Can't wait to see what happens with this Sunday's challenge
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_cc/episode/0,2495,FOOD_20077_51841,00.html

She is a tough competitor. She does not sweat the small stuff!

I don't know about the rest of you all, but these cake challenges have become less and less fun to watch. I think the judges have been highly critical of the contestants and it makes me feel embarrassed for both the competitiors and the judges. The villian cake contest about put me over the edge - the judges were just downright mean.

I thought these were supposed to be fun, challenging, and most of all, show the world how much fun cake can really be. I know that editing is a big part of the show, but come on....

I also have been to two tapings of FN Challenge (you don't need tickets to be in the audience, you just need to go there when they're doing the filming which they post on their website frequently). I've also been following the threads here and there's one thing for certain, I think they watch our boards for what our comments are because we literally are their prime target market because of what you see for comments here to the next season of shows.

Kerry was NOT her usual self judging this competition if your only opinion of her is formed by watching the Challenges. She was one of the judges at one of the challenges I attended and yes, Kerry really IS encouraging when someone is having a rough go at things just like she was at the competitors on this challenge. She's absolutely encouraging to those coming up in this industry especially those of us who focus our work on the upper end designs. When she sees talent she encourages them to get involved to build their reputation on a larger scale. She's got a details eye and is critical on the details when she HAS to be. You can't judge a competition in general if you aren't a strong details person but a judge means just that to JUDGE.

As for Bronwen, I have felt the same exact way when I was competing with livestock at the fair in my 4-H & FFA days. There were a number of times that I thought the judge's opinion SUCKED! (and made it known) She just happened to get caught doing it on nat'l television (there is umteen HOURS they narrow down into a few 5-second sound bites, that would make ANYONE, even someone to the likes of Mother Theresa, look bad)... BUT, there's a saying that those of us "underdogs" have when competing is that yes, we're there to win, we know where our work really ranked that day (yes, we all are self-loathing sometimes about our work and honest about where we were that day), but when it comes to judges... "Opinions are like holes, everyone's got one, and sometimes they just stink!" and move on

I don't fault Bronwen for one moment for being honest with the viewers that yes, the competitors on these shows really DO have honest and REAL feelings. It sucks to lose especially when the reason you lost in the past was by NOT having a 360 degree piece, you practiced your piece to perfection, and someone else wins for errors that you got beat up on for.

I think Bronwen really needs to get her shot at judging one of these days!! I think she'd be great

As for the guy that wanted to quit, I guess my thought is that he probably wasn't truly prepared for what he was going to be facing on the day of the competition. And the assistant deserves major brownie points for pushing through it. Granted, not everyone can afford to stop a day or three of production time in the real world bakery to practice for these things, but that's probably what it ultimately came down to is that both teams that didn't finish hadn't practiced enough or had a written time-frame of what needed to be done by when to keep them on track. It's a much harder experience for these competitors than people think it is.

I think they need to do a series of "Food Network Challenge: Behind the Scenes".. And show the realities of Keegan, and the other guys/gals in the crew unloading trucks, getting absolutely no sleep to get ready for these shoots along with another showing the preparations that go into getting ready for these competitions and what the total bill comes out to be just to compete and the reason why they actually do the competitions to get the exposure.

Remember, it could be you up there on a challenge of weeks of prep time and everything going less than expected during the 9 hours of filming narrowed down to 35 minutes of run time (not including commercial breaks)

Very well said CoutureCake. I think it falls to the adage of "Don't judge someone until you have walked a mile in their moccasins." My first reaction to her remarks upon losing was that she was a sore loser. After reading this thread the past two days, I realize that what she said on national television was just a small part of the whole challenge.

Compared to these professionals, what I know would fit in a very small thimble. My hat's off to all of the competitors in all of these cake challenges.

Diane

I was watching too. I was surprised by the outcome but I guess if Bronwen wins every time people will stop watching (know what I mean?!?!)

my one question is the technique I saw with using roayl icing to make a fondant "stamp". anyone know what that clear mount was? is it plastic? glass? anyone know how to do this and could you tell me how to do it?!?!

thanks
tara

This was my thought. Bronwen lost the villain cake challenge to Mike. Bronwen was put into a competition with a bunch of newcomers. She said it best when she said "we thought we had it in the bag". When you are SO certain you are going to win and then you don't. Makes for an unhappy camper.

I didn't think her comments were that bad. She said she was very happy for Mary and just felt crappy for herself and said she thought she earned the win. I could definitely tell she was disappointed but her comments didn't shock me.

Hey everyone has a bad day, and says things they don't want broadcast to the whole world.
I'm just SO unhappy with the editing on the new challenges. I don't want the drama, I don't want talking heads - I want to see them creating the cakes!

I say we all write and have duff the judge from now on. He has a laugh that always makes you smile. He is way more fun. Not as critical.

Tara and Ckkerber, if you take a piece of thin plexiglass (get some at the hardware store or craft store) and place it over a picture that you'd like to recreate, and pipe over the lines with royal icing and then let it dry, it will make a stamp that you can imprint fondant with.

Deanna

Thanks TooMuchCake! THat's what i thought she meant!

Thanks, Deanna. I can't wait to try it! I'd imagine it would work with crusting buttercream, too, to give a guide to follow while piping. Very cool technique!

thank you for answering that question

You're welcome. Yes, you can use the royal stamp on crusting buttercream, too.

Deanna

I wanna see more cake too. I mean they're really cool, but um, CAKE challenge. And I need no drama. I completely watch for inspiration and ideas and hope that one day I might possibly maybe hopefully be that good. Loved that Bronwen's cake had so much, well, cake! But I did love all the little features of the winning cake. I couldn't pick! As far as quitting, you decide to do something, do it! All the way. If it was a cake being made for someone, you push and get the best result you can. I'd have loved to have seen the Bart completed. It was well on it's way to being great. And I appreciate anyone who has the strength and willingness to put themselves out there and do this.

I have a question on the Krusty cake. She said she made impression templates of the Simpson characters that she used on the fondant. Did anyone catch how she made these templates?

I loved mary's cake and happy she won. I did like the donut cake too, but the dount did overpower what was important which was the simpsons.