Mom, I need coconut frosting.
There's seconds left on the clock.
We are just trying to get cupcakes on the plate.
We can't find any piping bags.
At one point, we had to just get frosting with our bare hands
and throw it on the cupcakes.
I don't know!
10, 9, 8, 7, 6...
Gloves! We need gloves. I need gloves.
...5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time's up!
Ohhhh!
Wow.
RACHEL: The cupcakes look disgusting.
The coconut ones are a total disaster.
I am sick to my stomach.
WILLMAN: Cupcake makers, your round-2 challenge
was to create three cupcakes that could hold their own
at the chicest bridal event in Los Angeles.
Did you pull it off?
Let's see. Hi, Rhonda. Tell us about these three.
What I've made for you today is a passion-fruit cupcake
with an apricot-mousse filling,
buttercream topped with a heart fondant corset dress
with a buttercream bow.
The second is a purple-yam ube cupcake
topped with a coconut buttercream
and a Mardi Gras mask.
The last cake is a white-chocolate cupcake
with a raspberry cookies-and-cream buttercream
and a fondant flower.
NELSON: Hi, Rhonda.
I've made a lot of wedding cupcakes in my day,
and I've never seen an ube purple yam,
so bravo for making a cupcake that is true blue.
In terms of your decorations, however,
I was little mystified.
Your heart corset with the pink bow,
it wasn't apparent to me what it was,
and your purple mask truly belongs at a Mardi Gras
and not at a wedding celebration.
Regarding your cupcakes, the passion fruit and apricot,
I think, was delicious.
The filling was very good. The apricot mousse was great.
But the last cupcake,
that raspberry cookie, has no place to be here.
I didn't like it at all.
But two of them are pretty good.
Kristin.
BANTA: When it came to the aesthetic,
we are looking for something
a little bit edgier and more sophisticated,
and it missed the mark a little bit for me.
Thank you, judges. Hi, Angela. What'd you do?
On your right, it's a pecan cake,
salted-caramel glaze, chocolate-buttercream frosting,
a heart pie crust, and for the topping
a twist on the traditional flower bouquet.
The middle cupcake is a dark-chocolate cake
with a vanilla-bean filling, an espresso buttercream.
We did a red bow tie for the groom.
We did a black wedding dress for the bride.
For our last cupcake, we did a coconut cake
with coconut-meringue buttercream
and then a black lacy garter with a purple bow.
Hi, Angela. This is a spectacular plate of cupcakes.
Not only are your decorations exquisitely detailed,
I feel like I'm at a sophisticated,
modern-day wedding.
In terms of your flavors, this pecan and caramel cupcake,
sweet and salty and delicious.
These are cupcakes that the wedding guests
would be talking about for months after.
Regarding your cupcakes, I like most of them.
Are you making your buttercream with salted butter?
All right. I don't think that's a good idea.
I really can detect salt in every single spoon.
That is disturbing, I think.
But otherwise, fix that salted butter
and this plate is perfect.
You did a great job blending a traditional component
with a bit of whimsy
and a little bit of sophistication, as well.
Thanks.
Thank you, judges. Finally, Rachel.
Tell us about these.
To your right, we have the groom's cake.
It's a gluten-free chocolate cupcake.
It has a peanut-butter, cream-cheese frosting
and a fondant moustache.
In the center, for the bride.
It's a blueberry-cheesecake cupcake
with a blueberry filling, cheesecake-mousse frosting.
It's garnished with a white-chocolate cameo
and fresh blueberries.
And then to your left,
it's a strawberry-colada cake
with a strawberry coconut-milk filling,
coconut whipped-cream frosting,
and it's garnished with a rice-paper feather
and the word "love" spelled out with chocolate.
I saw that you had some issue in your kitchen.
Unfortunately, I didn't find your decoration that refined
because you were in the rush.
So, mixed feeling about your decoration.
Regarding your cupcake,
your gluten-free chocolate cupcake was delicious.
At the end of the day, these wedding cupcakes
have to be elegant, and this was a bit of a mess.
I was delighted
by your "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" cupcake.
I thought that was really well-thought-out,
but all in all, maybe a little bit more time
spent planning this wedding.
I wish you'd had a little bit more time.
I did like the restraint.
It was sophisticated, but still simple.
Thank you, judges.
Bakers, we're gonna let our judges huddle and chat.
We'll see you in a few.
RACHEL: My decorations were sloppy,
I didn't have time to make them look polished,
and I don't know if I'm going home or not.
RHONDA: I am feeling pretty low.
I had a really bad round,
but I'm hoping there's just a little bit of a chance.
WILLMAN: Today's guest Kristin
is known for planning unconventional weddings,
and she and the judges were looking for
that same sense of rule-breaking in your cupcakes,
but ultimately this round was about taste and presentation.
Rhonda and Rachel, you each had two cupcakes the judges liked
and one they did not.
In the end, it's the L.A. Bridal Bash
and not the L.A. Mardi Gras.
So, Rhonda, I'm sorry.
You're done in the cupcake war.
RHONDA: I just had a series of small mistakes,
and $10,000 just floated away from me.
Congratulations! You're about to take the plunge.
Everyone loves big, romantic gestures, especially our judges.
And the gesture you're about to make needs to be very big,
like 1,000-cupcakes big.
Your job, build an awe-inspiring cupcake display
worthy of making it past the velvet rope
at Hollywood's most sophisticated industry party,
the L.A. Bridal Bash.
Pull that off, and your cupcake dreams will come true.
To help get ready for the big event,
we're giving each of you a plus one
in the form of a master carpenter to help you build.
What's up, Justin and Jake?
And four baking assistants each.
When the clock stops ticking,
our judges here will rate your cupcakes,
evaluate your presentation,
and based on how it all comes together,
name one of you the winner of "Cupcake Wars."
You have two hours starting now.
Oh, my gosh!
I can't believe we made it.
I'm so relieved I made it through.
I came here to win, and you know what?
I'm still going to.
She's an out-of-the-box wedding planner.
The first thing that comes to mind
is like two rings intertwined
with a diamond off of one.
For my display, I want to really bring in
the elegance of Old Hollywood that I think Kristin will love.
Okay.
And then we're gonna have a base with three tiers.
RACHEL: I really want to pull in the bird cages that I saw
on the inspiration table and big ostrich feathers.
Oh! A silhouette!
The silhouette
of a bride and groom holding each other.
It's gonna be so romantic.
Beautiful lights.
I really think the judges are gonna go for this.
Good luck in here.
I'm thinking industrial chic.
Just very industrial, but very feminine.
We want to really represent both the bride and the groom
by taking masculine and feminine elements
and marry them together into one display.
Brick base.
And then the shelves.
For the masculine elements,
we're gonna go with brick, straight lines, black shelves.
Oh, yeah.
We really want to soften them up with the feminine elements.
With crystals, flowers, and vases.
And then on the base, I want words.
"I choose you for your life."
I'm gonna take a big risk, and I just hope that it pays off.
Thank you.
Let's go, guys.
Mom, I'm working on getting the butter ready for the yellow cakes.
There's so much work to do,
but it's so much better having help.
We have assistants working on decorations.
I'm starting the buttercreams.
Kaylee's starting the pie crusts.
I have so many elements to bring together.
I'm putting unsalted butter.
Florian did not like my use of salted butter,
so I'm gonna use unsalted butter
in all of my buttercream frostings.
That's just the plain.
I haven't added the espresso or anything yet.
I'm just hoping they really taste the difference
in the buttercream.
It's not salty. That's really good.
RACHEL: Mom, we got $10,000 on the line.
We just have to get it right.
RACHEL: I almost went home, but here I am,
and if I can fix my cupcakes, I can win this.
We have to get everything done in time.
In round 1, the judges said
that the white-chocolate chips were not good in the cupcakes,
so I'm gonna take them out.
I don't know yet.
I'm not gonna let the judges' negative comments frazzle me.
I'm gonna fix what they don't like, and I'm gonna win this.
It tastes perfect.
Pie crust going in!
Someone has to make graham-cracker crust.
ANGELA: Could you start the caramel for me when you're done?
I need to get one of you started on a little, black dress.
After this, I'm gonna start on the chocolate cake.
And I will start on the pecan cake.
I'm scooping up the strawberry colada.
Oh, good.
Thanks, Mom!
Love is patient.
"Cupcake Wars" is not.
You have 90 minutes.
90 minutes!
Oh, my God. 90 minutes, you guys!
Those still need a couple more minutes, Angela.
We have to get everything done in time.
RACHEL: There's so much to do, my heart's pounding.
In the last round, I almost didn't finish in time.
I will not do that again.
I wonder how the carpenter's doing.
What do you think, Mom?
I think that he's really gonna rock it.
Got a wedding joke?
Here's to your team losing.
I got a bright idea.
Need I say more?
That is how you tie the knot.
KAYLEE: Oh, good.
WILLMAN: One hour.
Oh, my God, you guys! We only have an hour.
ANGELA: It's like the fastest hours of my life.
Are decorations made?
RACHEL: Can you oversee the molds, too?
Our cupcakes are out of the oven.
And then we can all start frosting.
Things are getting so hectic in the kitchen right now.
There's assistants everywhere. We're running around like crazy.
RACHEL: Coming through.
I'm really overwhelmed. There's so much to do.
Come on, you guys. Let's go!
Oh, my God!
What happened?!
I just -- What are we gonna do, Mom?!
I don't know!
Oh, my God, Mom! I can't believe this.
What happened?!
I don't know!
RACHEL: This is almost two full batches of cupcakes lost.
How are we gonna fix this?
Oh, my God, Mom! I can't believe this.
I-I don't know if I'm gonna survive.
Clean this up. We got to make some more.
I don't know what we're gonna do. Let's start.
The only fix is to start over on that batter.
We're really cutting it close.
I don't know if we're gonna get the full 1,000 done,
but to have anyone by my side right now,
the best person is my mom.
We can do this.
I'm just gonna fricking --
This needs to hurry up.
Angela, we still have to get these all frosted and decorated.
Oh, my gosh!
RACHEL: I don't know. A star?
Think more round.
It goes the snickerdoodle cookie like that.
Okay.
Batter is ready. Who can scoop?
RACHEL: I can still push through. I'm gonna keep going.
No matter what happens, I'm gonna try to win.
VICTORIA: Rachel, I'm putting in the cupcakes.
RACHEL: Okay!
[ Glass shatters ]
Congratulations! You have 45 minutes.
Can I get a little love? Nothing?
Oh, my gosh! 45 minutes.
RACHEL: We're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay.
We're gonna be okay.
Oh, my gosh, Angela. We have so much left to do.
RACHEL: When you're done with that,
will you help me roll these in coconut?
Yep.
RACHEL: I want to win really bad.
Our cupcakes are out of the oven.
We still have to frost the cupcakes,
decorate them, and get them on the display.
You guys, frost faster!
If I don't make it in time, I just lost $10,000.
We have to finish.
WILLMAN: 30 minutes!
Oh, my gosh! Kaylee, look at our display!
Oh, my gosh.
It is sophisticated. It's beautiful.
I'm ecstatic at what he did.
Thank you! You got my vision.
You like it? Oh, wait. Did you see the sign?
It's so nice.
Why? I wouldn't want that at my wedding.
But it would be pretty in my garden.
Oh, my God!
Wow!
RACHEL: Oh, my God! My display looks awesome.
It's magical.
It's just like I wanted it to be.
That's really pretty.
ANGELA: Rachel did a great job on her display.
It makes me a little nervous.
Perfect!
This is it! 10 minutes!
Yeah. We have to.
RACHEL: Be sure and make the cupcakes random if you can, please.
ANGELA: We got to get these on. Hurry! Hurry!
How's it going, you guys?
Awesome.
5 minutes, you guys! Oh, my gosh. Hurry, please.
Come on, guys.
Yeah. Come, on, guys. No holes.
This is for a big event.
ANGELA: Come on, guys. We are so close. Almost done.
Load like it's the last day of your life.
We need to get them all on. Hurry!
WILLMAN: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Time is up!
Whoo!
All right!
In round 3, you were tasked
with constructing a 1,000-cupcake display
beautiful enough for one of L.A.'s hottest bridal events.
Let's see what you did. Rachel, tell us all about it.
Okay, well, today,
what we've made for you is a presentation
that combines the traditional elements of a wedding
with the modern and chic, as well as some glitz and glam
like Kristin is so well-known for.
We incorporated some ostrich feathers,
some bird cages, pearls, and champagne
for an overall presentation we feel will be perfect
at the L.A. Bridal Bash.
We also changed some of our cupcakes as suggested.
In the white-chocolate, macadamia-nut cupcake,
we took out the white-chocolate chips.
I hope you like it.
Angela, tell us what you did.
ANGELA: We wanted to continue the theme
that we had been doing with our cupcakes.
It's sophisticated, yet modern, industrial chic,
and we really appreciate how Kristin works
with both the bride and the groom,
so we wanted to take masculine elements,
like the brick, steel posts, and straight lines,
and we wanted to marry that together perfectly
with the feminine elements, like vases and flowers and crystals.
We lit it all up for you with Edison bulbs.
We made it 360 so there could be access all the way around.
And the changes we did make --
We used unsalted butter on our buttercreams,
and they did turn out better.
I really hope you like it.
Well, great work, both of you.
We're gonna give our judges a chance
to check out your displays, taste your changes.
We'll bring you back in a few with a final decision.
RACHEL: I really took the judges' criticism to heart.
My cupcakes are polished and glamorous.
I feel like I was meant to win this competition.
[ Voice breaking ] My mom and I have never worked this well together ever.
I am so nervous. My heart is pounding.
Kaylee and I, we're both self-taught bakers.
We've just worked so hard and put so much into this,
and I'm just hoping that we're able to win.
Hi, judges. Let's talk about these displays.
What do you think about what Rachel has created for us?
Love is clearly the theme of the day,
and Rachel has made that loud and clear here.
I think this is truly a display for the bride.
The flowers, the draping have a real feminine grace to them.
What's better than to see love loud and clear.
I love the sentiment.
The pop of color is great, but she used teal and gold together,
and that is something that feels a little bit outdated.
I think she kind of played safe with her display.
I mean, it is good looking and everything.
It's very traditional.
She made a couple changes to the cupcakes.
So, in round 2, you know,
her wedding cake cupcake was kind of a mess.
The decorations now look beautiful,
but the clove and cinnamon...
She did a good job on that.
She took our advice
and removed the white-chocolate chips,
which I think really elevated the whole thing.
BANTA: I really loved the "love" cupcake.
It was definitely chic.
WILLMAN: Now let's talk about Angela's display.
Candace, what do you think about what she's done?
Angela presented this as industrial chic
with the steel beams, the mix of materials with the brick.
I can absolutely see where she was going.
She definitely thought outside the box
and came up with a modern design.
I'm worried that that kind of design is like a big cube.
It's a bit bulky.
It might not work in a wedding theme.
She's certainly got the message
of designing for both the bride and the groom,
which I personally feel is very important.
I would rather that she pulled back a little bit
from the use of the florals and maybe remove the sign.
Angela's been feeding us delicious cupcakes all day.
We had some issues with her buttercream.
It was a little salty.
She took that salted butter away,
replaced it with unsalted butter,
and I think it's a real improvement.
All in all, her cakes are very fluffy.
The idea behind the black dress was really cool.
I like that a lot.
Well, judges, do we know who's going to the Bridal Bash?
Okay. I'll bring them back.
One thing I love about this cupcake war
is that each team represents two generations --
mother and daughter coming together to make something new.
Rachel, you gave us a larger-than-life display
that screams "love" loud and clear,
and you also embraced the judges' notes,
improving your cupcakes and finishing your decorations.
Angela, at first the judges
weren't quite feeling the romance
with your signs and Edison bulbs,
but they fell hard for the cool, urban vibe of your steel beams
and your exposed brick walls.
In the end, the judges had to think about
what works best at the L.A. Bridal Bash.
It's a gathering of the freshest,
most innovative minds in the business.
So if you want to make it to the bash,
you got to think outside the box.
Congratulations...
...Angela.
You're the winner of "Cupcake Wars"!
ANGELA: Oh, my gosh! I cannot believe it!
We've been open less than a year,
and here we are, the winners of "Cupcake Wars."
RACHEL: [ Voice breaking ] My mom and I felt that we were meant to win.
I really wanted to win.
We've got a Bridal Bash to get to.
Congratulations. Let's go.
ANGELA: We get to serve our cupcakes
at this huge wedding event to all these potential brides.
This is a life-changing opportunity.
Congratulations.
It's delicious.
So good.
I am so excited.
This is gonna take our business to the next level.
It's gonna explode after this,
and we are gonna get to get that storefront that we wanted.
That's really good.
Your coconut was amazing.
This whole experience has been incredible,
and, of course, the win makes it that much sweeter.
"Cupcake Wars"!