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There's just not enough time.
WILLMAN: In just a few moments, four bakers will go head to head
in the world's ultimate cupcake battle.
Perfect.
It's starting to come together.
WILLMAN: And one by one, they will be eliminated.
As they're judged on taste...
It tastes rancid. It's just terrible.
Come on.
WILLMAN: ...presentation...
You took us on a cross-country road trip here,
with all your decorations.
WILLMAN: ...and in the final round, the last two bakers standing
will have to bring it all together
into one beautiful cupcake display.
The winner gets to have their creation
as the heart of the welcome party
for one of America's most cherished traditions,
the 2013 Miss America Pageant.
And they'll walk away with $10,000.
I've done something wrong to this batter.
You get an F. You failed.
SONJII: What is wrong with these?
O.M.G.
We've definitely got a problem.
Get ready, 'cause this is "Cupcake Wars."
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
[ Ding! ]
What's up? I'm Justin Willman.
And the ultimate clash of the cupcakes
is about to play out right here.
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 very ready.
Let's meet today's competitors.
My golden spatula, 23 years.
[ Chuckles ]
My name's Nicole Ward.
I'm co-owner of Sinsational Cakes Bakery
in North Richland Hills, Texas.
Sin never tasted so good, and it's all in the icing.
Our icing is to die for.
You know, a lot of people always say,
"What do y'all put in that?"
I'm, like, "We can't tell you. It's a secret."
We're going to show 'em how it's done in the South.
Southern hospitality.
Today, my assistant is Sonjii Jones.
She's my sister and also my business partner.
When I'm thinking of something, she can finish it off for me.
There's a $10,000 cupcake right here.
We want to add more shops.
We want to start shipping worldwide.
I always get what I want.
"Cupcake Wars," here we come.
[ Cheering ]
Thank you.
Thank you. You have a nice day.
My name is Roseann Lugo,
and I own The Cupcake Shoppe in Hayward, California.
You know I'm going to get mad. I'm always bossy.
We have over 85 cupcake flavors.
Our french toast and bacon cupcake
won best cupcake in the Bay Area.
Please try to be n ice when you're --
when you're talking and you're directing us around.
My assistant is Yolanda Diaz.
She's my mom, and she's also the second owner of the business.
She taught me everything.
We're gonna win this thing.
We are gonna win.
When my grandmother passed away,
I promised her that our business would make it,
and I'm doing it for her.
It would mean everything to me
to be able to call myself the "Cupcake Wars" champion.
Let's do this.
We need to get this order finished
All right.
My name is Lenny Schafer.
I own Sweet Reasons Crazy Good Cupcakes & Desserts
in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Business has been great over the last year and a half.
We have a storefront that has continued to grow.
Have you guys been in here before?
LENNY: One thing we try to do that makes us stand out
is take a regular flavor and put a twist on it.
We've done everything from goat cheese cupcakes
to rose petal tea cupcakes.
An Elvis and a cookies and cream.
Kelsey's a perfect assistant for me today
because she's just that perfect helper.
When we win that $10,000,
we are definitely getting that cupcake truck.
The local market is very competitive
between Northern Virginia, Maryland, and where we are.
I need to win "Cupcake Wars" to help continue to expand.
Winning is everything.
Ready.
Off to L.A.
Kikamo's has the best cupcakes in San Diego.
You know it, I know it,
and now the whole world's gonna know it.
My name is Kiki Fuchser. I own Kikamo's Bakery.
We're an online bakery in San Diego, California.
Our business is so small,
but it's gonna make it so big once we're just on the show.
We're a new business,
so we're trying to work to expand it.
Your baking and my decorating,
I think we'll have the perfect cupcake.
I know. I'm so excited.
Michelle Orozco is my assistant today,
and she's my best friend and business partner.
We come together and make, like, the perfect team.
"Cupcake Wars" doesn't know what's coming to them.
We're gonna blow them away for sure.
Right now, we just want to get a storefront open.
I need to win "Cupcake Wars"
because it would make our business go viral.
BOTH: Here comes Kikamo's!
[ Cheering ]
Welcome, bakers.
Come on up.
What's up, guys? Welcome to "Cupcake Wars."
You four bakers are gonna face off
to prove your cupcakes are worthy of an American tradition
that is nearly a century old --
the Miss America Pageant.
The pageant is returning to its hometown,
the place where it was launched 92 years ago,
Atlantic City, New Jersey.
One of you will be there
at a VIP welcome party for all 53 contestants,
which means your cupcakes will be strutting their stuff
in front of celebrities and press from around the globe.
And to sweeten the pot,
we're gonna throw in an added cash bonus of $10,000.
Here's how it works.
Today, there are three rounds of challenges.
After each round, one of you will be eliminated.
Now, your first challenge is a taste test,
and you need to make a lip-smacking cupcake
using one of the ingredients from our inspiration table.
But these aren't just any ingredients.
Each one represents the home state
of one of the past six Miss America winners.
For example, you'll find Michigan cherries,
Indiana soybeans,
Virginia ham, Nebraska corn,
Wisconsin cheddar cheese,
and New York cheesecake.
Show us your creativity, bakers. You have 45 minutes.
The clock starts now.
When I run up to the table,
I saw cheese, ham, soybeans.
I was like [sighs]
Okay, okay, it's Miss America.
Oh, my gosh! It's so exciting.
Ham?
What about cheesecake? That's more like a cupcake.
No, that's too easy.
My assistant wants to go with cheesecake
and take the easy route,
but we didn't come here to play it safe.
Well, how are we gonna make it taste good?
We can add something to it, like honey.
We can do honey in it.
I'm gonna make a honey, ham, and cheese cupcake
with honey buttercream frosting,
and we're gonna garnish it
with crispy ham and a cheese crisp.
I'm still really nervous about this ham.
It's so weird in a cupcake.
It's gonna be fine. They're gonna love it.
About how much ham do you think I need?
Okay.
Today, we only have to use one ingredient,
but I'm gonna go big and choose three.
I'm gonna make a sharp cheddar ham cupcake
with dried cherries, chives, a savory cream-cheese frosting,
with candied maple ham on top.
I have it.
Yes.
When I saw the ingredients,
I was like, "Okay, we can do a savory cupcake."
You just got to be careful,
'cause some people can make savory cupcakes
and they just too sweet.
You have to find a balance
in between your frosting and the cupcake.
I can't believe it's the Miss America Pageant.
Hurry up. We got to get those cherries in the pan.
Okay, and we got to add the sangria.
I'll get it going.
We're making a vanilla bean cupcake
with a graham cracker crust,
New York cheesecake baked inside,
cream-cheese frosting on top with a cherry compote.
I think the taste is gonna win them over.
We're gonna win. We're gonna win.
All right, I'm gonna start cutting cherries.
Here's your cream cheese.
I'm gonna make a rich chocolate cupcake
with a cheesecake filling,
a cream-cheese icing with a cherry compote,
and ganache striping on the top.
Yeah, get the cheesecake filling 'cause that's the hardest part.
Yeah.
The Miss America Pageant is excited about returning home.
You should not be. You have 30 minutes.
Okay, we have 30 minutes,
and our batter's not even in the oven.
ROSEANN: Get this combined.
I think I need a glass of this sangria right about now.
Hurry up!
Time is going.
Scooping the batter, scooping the batter.
I'm putting in the cheesecake filling.
Is it? Good.
Cheese coming through.
Cupcakes going in.
Oh, it's gonna work.
Put them right in there. Nice.
Okay, cheese is going in.
For the ham and cheese cupcake,
we're gonna shred the cheddar cheese
and fold it into the batter.
It looks like a lot of cheese, but --
Is it too much?
I don't think it's too much. I think it'll be okay.
I hope not.
The hardest thing is gonna be making sure
that the cupcakes are light and they're fluffy.
Well, we'll see. I hope so, too.
Cupcakes are going in.
I'm checking the cupcakes, and I looked at them,
and I realized they just didn't look right.
I forgot my cherries.
Ahh! I'm gonna have to take them back out.
I must've been moving so fast, I forgot to add the cherries.
Stupid mistake! Stupid!
Just add some in there.
I can't believe I did that. Oh, my God.
I forgot a major ingredient.
The cherries help to keep the balance
in between savory and sweet.
Stupid mistake!
I have to fix this batter. I know I don't have much time.
Mistakes like this, that could cost us $10,000.
How did I forget that?
Oh, my God.
Ahh, I forgot my cherries! Oh, my God.
I'm making a sharp cheddar ham cupcake with dried cherries.
I must've been moving so fast, I forgot to add the cherries.
Stupid mistake! Stupid!
The cherries add a little touch of sweetness
to the ham and the cheese.
Just add some in there.
I put the cherries in there,
and I put the cupcakes in the oven.
Mistakes like this, that could cost us $10,000.
I can't believe I forgot that.
I know.
This one's a little, uh, more sour.
But I think together you're gonna have
a really nice combination, and it's gonna be colorful.
LENNY: I'm gonna make a cream-cheese icing,
and we're gonna top that with a cherry compote.
I use a combination of a little bit more of a sour cherry
with the sweet cherry to get a little bit more depth.
Cherries are on the stove.
It looks good.
Checking ham.
Yeah.
ROSEANN: Hurry up, Mom. Get that on.
To the oven we go. That's done, okay.
They're super crispy. They look really good.
They're just really big.
Taking them to the freezer.
Hot pan.
A few more minutes.
Yeah, almost done.
Cupcakes coming out.
Cooler.
NICOLE: Finally, the cupcakes come out of the oven.
I just hope that mistake with the cherries
doesn't send us home.
WILLMAN: Cupcakers, 10 minutes.
No, there's just not enough time.
Oh, come on, cheesecake.
We have less than 10 minutes on the clock,
and our cupcakes aren't even close to being baked yet.
I can't believe this.
It's not done yet. Not done yet.
Not too much honey. We don't want the icing to be liquidy.
KIKI: I'm doing a honey buttercream frosting.
We're gonna go with cinnamon, cloves, honey, and allspice.
I believe that it's gonna complement the ham.
Sweet.
A little bit more?
Sour cream? Yeah.
Adding chives. Okay.
Add a little hot sauce here to add a little kick to it.
Yes, that's it.
How's the ham? Is it good, is it ready?
Yeah, it's crispy.
Perfect amount of cream cheese.
I think that's gonna be divine with the cherries.
Okay, take them out.
ROSEANN: Finally, the cupcakes come out of the oven.
I see that the vanilla bean cupcake
is a little brown on top.
I don't think it's burnt,
but I think that's gonna be a little dry then.
WILLMAN: One minute, guys.
They look good. They look awesome.
They're perfect.
They're still warm.
There's nothing we can do about it.
Oh, grandma would be so proud of us right now.
Okay, here we go.
WILLMAN: 10...9...
8...7...
6...5...
4...3...
2...1.
Oh, yes!
Okay, we just made it.
Oh, my God.
Ah!
Bakers, we asked you to make a cupcake
based on the home state of a recent Miss America winner.
I can't wait to see what you did.
First, you already know Candace and Florian.
Let's meet our guest judge.
From New York City,
the reigning Miss America herself,
Mallory Hagan.
Hey, Mallory.
Hi, bakers.
Well, being Miss America
is about so much more than being beautiful.
It's about being creative and well-spoken
and most of all, poised under pressure.
So, while I want to see some beautiful cupcakes today,
I also want to see some that are bold in flavor
and that are fun to eat.
Good.
What state did you pick, and what'd you bake?
We used the cheesecake from New York
and the cherries from Michigan.
I baked a rich chocolate cupcake
baked the cheesecake filling inside the cupcake,
topped it with cream-cheese icing,
a cherry compote, and a chocolate ganache drizzle.
So, Candace, Lenny combined New York and Michigan.
Did it work?
Well, Miss America is typically a perfect combination
of beauty, talent, and poise.
And your cupcake was just a beautiful combination
of flavor and texture.
I was really indulged and delighted by this cupcake.
Florian, what do you think?
Well, I know you use as inspiration
the cheesecake from New York,
but I ended up just having a cream-cheese frosting.
So, I would have liked to you to push the effort a little bit
and then trying to translate a real cheesecake
inside your cupcake.
Mallory, how was it?
HAGAN: I think that this cupcake was a perfect combination
of a Miss America who's sweet
and a Miss America who's a little more bold and edgy.
What is up, Nicole?
Welcome to the show.
I chose three states --
Michigan, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
I did a sharp cheddar ham cupcake
with dried cherries, scallions, a savory cream cheese,
and I topped it off with a candied maple ham.
Nicole, let me tell you,
you know what I like most on "Cupcake Wars"
is when contestants take risks and when it works.
And this cupcake works, and I like it very much.
I could taste the cherry, and the ham was delicious.
Great job.
You took us on a cross-country road trip here
with all your flavors, and it was a fun road trip.
Let me tell you, this cake was really fluffy.
The savory cream-cheese frosting
had a great sort of luxurious texture to it.
The only note I would say is
these dried cherries were just a little too big.
I would have chopped them up
so you could get a little sweet bite
with each bite of your cupcake.
Hi, Justin.
Good.
What states are we going to?
Today, I did a honey spice cake with ham and cheddar cheese,
and I topped it with a honey buttercream frosting
and garnished it with ham and a cheddar cheese crisp.
It feels that you packed 50 states in this cupcake.
So much things and so dense, it's just like --
It's not a cupcake. It's a bouncing ball.
I really did not enjoy this cupcake.
Well, you promised us ham and cheese,
and I'm afraid the cinnamon stole the crown here.
I mean, that is really all I could taste.
And, as Florian mentioned,
the texture of the cake left a lot to be desired.
I have to agree, and I do think that the icing
was a little overpowering.
Hi.
Good. How are you?
What did you bake the judges?
I did a vanilla bean cupcake
with a graham cracker crust,
New York cheesecake baked inside,
cream-cheese frosting, and a cherry compote on top.
When I bit into your cheesecake filling,
along with the graham cracker crust
and that great cherry compote,
it kind of felt like I was in a diner in midtown Manhattan.
However, I felt that the vanilla bean cake surrounding it
was a bit dry and almost distracting.
Your cheesecake was on the verge of getting a bit overcooked.
It was tasting good, though,
but I think technically should have spent
probably like two minutes less in the oven.
The bottom crust was a bit too thick.
But you took some risk. I like the cheesecake inside.
So you did a good job,
just be careful on those technical details.
It's a delicious cupcake,
but I don't think it's quite the surprise
that I was hoping for.
Thank you, judges.
Thank you.
All right, bakers, I'm gonna give our judges a moment to discuss.
We'll bring you back in a few. Thanks.
Walking out of the judging, I feel devastated.
I wish I didn't go as big and go with ham and cheese,
and I would've went simpler and just did cheesecake.
I wish that I did take the cupcakes out sooner.
We cannot go home. We need to win this.
Bakers, Miss America represents not just her home state
but all the states in the country.
You took our judges on a delicious road trip,
but unfortunately one of you ran out of gas.
Kiki, I'm so sorry. You're done in the cupcake war.
It really sucks to out in round 1.
I'm devastated because I feel that our cupcakes were the worst
out of all four of the competitors.
Well, bakers, you made it through round 1,
but just like in the Miss America Pageant,
round 1 is just the beginning.
Two of you are about to advance to the final challenge,
where you'll complete the 1,000-cupcake display
that could earn you and your cupcakes
a walk down the Atlantic City boardwalk
to the welcome party for the Miss America Pageant itself.
But first, you got to make it through this round.
Your job is to make us three cupcakes
whose flavors and looks are good enough for a queen,
which means you'll be judged 50% on taste
and 50% on presentation.
We're giving you 75 minutes...
starting now.
Yes!
Yes! We made it, made it, made it!
Oh, my God. We made it through round 2.
I can't believe we made it. Oh, my God.
It's gonna be tough, though.
Okay. What cupcakes you thinking of?
NICOLE: The judges loved my cupcakes.
We are closer to the $10,000.
Okay, let's do a lemon cupcake with limoncello inside.
The first cupcake
I chose a lemon cupcake with cheesecake filling,
a lemon almond buttercream, and a graham cracker crust
with a fondant silver crown on top.
We're gonna do our chocolate cupcake
with cherry compote inside.
My second cupcake is a chocolate cupcake
with cherry compote,
mascarpone whipped cream frosting,
and three fondant stars to represent America.
And we could do the cherry cobbler.
My third cupcake is
a cinnamon cupcake with cherry filling,
cinnamon buttercream,
and it's topped off with an oatmeal crumble
and three fondant roses.
We did so well in round 1.
I really want to make them proud in round 2.
They will be, Nicole.
I'm gonna go ahead and get the apple started.
The first cupcake is a cinnamon cupcake
filled with a apple pie filling
baked with a pecan crumble
and then topped with a caramel Swiss buttercream.
I'm garnishing that with both the sash and a microphone.
So, do you want to go ahead and start the lemon cardamom?
The second cupcake is a orange cardamom and honey cake
topped with a honey and lemon Swiss buttercream
and fondant balls on top
to represent the four points on Miss America's crown.
Hey, I'm gonna toast these hazelnuts
to bring out that flavor.
The third cupcake is a hazelnut cupcake
filled with a raspberry whip,
topped with a chocolate Swiss buttercream,
a raspberry drizzle, and candied hazelnuts.
And it's decorated with a fondant evening gown.
No mistakes. We can do it.
We have no time.
I'm working on the banana toffee cupcake.
The first cupcake is gonna be a fresh banana cupcake,
a milk chocolate frosting, rolled in toffee pieces,
and the fondant Miss America logo on top.
I'm starting off here with the chocolate coconut batter.
The second cupcake is a chocolate cupcake
with a coconut-almond filling,
a coconut-cream frosting,
rolled in shredded toasted coconut
with sugared gems on top and lots of glitter.
Raspberry paste going in.
The third cupcake is gonna be
a fresh raspberry blackberry cupcake
with a champagne buttercream
with pearls around the edges.
We got to make sure everything is perfect this round.
We got to win.
It's gonna win this, right?
Yeah, we're gonna win.
We can't afford to mess up this challenge.
What's the hardest job, being a beauty queen or a baker?
At this time, it's a baker.
Beauty queen had to work so hard.
Miss America's got to have grace, beauty, intelligence.
All you guys have to do is bake.
[ Both laugh ]
You have 45 minutes.
45 minutes. Oh, my goodness.
Okay, we haven't even scooped anything.
I got six eggs, okay.
Oh, I need eight.
Eight, eight.
For my chocolate cake,
I'm gonna use 100% Belgian cocoa powder.
It's gonna be a really rich cake.
SONJII: What you need, Nicole?
Oh, my God.
Nicole, what you need?
The consistency looked wrong.
It was just too thick.
I put the right amount of milk in there.
I know I did that. Oh, my God.
I think I put too many eggs in there.
Just realized, I added too many eggs.
Just add whatever you need to set it off.
Just add whatever you need to set it off.
This time, I can't afford to throw the batter out.
Time is ticking.
To save the recipe,
I have to add more of the ingredients to this.
God, I can't believe I did that.
It looks good, but I just hope it's right.
Cupcakes going in.
Chocolate cupcakes are going in the oven.
Cinnamon batter is just really gonna pop
the caramel apples in the center.
NICOLE: I'm gonna fill it with cheesecake filling.
Cupcakes going in.
Uh, grab two rounds of cupcakes and bring them on.
Here we go to the stove. Going to the oven.
Here you go.
Banana chocolate going in the oven.
Okay, good timing here.
WILLMAN: 30 minutes.
30 minutes. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. Hurry up. Hurry up.
Cupcakes coming out.
They're done.
Chocolates are out of the oven.
Going in the cooler.
You check 'em?
Hot cupcakes.
Berrylicious is out of the oven.
All cupcakes out.
I'm getting a little nervous about the icing.
It doesn't seem to be coming together.
LENNY: I'm making one batch of Swiss buttercream
to put on all three cupcakes, but it's not looking great.
It gets liquidy.
It's looking like cottage cheese right now.
Keep it up on high. It'll come back.
If it goes bad, we don't have any icing.
The only thing we can do is keep whipping it.
It just looks a little curdled.
It's taking a long time, very long time.
Oh!
Perfect. Good.
I'm adding the almond flavoring.
It's starting to come. Starting to come together.
Finally, finally, finally. It's looking good.
It's looking good.
I'm gonna start on the decorations, Lenny.
Don't forget the crown. That's the most important thing.
I'm gonna get her crown. Don't worry about it.
She's a beauty queen. I got it covered.
ROSEANN: Check these out -- Miss America logos.
Oh, those look awesome!
Just trying to get this all covered with disco dust.
Taking me forever to get this blue.
Still need to do my stars. I mean, my crowns.
They don't have any dress cutouts in the pantry,
so I'm just gonna makeshift something.
Make it with style, though. It's Miss America.
Clock's a-tickin', guys. 10 minutes.
10 minutes, oh, my God.
ROSEANN: Yes, please.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
You give me the frosting knife, I'm doing frost.
Cherry filling. Okay.
That is delicious.
Got my cinnamon buttercream.
LENNY: Make it look nice. Just make it look nice.
Did you taste these?
I guess I should've tasted it, huh?
I think I forgot...sugar.
NICOLE: When the cupcakes were in the oven,
I realized I forgot the sugar.
I think I did.
We only have five minutes left on the clock.
I got to think fast. I got to think fast.
Maybe I could make some simple syrup, or I could put --
Make some sugar simple syrup.
Add the sweetness to it.
Well, I'm freaking out at this moment.
I'm like, "Okay, let me make a simple syrup".
So, if I add that to the cupcake,
it'll add sweetness.
Hopefully, we'll be okay.
Maybe, you know, the judges won't give me for it.
How'd I forget the sugar? Oh, my God.
Bakers, one minute.
One minute. Oh, my God.
I am just getting this done.
Delicious, I love it.
You want to make sure they get enough of that.
We have to get them on a plate. They're perfect.
Grab me a paintbrush.
9...8...7...
No, put them right on top.
6...5...4...
Come on, get it.
Move, move, move.
...1.
Time's up.
Okay. All right.
Yes.
Oh.
NICOLE: Oh, my God.
I hope the chocolate cake is sweet enough.
I'm really scared, really scared.
WILLMAN: Cupcake bakers, for round 2
you were asked to make a trio of cupcakes
whose flavors and appearance could hold their own
on the stages of the Miss America Pageant.
Let's see what you've done. Lenny, what have you baked us?
LENNY: The first cupcake is a orange cardamom honey cupcake
with a Swiss buttercream honey lemon icing.
Four points on there represent the crown of Miss America.
The second is a apple-pie cupcake.
It starts with a cinnamon cupcake with a apple filling,
topped with a caramel Swiss buttercream.
And then the decorations was the microphone,
representing the voice of Miss America.
The third cupcake is a chocolate toasted hazelnut cupcake
with a raspberry whipped filling,
chocolate Swiss buttercream
with a dress representing the style of Miss America.
NELSON: Hi, Lenny.
The Miss America pageant was really focused on substance,
and I found the substance of your cupcakes to be exquisite.
However, the Miss America Pageant
also is focused on presentation,
and your decoration left a lot to be desired.
Your dress was hard to make out as a dress.
The clock ran out on your decorations.
BELLANGER: I agree with Candace.
The decoration has to be revised.
Regarding your cupcakes,
I thought they were pretty good, besides one.
Your interpretation of apple pie should be discarded.
Your caramel buttercream was tasting like artificial extract.
But my biggest no
was that the apples were totally uncooked.
HAGAN: I agree about the decoration.
For someone who wears the four points every day,
it didn't jump out at me.
But I did think that the flavors were all delicious.
Thank you, judges.
Nicole, tell us about your trifecta.
NICOLE: First cupcake,
I have a dark chocolate cupcake with cherry compote,
mascarpone whipped-cream frosting,
with three stars representing America.
The second, I have a cinnamon cupcake,
and it has cherry filling inside with cinnamon buttercream,
and it has three red roses.
The third cupcake is a lemon cupcake
with lemon cheesecake filling,
and I have a lemon almond buttercream
and a glitter fondant crown.
Mr. Bellanger?
BELLANGER: Nicole, I'm not quite sure about your decoration.
I didn't know if that plate was for the Fourth of July
or if it was for Miss America.
Regarding your baking,
all your cakes are fluffy and nice,
but I have to say that besides the chocolate cupcake --
that, I think, was quite tasting natural,
and it was a good cupcake.
The other two takes me on the artificial side.
NELSON: I have to say,
I just loved your rose decoration
and your crown decoration.
I thought they were glittery and glamorous and festive.
But I did think that your stars felt a little bit childlike.
In terms of your cupcakes,
they were just sort of ooey and gooey and lush.
Those hit just the right note for me.
I personally loved your decor.
The roses are so often forgotten
but such a part of that crowning moment.
I thought the decoration was great.
WILLMAN: Thank you, judges.
Hi, Roseann. What'd you do?
ROSEANN: For the first one,
we did a chocolate cupcake with an almond coconut filling,
a coconut-cream frosting on top,
covered with shredded, toasted coconut
and sugar crystals with lots of glitter.
The second one, we did fresh raspberry blackberry cupcake
with champagne buttercream
frosted in a rose, covered with edible pearls.
And the third one, a fresh banana cupcake
mixed in with chocolate toffee and a milk chocolate frosting.
And on top,
we have a fondant edible image of the Miss America logo.
NELSON: Hi, Roseann.
Well congratulations on a very elegant
Thank you.
The piping of the rose was lovely.
In terms of your cupcakes,
I really did enjoy this chocolate coconut one,
but I had problems with the other two.
In particular, this one in the middle
you presented as fresh raspberry and blackberry,
but came across as sort of a grape instant drink.
I really was confused by the flavor of this cupcake.
Overall, good job on the decoration.
Regarding your cupcakes, well, I'm a chef.
And I always talk to my team,
and I always tell them, "Test your food."
This banana cake, chocolate frosting, and toffee,
I don't know what went wrong with your baking,
but it was tasting almost rancid.
This one, I have to agree with Candace.
It tasted so artificial, I didn't know what I was eating.
Your decoration is cute.
Two cupcakes are really inedible.
So, no for me.
I think that Miss America is very bold,
so I like that you chose three very distinct, bold flavors.
WILLMAN: Thank you, judges. All right, bakers.
I feel like our judges have a lot to mull over.
We'll bring you back in a few.
ROSEANN: They have bad things to say about all of us.
I don't know who it's gonna be, but I just hope it's not me.
LENNY: Because the decorations, at 50%,
in my mind doing the math, I don't think I can recoup.
Bakers, this round was based on flavors and presentation,
which means the judges were looking for both.
And unfortunately, the baker leaving right now
failed to follow
one of the cardinal rules of cupcake making --
taste your food before your serve it.
Roseann, you're done in the cupcake war.
ROSEANN: I can't believe it.
The judges loved our decorations,
so I wish that would've just won them over.
And I feel very disappointed.
Congratulations, guys.
One of you is only moments away
from heading to the Miss America Pageant,
back for the very first time in nearly a decade
to its home state in New Jersey.
And if you want that person to be you,
you need to take on your toughest challenge yet --
completing a 1,000-cupcake display
that captures the beauty, grace, and intelligence
of Miss America.
The winner will be flying east
with 10 grand in your pocket.
The loser heads home.
Now, as any pageant winner will tell you,
only one person can wear the crown,
but it takes an entire team to make it to the top.
So, we're giving each of you
a master carpenter to help you build.
Justin, Jake, what's going on?
And four baking assistants each. Hello, ladies.
Now, when your precious time is up,
you will be evaluated
on your cupcakes' flavor, on your presentation,
but more importantly, how you tie it all together
into an awesome display.
You have two brief hours. Best of luck.
The clock starts now.
[ Laughs ]
We did it!
Round 3, round 3!
LENNY: I'm not going home.
Now that we're in round 3, it's time to win.
It's Miss America. I want this to be elegant.
Four tiers.
My display needs to have style, be elegant,
also put pageantry behind it.
The bottom's a square, and then you have around wrapped
gets kind of a satin fabric, maybe.
I want it to be kind of like the gowns --
darker on the bottom, lighter on the top.
And draw the sash right on there
with "Miss America" written right on there.
On top, I kind of want it to represent the crown.
I want the cupcakes going around the arch and some little lights.
It's a little glitter, a little show.
That's what Miss America is about.
See you guys in a bit.
Basically, I want a tribute to Miss America.
You want to kick it up a notch,
let's add a little glitter to it.
I want this to be glitz and glamour.
I want to have a big, red base with three square tiers
and put the Miss America logo in the front.
I want a silhouette, put a Miss America sash.
And I want to have a silhouette representing Miss America
in the middle of the shelves.
I want red rose petals on the shelves,
and I also want bling.
I want to do diamonds, and I want to do stars.
I want gold, white, and blue.
Sash, rose petals...
Bling her out.
NICOLE: This my second chance.
If I make a great display and fix my cupcakes,
I could win this.
I'll see you in a couple of hours.
Thank you.
I need one of you to help me out with these.
It's 1,000 cupcakes. We got to win.
I'm gonna do what the judges want me to do
because I want to win "Cupcake Wars."
SONJII: Diced cherries look real good,
so hopefully they won't sink to the bottom.
In the first round,
the judges noticed that my cherries were too big.
So, this time, I'm gonna chop them up,
make sure they get all over the cupcakes.
Gonna make some changes to the stars.
They're gonna be red, white, and blue.
The judges didn't like my star decorations.
They thought they were too Fourth of July,
so I'm just gonna add a little glitter
to make it more Miss American.
And the roses -- I'm gonna do 80 of these, okay?
With all these changes, I got this in the bag.
I think the decorations -- we were too abstract.
We're just gonna make them simpler.
Overall, they didn't like my decorations,
so I'm gonna simplify them.
For the dress, I'm gonna cut the bottom off,
and then we're gonna put a belt.
Great.
Apple pie --
Florian felt that the apples were too crunchy.
Two more?
So, to fix that, I'm gonna make a cinnamon icing,
and then I'm going to switch from a Granny Smith
to a Red Delicious apple.
So, it cooks faster and then it's not crunchy.
Much better.
I'm making the first batch of chocolate cupcakes.
I got 10 more to go.
LENNY: We need to hustle.
We need 10 more batches of what we have,
and we need to keep it rolling.
All right.
Whoo!
NICOLE: Cinnamon cupcakes look really good.
Chocolate going in.
Excuse me, ladies.
Did you get the second batch done on?
NICOLE: Okay.
Gonna be great.
Put the timer on?
Hey, Mallory, so funny you won a pageant 'cause I did, too.
I'm the official world's Mr. cupcake guy.
Did you make that yourself?
Oh, no. This is, like, a real thing.
I won. A big -- It was a big thing.
Surprised you didn't hear about it.
90 minutes.
Come on, Miss Kels.
Whatever you say, Mr. Cupcake.
Come on, 90 minutes, 90 minutes.
Time is running out. We have 1,000 decorations to do.
I have all those assistants working on them.
We need to hurry.
I hope the display is coming out right.
Oh, God, I hope it is.
There she is -- Miss America.
You know what the Miss America Pageant needs?
Plaid bikini.
Beautiful. Just like Miss America.
Nicole asked for rose petals. I'm giving her real rose petals.
They're looking good. They still need a few minutes.
WILLMAN: One hour left.
NICOLE: One hour left. Got an hour, ladies.
Okay, cupcakes are looking good. Everything is in the oven.
We're gonna make some changes to the crown.
1,000 cupcakes, that's just way too much.
Just check on the chocolate cupcakes and get those out.
We just got to step it up
to make sure we can frost everything.
What is wrong with these? Nicole?
NICOLE: Sonjii checked on our cinnamon cupcakes,
and she noticed that they're not rising.
Did you forget something? What'd you leave out?
O.M.G.
Looks like the baking soda.
If a cupcake is not rising, it's definitely the baking soda.
Are you serious?
We had so many mistakes that we said we wasn't even gonna make.
Once they start baking, there's no way you can fix this.
It'll cost us $10,000 over one simple ingredient.
NICOLE: Our cinnamon cupcakes, they're not rising.
Did you forget something? What'd you leave out?
O.M.G.
Looks like the baking soda.
I forgot the baking soda.
Once they start baking, there's no way you can fix this.
It'll cost us $10,000 over one simple ingredient.
We have to start over.
Okay, okay, okay.
I got my baking powder in there. Eggs going in.
I just kept thinking about $10,000.
We have to get this other batter made real fast.
Oh, man.
WILLMAN: 45 minutes.
LENNY: The dresses, I want them clipped.
And then they're gonna stand up here,
and I'm gonna put a little icing across and make a belt, okay?
You okay, Sonjii?
I'm great.
I'm gonna give this one more stir,
then I'm gonna put it in the oven.
The chocolates --
chocolates get a few of these on each one, okay?
Okay, Nicole, cinnamon cupcakes going in.
I know we have to make another batch.
I just hope it don't mess with our time.
LENNY: Hey, guys, we're almost there.
Down to the wire.
We can do it.
SONJII: Yeah, we're garnishing.
Come on, guys, $10,000 on the line.
We're almost there. We can do it.
LENNY: How we doing over there?
Just a few more on this tray to frost.
[ Buzzer ]
Yeah, yep.
Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
Perfect, good.
NICOLE: Finally, the cupcakes come out of the oven.
They look way better.
O.M.G., Mallory. Is that the crown?
It is the crown.
[ Smack! ]
30 minutes.
Kels -- Kelsey, look! Look at that!
LENNY: It looks elegant.
I think it's absolutely perfect for Miss America.
Look how gorgeous.
[ Laughing ]
You see their display?
SONJII: Yes.
NICOLE: It doesn't scream Miss America to me.
First thing I thought about was Thanksgiving.
Oh, my God. Look at the display, Sonjii.
Oh, my God.
The silhouette just screams out Miss America.
I love it.
So amazing! Thank you so much.
Oh.
That's very patriotic.
It's different.
I'm thinking we're ahead of the game.
Bakers, 10 minutes.
Let's go. Let's go.
Just put it on right here.
Come on, guys, we need to hustle.
Okay, guys, come on.
It's gonna be perfect in Atlantic City. It's close to home.
Have them facing the front, the roses racing the front.
All the way into the center. It's the only way they'll fit.
NICOLE: It's almost over.
We got this.
Come on, come on.
We got to get it on.
Oh, my God. This has to be perfect.
This is Miss America. Oh, my God.
We've come this far. We can't go back.
One minute, one minute.
SONJII: Let's just fill.
Let's just fill. Fill.
Keep it going.
10...9...8...
7...6...5...
4...3...2...1.
Time is up.
[ Applause ]
Nicole, Lenny, for this final challenge,
your job was to create a 1,000-cupcake display
worthy of the nation's greatest pageant, Miss America.
Nicole, tell us what you did.
When I thought about the Miss America pageant,
I thought about doing a silhouette of Miss America
with her sash on,
bright colors -- red, white, and blue --
gold, bling, to represent America.
I did a 360
so everybody can access it from all the way around.
I made a couple of changes to my cupcake.
The lemon cupcake, we add a little glitter to it.
And we have our sharp cheddar ham cupcake.
My cherries were too big.
So this time, I chopped them up
and make sure they get all over the cupcake.
Thank you, Nicole.
Lenny, tell us about your display.
LENNY: I decided to go really with an elegant display.
On the top, we put a little stage and lights
because it is a pageant,
and we want a nice, bright display.
And I just believe that the satin
really represented Miss America.
We did make some changes to our cupcakes, also.
We trimmed down and simplified the decorations.
The cinnamon apple, we took away the caramel icing,
went to a cinnamon icing,
changed the apples to a softer apple
so that they would not have that unbaked feel.
Lenny and Nicole, we're gonna let our judges have a chat,
check out your displays, taste your changes.
We'll see you in a few for their final decision.
Thank you, guys.
NICOLE: We both had some flavor issues,
and we both had some technical issues.
I think it's really gonna come down to the display.
I want to win so bad.
I just want to make everybody proud.
LENNY: I think with the cupcakes, we're ahead.
We had the right flavors. Our technique is better.
I feel good about what we did.
I want to win. I want to win.
WILLMAN: So, guys, I love it when we have one clear event,
but the bakers give us two very different displays.
It gives us so much to talk about,
so let's talk about Nicole's first. Candace?
Well, I love that Nicole put Miss America front and center.
I mean, it literally looks like her display
is crowning Miss America.
BELLANGER: It screams Miss America.
My only no would be with those red, blue, and white cupcakes.
It looks a bit like Fourth of July.
I agree with that it does scream a little Fourth of July.
I think she could have done away with the stars,
at least on the display,
and made the Miss America branding a little bit bigger.
I have to say, though,
I actually think this display is fantastic.
So, Nicole had a lot of changes.
BELLANGER: A ton of changes.
She had her work cut out for her. How'd she handle it?
We had a lot of comments for her,
but I'm delighted to see that she took all of our comments
and executed on them.
With her round 1 cupcake,
the dried cherries were just a little too big.
BELLANGER: She chopped it very finely.
That is way much better.
NELSON: She really overall improved the quality
of all of her cupcakes.
Well, from one side of the spectrum to the other...
Candace, what do you think?
You know, there'd nothing more feminine than Miss America,
and Lenny has given us quite a feminine and elegant display.
With the fresh flowers, with the draping,
it's actually quite stately.
BELLANGER: This display looks pretty nice,
and I like the fact that he had the arch and with the sash.
It's branded,
although the branding could have been a bit, you know, larger.
I really do love the lights, and he used the stage.
I think that that was really clever.
He tried to capture the grace of Miss America.
Lenny made a couple flavor changes.
His apple cupcake,
his apples were not cooked enough,
and now he really caramelized them and cooked them through it.
And he did a great job.
NELSON: Lenny really gave us
some delicious-tasting cupcakes today,
really solid baking throughout the day.
Candace, Florian, Miss America, do we have a winner?
Okay, let's bring them back.
Bakers, standing before us
are two beautiful and larger-than-life displays.
But being Miss America is not about being
the most beautiful or the most talented
or the most well-spoken,
it's about how all those things come together.
So, tonight's winner is the baker
who brought together all their elements --
the display, the decorations,
and most importantly, the cupcakes.
Congratulations...
...Nicole.
Aah!
You're the winner of "Cupcake Wars"!
NICOLE: I can't believe I won "Cupcake Wars."
I can't believe it.
[ Applause ]
LENNY: To get through the whole day and everything we went through,
to get that close and not win the prize, it's hard.
It's hard.
Don't cry, Nicole.
Congratulation, Nicole.
Your response looks a lot like mine.
We have to get these cupcakes to the boardwalk.
WILLMAN: Yeah!
[ Camera shutters clicking ]
NICOLE: I am so excited. I set my goals, and I made it.
I made my family proud.
You did good.
This is so important for my business.
It's gonna skyrocket out the roof.
Congratulations for winning! That is so awesome!
Thank you.
We're gonna be able to get our delivery truck
and then open up a second shop.
So good.
I just can't believe it.
This is the best cupcake I have ever had.
That's a dream come true.
ALL: We love "Cupcake Wars"!