Buddy vs. Duff magical cakes: Was there a disappearing cake?

Buddy vs. Duff magical cakes seemed to have cast a spell on the audience and the judges. But, did a disappearing cake cause a shift in the competition?

Where did the cake go? In Buddy vs. Duff magical cakes episode, the audience might have been wowed by performance art and showmanship. Still, this Food Network competition is about being the king of cake. What happens when the cake has all but disappeared?

Going into this week’s episode, Duff seemed to have a huge lead. Since this series is a competition, everyone could have guessed that a shift would be coming. It would be very unlikely that Duff would run away with the title. Still, did anyone see the twist coming?

For the bake-off, Duff and Buddy tackled donuts. In the donut world, the classic, old school donuts have become replaced with bold flavors, crazy combinations and gigantic bites. The two chefs showed their different approaches to baking and desserts.

Buddy was clearly in his element. Randy’s Donuts is a professional donut shop with lots of tricks for making lots and lots of donuts. In this setting, Buddy’s classic glazed donut was a huge hit. Sometimes a classic is a perfect bite.

https://twitter.com/FoodNetwork/status/1115060067794128896

This classic glazed donut (even using the glazing machine) shows why Carlo’s Bakery has such a long, storied history. When something is done right, it can be enjoyed day after day and year after year. The judges commented that this donut was superb.

Unfortunately, Buddy’s second donut was a miss. The caramel was too light and the flavor was slightly too salty. Without the brulee aspect, the donut fell flat.

Duff overachieved again. He produced three donuts and one donut sandwich. Although he had a mishap in the middle of the bake-off (glass in the batter), he recovered well. Still, the old fashioned donut was a little greasy. It is a little strange that Duff was using a super small fryer when Buddy was using the industrial size fryer.

Still, Duff’s other donuts were good. The combination of flavors won over the judges. From the NY/Boston homage donut to the blueberry cake donuts, these donuts pushed the flavors forward.

It was a little curious that the fried chicken donut sandwich wasn’t featured in the episode. The only thing shown was the final product. It would have been nice to see how this sandwich was made.

In a surprising twist, Duff won the bake-off. That win put Duff in a huge lead. But, the competition isn’t over. Did anyone think that Buddy would catch back up in the next challenge?

For the cake-off, Buddy vs. Duff magical cakes was the tricky theme. Presented at the Magic Castle, these cakes for Penn and Teller needed to have a spark of mystery, intrigue and magic. But, should all of the cake really disappear?

Looking at the two cakes, the approaches were very, very different. That theme has been apparent throughout the season. For the most part, Buddy makes large stacked cakes. Duff thinks outside of the box. Still, cake is the focus of this competition.

Duff, while very creative, has been using less and less cake. Last week’s wedding cake challenge had just a few small, round cakes. This week’s display had a thin, small sheet cake. Where was the cake?

Yes, Duff had an adorable rabbit, but it wasn’t cake. The wooden box was covered in fondant, but it wasn’t cake. It was a case of the disappearing cake.

Duff had great showmanship in his presentation. Sure, he sawed Geoff in half, but it wasn’t a “show” competition. It was a cake competition.

Buddy focused on what he does well, make stacked cakes. While the cake had numerous magical images, it was a stacked cake.

The highlight of his cake was the mirror trick. Good thing that he listened to Ralph. That tricked seemed to have put Buddy’s cake in a better light.

Still, Buddy needs to focus on the details. While height is impressive, the hand was a little sloppy. Every decoration needs to be on point.

In the end, Buddy vs. Duff magical cakes was won by Buddy. His sizeable win (24 vs 16) causes the competition to be tied going into the finale.

Looking ahead to the final episode, the two remaining challenges should really push the bakers. From chocolate desserts that need to conceal engagement rings to space themed cakes for the last challenge, this episode should be filled with over the top creations.

For this week’s episode, did Duff make the right choice with his magical cake? Who do you think will be crowned King of Cake, Buddy or Duff? Make sure to watch next week’s finale to find out.