Winner Cake All episode review: Cakes are a laughing matter

In this Winner Cake All episode review, these cakes needed to find the laughter but did the final product become a big joke?

Is there a difference between laughter and being a joke? In this Winner Cake All episode review, the bakers had to find the funny without becoming a joking matter. When it comes to taking the baking stage, some designs hit a high mark and other designs might need the hook. Which baking team earns the audience’s respect?

For the cake decoration challenge, the four baking teams needed to create a cake topper that showcased a spectacular performance. Since the theme was incredibly broad, the bakers went in four totally different directions. While there was one clear “winner,” the other designs each had some faults.

Looking at the first challenge, it was clear that Christine and Erin would be moving onto the next round. Their isomalt crystal ball was superb. More importantly, the overall physic scene was cohesive. From color to details, there were few faults. While it didn’t have height, it did have a lot of visual appeal.

Kim and Cindy had a nice cake decoration as well. Although their hula dancer looked like she was buried in sand, the scene was pretty. With crashing waves and lovely theme, the cake decoration was good. Overall, they were a little ambitious, but they earned a spot in the second round.

The bottom two baking teams were Jennifer and Jessica and John and Karina. John and Karina had a nice theme for their cake decoration. The calle ocho samba crown was colorful. Unfortunately, they had technical issues which made the vibe a little sad.

Jennifer and Jessica had technical issues as well. Their unicycles had flat tires and the design was somewhat simple. Still, some aspects, like the faces, were well done.

The baking team not moving onto the second round was John and Karina. Truthfully, the judges got it wrong. While John and Karina made a mistake with their crown, the concept was better than Jennifer and John. More importantly, the second round might be too much of a challenge for the more novice team.

For the main challenge on this Winner Cake All episode review, Loni Love asked the bakers to create a celebratory cake for the Improv’s 55th anniversary. This cake should incorporate comedic elements. More importantly, she wanted a huge statement that would impress all the comics.

As for flavor, the cake should be either red velvet or chocolate. Again, the cake flavor isn’t anything too controversial or difficult. While red velvet can be a little divisive, the flavor isn’t too out of the ordinary.

Looking at the three final designs, it was pretty obvious that Jennifer and Jessica would not win the final prize. Their cake flavor was moist, dense and not overly sweet. But, the butterscotch pudding filling was a miss. That item should be left for the bowl, not used as a cake filling.

More importantly, their display was a little messy. While the judges tried to find nice things to say, their display wasn’t has advanced as the other bakers. Simple mistakes, like no straight lines, can’t be overlooked in this type of Food Network baking competition.

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Cindy and Kim had a very, very ambitious cake design. They definitely went with the idea of having a huge visual statement. Unfortunately, this statement wasn’t conducive for this baking competition.

In previous episodes, the bakers have commented that the baking tent is very, very warm. A warm environment means that icing melts, fondant doesn’t stick and many other baking issues.

Of course, all the bakers have the same environment. Still, the bakers who choose wisely will be more successful.

For Cindy and Kim, their huge cake couldn’t fit into a refrigerator or blast chiller. That scenario meant that parts of the decoration could fall off. Fondant, icing, etc. doesn’t stick well to a warm cake.

While they didn’t have a completely falling cake, the design was a little wonky. Bud Friedman looked a little like Michael from accounting. As the cake was being wheeled away, it started to slowly fall apart.

The technical issues are disappointing because this baking team had the best flavored cake. The red velvet cake was moist, yet not too sweet. Additionally, the crunch element in the layers was delicious. It was a great cake to enjoy with a cocktail.

Lastly, Erin and Christine easily had the most visually impressive cake. While there were some flaws (the comics’ references weren’t visible from afar), the big visual impact was the best of the three displays. Smart choices made this display have a big impact.

Unfortunately, this baking team got dinged for their flavor. Using shortening in a buttercream is a Food Network don’t. It leads to a fake, tongue coating flavor that isn’t a good choice. Additionally, the chocolate salted caramel (laugh until you cry) was just not the best choice.

The judges had to choose between a cake that they loved with melting visuals or a cake they disliked with an impressive display. I this week’s Winner Cake All episode review, the visuals prevailed. Erin and Christine won this week’s episode.

If Cindy and Kim didn’t have a cake that was falling apart, they probably would have won. Maybe next time, that baking team will adapt better during the competition.

What did you think of this week’s Winner Cake All episode? Did the judges get it right?