Spring Baking Championship Season 9 episode 2 recap: Birds, bees, and bold flavors

While this Spring Baking Championship Season 9 is all about love, that sentiment is not always sweet. A little heat in the mix can make that first bite even more enjoyable. In Spring Baking Championship Season 9 episode 2, the birds, bees, and bold flavors had these bakers feeling a little hot under the collar.

For the pre-heat challenge, the bakers had to create itty bitty bento box cakes with aphrodisiac ingredients. From avocado to saffron to cinnamon, the flavors were easily adaptable to this cake challenge.

Although the flavors did not present a huge problem, time management and execution were many bakers’ downfall. The tiny cakes might be cute, but they are harder to make than a bigger cake. These bakers needed to appreciate the complexity of this challenge.

Unfortunately, the bee and bird cakes had more misses than hits. From lack of decoration to leaning cakes, some desserts fall under the better eaten not seen category.

Still, two bakers soared to the top. After struggling in the first episode, Victoria was a top baker in the pre-heat. Her avocado cakes had a lovely, simple design but the flavor was even better. She was smart in her choices and execution.

Molly nailed the pre-heat. Her tiny bento box cakes looked like they were straight from the bakery case. Her bee and bird design was clear and her flavors were on point. Molly won the pre-heat challenge.

The main heat challenge on Spring Baking Championship Season 9 episode 2 combined two flavors that no one saw coming. The bakers had to create a cake using passion fruit and a chili. Tart and heat are not necessarily the most common pairing, but someone thought these two ingredients could cause the love flames to rise.

For winning the pre-heat, Molly was able to choose her exclusive chili pepper. She picked habanero, which is an unusual choice. It was the spiciest of all the chilis available. Even though she knew that chili, she needed to ensure that she didn’t destroy the judges’ palates with the spice levels.

Although it is still early in the Food Network baking competition, a pattern is starting to emerge. Christian seems to be a favorite. He is really pushing himself.

For this challenge, Christian chose to do a Charlotte Royale, which has stumped many bakers in Spring Baking Championship. Even though he used his backup version, the technique was impressive. Overall, he found the balance between heat and tart. It was clearly a top choice.

A new baker in the top was Jessica. The judges appreciated the passion fruit and heat in her bake. The chutney contrasted with the poutine crunch was sublime.

Another top baker was Jai. Although she struggled in the pre-heat, the main heat was her moment to shine. The coconut passionfruit flavor was well balanced. Plus, her décor was artistic.

For the second week in a row, Jai won the main heat challenge. It seems that she and Christian might be the bakers to beat. Only time will tell.

Unfortunately, the two bakers failed with their execution. Michelle and Victoria were in the bottom. Even though Victoria was in the top in the pre-heat, this challenge saw her struggle. Her design seemed more like holiday baking than spring baking. In addition, the ratio of cake to pastry cream was very off. It was a miss.

Michelle’s cake was too light on flavor. In addition, her design hit the wrong note. It didn’t spark the heat for a romance to remember. If an opera cake was to hit a high note, this dessert fell flat.

In the end, the judges chose to eliminate Victoria. Give that she had more misses that highlights, the judges felt that she was too unpredictable to keep in the competition.

What challenge will the bakers face next on Spring Baking Championship Season 9? It might be time to break some hearts or dreams in the next episode.