Spring Baking Championship Season 8 episode 2 recap: Good times rolling again

The beads might not be flying, but Spring Baking Championship Season 8 episode 2 is all about Mardi Gras. Although Fat Tuesday might have passed, these desserts will have everyone longing for a taste of that sweetness. But, like any Food Network competition show, nothing is ever quite that simple.

As the pre-heat begins, the bakers had to stretch their creativity a little. While a King Cake is classic Mardi Gras food, this challenge would never be as simple as make a King Cake. Instead, the bakers had to create two desserts that capture those classic flavors.

Given that the kitchen is full of bakers, it is hard to determine who are top and bottom bakers unless there has been a big mistake. But, one theme seemed to emerge from this pre-heat. Where was the cinnamon?

Overall, one of the common complaints from the judges was that the desserts lacked a strong cinnamon flavor. Whether the bakers were timid or the judges wanted more is unclear. Still, it appeared that the desserts needed a punch of flavor.

Looking at the pre-heat desserts, everything was ok, but there were few wow desserts. Even though some bakers may not want to make a splash in the beginning, there is something to be said about starting to impress the judges in a good way. Just blending or being in the middle won’t be a good choice for long.

Although the pre-heat does not have elimination consequences, the advantage is usually one that can help the baker get to the next round. Anything to help a baker stay safe is always a good thing.

The top pre-heat desserts were Justin and Diego and both of these desserts were quite different. Justin took a more plated dessert approach. It was an elegant presentation, which made it stand out. It might not have been full of sprinkles, but it was visually stunning. Plus, combining the two desserts with their flavors was smart.

Diego’s dessert was bold in flavor and color. While some might not be familiar with the Italian dessert, it is one that the judges loved. It conveyed that cinnamon flavor. More importantly, Diego’s dessert was dynamic. It captured the enthusiasm of Mardi Gras.

The judges picked Diego as the pre-heat winner. While he received his ribbon, the advantage would be revealed later in the elimination round.

A new item added to Spring Baking Championship Season 8 is the ribbons. While many people can appreciate the blue ribbon reference, this idea seems to be more than just a visual. If one baker can amass a lot of ribbons, it could be an intimidation factor. Anyone doubting their abilities could feel they might not be able to overtake the baker who has accumulated so many ribbons.

Were the beads flying in Spring Baking Championship Season 8 episode 2?

For the main heat, the bakers might have wanted to take a back seat to this challenge, which was creating Mardi Gras Parade Float cake. Given the limited amount of time, no one was expecting the bakers to create actually moving floats. Still, these cakes needed to be more than just two layers stacked on top of each other.

In addition, each baker had a specific cake flavor. Each flavor was based on a cocktail. In some ways, this challenge might have been a dream for Nancy Fuller. She is always a little extra excited when there is a little “snort” in that dessert.

Of course, there was a twist revealed in the challenge. Since it was a Mardi Gras theme, the challenge would not be complete without a beignet. The bakers had to include beignets on their parade float cake. But, Diego would not. His advantage was that he didn’t have to make beignets.

Before the main heat started, another twist was revealed. Two new bakers faced a head to head battle to join the original 12 bakers. While this option was slightly better received than having a previous season’s baker return to the competition, the reality is that the original bakers couldn’t have been happy. It is one more person to beat.

The face to face battle was Marco versus Stephon. One of those two parade float cakes would earn them a spot.

Looking at the two cakes, they would have been middle bakers in comparison to the other offerings. It wasn’t that the cakes were sub-par, they just didn’t stand out in any way.

Marco had a pretty cake, but it was just a nice yellow cake. It didn’t taste like a hurricane, it was more tart or bitter than the flavor of the cocktail. Also, his décor was interesting, but it was a little askew. But, his beignets were really good.

Stephon had a nice cake. The judges liked his chocolate cake flavor and the crunch from the pecan was a nice touch. His buttercream decor was impressive. But, his beignets were a disaster. Given that he is from New Orleans, his dense beignets were a big oversight.

Still, only one baker would move into the competition. In a surprising choice, the judges picked Stephon. Given that his beignets were a mess, it is interesting that he moved into the competition. It must have been a really good chocolate cake.

In some ways, this decision seemed to reflect a theme in the main heat. Beignets were mostly nays. It was shocking how many bakers just couldn’t make a beignet. From uncooked dough to over fried, dense messes. There were more misses than hits. Deigo should be happy that he got a pass on this element.

Similar to the pre-heat, the judges were not pleased with the lack of boozy flavor. It seemed that Nancy was constantly missing that little nip. Maybe the bakers just do not appreciate that they need to amp up the flavors. Even though it seems silly, the bakers need to start to adapt their choices.

Although, that idea doesn’t apply to extract flavors. Overusing mint extract will never earn praises from the judges.

The top bakers were rather obvious. Diego again soared to the top. While not having to make beignets was a benefit, it was more than just that concept. His parade float cake captured the festivities and the flavors.

Tom went above and beyond with his cake. By choosing to carve a cake with such a limited amount of time, he impressed the judges. Also, he had boozy flavor, unlike many of the other cakes. Most importantly, he nailed the beignets.

As the most realistic cake and the best beignet, Tom won the main heat. Maybe that glitter brought a little luck.

Unfortunately the bottom bakers did not fare as well. Dennis and Jennifer both had big missteps. Dennis’ passion fruit flavors were too tart and his frosting was too sweet. It was an imbalanced dessert.

Jennifer made the dreaded mistake of too much mint extract. It was missing bourbon and her color palate was Easter, not Mardi Gras. Jennifer was eliminated.

Spring Baking Championship Season 8 episode 2 might not have been all the good times rolling in the baking barn. Given that Jaleesa had a huge panic attack, it shows the pressure of the competition. Sometimes people forget that these bakers gave up a lot to be on the Food Network competition.

What do you think of Spring Baking Championship Season 8? Has all the drama made you watch more?

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