I hope this is the right forum, I glanced for one about TV shows, but couldn't find one.

I have been watching this for a few weeks now and it's really good! Especially the part when they have to move these huge cakes up the ramp. .

Anyway, they have a taste competition in the middle of the show, where they have to submit their cake flavors to the judges, and the winner gets to set someone out of the competition for 30 minutes.

They NEVER seem to be using the cakes they submit to the judges in their cakes, tho! Most of them look like just yellow and chocolate pound cakes.

I guess I'm just wondering why that part of the competition is relevant if they don't use their submitted flavors, and if they do, somehow, what if a loser of that part of the competition actually ends up winning the whole thing? It doesn't look like they bake a new cake for the client requesting the cake, so what's the point of the whole flavor part?

I'm rambling, lol!

I watch it. I am sure the cake are all incredible tasting. This is just a best of the best competition. About the cake flavor, I noticed that too. I guess there are kitchen cakes involved. But I would hate to get the sculpting cake as my piece.

I watch it when I get a chance. I noticed that about the cake flavors too. What I think bothers me the most about this show and the cupcake wars show is the head designer's helpers don't get recognized for the end result after running around like crazy trying to help make them look good. Probably just me.

From what I have read on here from contestants, they don't actually serve the decorated cake. It is for display at the event only. Apparently they make separte cakes to serve.

I saw that today when I watched the Lego competition. The cake stayed intact, and they had tables set up with plates of cake on it. But still, why have the taste challenge if it doesn't factor in on winning the competition? If the judges thought the cake was dry and not very flavorful, I'd feel horrible knowing I was serving it anyway, lol.

Oh, and I agree about the helpers! The designers wouldn't stand a chance without them, yet they make them leave for the judging and don't give them any recognition. That stinks.

Does anybody know if they are ever going to start doing new episodes? I just love this show!!

I started putting it in the TiVo about a month ago, maybe less, so I'm always watching new ones, lol. I never thought about them being reruns because I have it set to record first run only. I'll be bored when it goes into all reruns, lol.

I also watch Amazing Wedding Cakes, which is ALWAYS a rerun when I find it on. There's another one that I watch too, but I don't remember the name of it..I like it because they tell how much the cakes are selling for! I like that because it gives me an idea of what some of the things I make really can be worth. In spite of the fact that I'd never get anywhere near that where I live, lol. It's good to know.

pretty: It's Fabulous Cakes.

Hi,
I can help answer your questions. I was on the Ultimate Cake Off- Monster Jam episode as an assistant on the green team. I was SO much fun! Our show was taped in January 2010 and aired in March. It's been on re runs a few times since last year.

Anyway, in the rules for UCO, they have each team make their "signature" or specialty cake for tasting. Believe it or not, it's a requirement that a portion of that tasting cake is suppose to actually be in the huge display cake. I know my team did put a 10" square cake of the signature flavor into a corner section of our cake. I have no idea if other teams did as well because nobody checked. ( in fact nobody, meaning producers checked a lot of things that were actual requirements in the rules)

Our huge display cake was chocolate and white cakes with just buttercream filling between layers, except that one 10" square as I stated above which was a special flavor combo. None of the cakes are actually served to anyone. In fact, they are taken apart and thrown in a dumpster outside the studio after taping. I've heard from other competitors that their cakes were partly eaten by the TLC crew though. But remember, most these cakes are a good 300-500 servings or more. The cakes are made in advance as is the frosting in the competitors home town and brought to the set. Not to say it's not edible, but the show is taped on a kitchen set, not a real kitchen (didn't even have hot water) and therefore is not technically up to any health code.

The winning cake is partly taken apart for transport to the venue and then reassembled and presented to the guests. TLC provides other sheet cakes to actually be served. They may cut into a portion of the show cake just for tv purposes.

The reason for doing a tasting challenge, is basically for the fun of it and just to have another thing to compete for. Same goes with the skills challenge. Also, keep in mind that the show is highly edited so you only see small bits of what goes on in the 9+ hours of taping.

Thank you all for mentioning about the assistants not getting enough credit! I, for one am not ashamed to say that I worked my booty off for this competition, both before we got to the set and during the show itself. It was A LOT of work, a LOT of frustration, a LOT of craziness and a LOT of fun! After our show aired, I talked to judge, Leigh Grode and she told me that up to that point, our cake and the winning cake ( which belonged to the yellow team, Ashley Vicos) was the closest judging they'd ever had. I kind of laughed and said I'm sure she says that to all the teams after every show and she assured me that she doesn't lie and that it was truely a very hard decision. Both she and Margaret Braun told us that they'd want us to come back for sure. I'd do it again in a heartbeat but sadly, TLC pulled the plug on the show. No idea why really other than I've heard ratings were not good enough.

Anyway, hope that helps answer some questions.

KimAZ

Wow, Kim! Thanks so much for explaining that! I had no idea they pulled the plug on it. Probably because they really didn't advertise it heavily like they do the FoodNetwork shows...Maybe? I know I only happened upon it because I typed "cake" into the TiVo search box, lol!

I did notice today during the Lego challenge I was watching, that they were putting a raspberry filling on what looked to be a 16x16 part of one of the cakes. That must have been the part for the judging!

I'm glad it was so much fun for you! Hopefully you'll make your way to another cake competition show now that you're a seasoned pro, lol!!

I was contacted last fall to be a part of the show. Don't know if I would have made it in the end but I backed out when I found that they only pay airfare, hotel and a small stipend for a few expenses. The cakes, equipment, supplies and everything that goes with it is the competitors expense. Too rich for my pocket, I figured it would cost me several thousand dollars to take part.

Awe, that's too bad!

So do they tell you ahead of time who you're going to bake for? It seems like all the kitchens have everything they need when they "find out" and aren't searching or substituting for molds or quantities of supplies. How do they get all the cake there if they fly in? Or do you have time to bake before the competition starts?

Silly questions, I know. I just always think about this stuff and never had anyone to ask before, lol.

I didn't get that far, I asked the money question first because I had heard that a lot of the competition shows were at your expense. I do believe they ship their cakes because a couple of shows have talked about damage or a shipment not arriving.

Ohhh...well that makes sense, I guess.

It seems that with all the money these networks make, they could make it easier to compete. I mean if people didn't need $10K or that prize money they're working for, they wouldn't have to enter competitions in the first place!

The competitors are told ahead of time what the theme will be but not nessicarily who exactly the cake will be made for. So each team makes or gets their own supplies, tools, cakes, etc ready to transport to the studio. In our case, we drove over to CA from AZ so we had two trucks full of our stuff. Other teams had to fly with their stuff. Some bring their own cakes, some baked them at other places in CA before the competition and some bought cakes to use.

There are no real kitchen equipment on set. It's all fake, except for the microwave. It's a tv set so nothing can actually be made there.

I know our lead decorator paid a lot of money out of pocket for this whole thing. Easily several thousand dollars. But after the show aired, and even though we didn't win, her business has picked up tremendously so it was worth it for sure. Atleast you know going into it what TLC pays for and what they don't.

KimAZ