Just finished watching it a little while ago, and I have to say this...WHO THE HECK DOES KERRY VINCENT THINK SHE IS?!?
Granted, she's an amazing decorator. Very talented. Years of experience. Written books. Blah, blah, blah...
But the way she talks and puts down the competitors, you'd think she never made a mistake in her life. I'd love to see HER in the next cake competition - that's all I'm sayin'. lol!
This is the most condescending I've ever seen her. I was really put off by her know-it-all attitude.
As is the traditional reply... If you were to meet Kerry in person when she's NOT judging she's really rather encouraging to everyone in the cake biz. Remember she's there to BE the critical eye. She's a details person and a perfectionist when she does get into the kitchen. OTOH, Kerry has also been known to bend the rules herself if you watch some of the episodes filmed at the OSSAS show. She's not a "stick in the mud", she's a staff to help someone up not kick when they're down! It's been discussed ad nauseum but what you see on the show is out of 12 hours of filming time narrowed down to 30 minutes of show time (once you take out for ads it's only about a 30 minute show)..
Granted, it'd be fun to watch Duff and Colette judge a competition of Kerry, Keegan, Nick, and that other announcer guy... but ANYWAYS, they all really are good with what they do and I wouldn't want to compete against them because I'd probably get my 
kicked home... 
I understand that "critical eye" when she's judging at OSSAS, but the FN challenges are a whole different ballgame. In 8 hours, you have to meet with your "client", design a cake at least 3 feet tall, and create that cake... hoping that you brought enough supplies to complete it. You work under hot lights and in front of an audience and with 3 (or 4 if you include the teenage girl) very critical people and a camera crew hovering over you and distracting you. Not to mention knowing that all your competitors are watching as well (and secretly hoping your cake will fall! LOL!).
I just don't think she needs make such rude comments, when I don't know that she could accomplish all that in 8 hours.
She doesn't judge at OSSAS, she runs the show! OSSAS is her baby, she makes the decisions and it's FAR more competitive there than the Challenges could EVER hope to be.. The bakers going to the Challenges have had time to prepare it's the production staff and editing that creates the drama in it. The competitors flip the bill for what you see on the show so of COURSE they can only bring so much "stuff" with them AND, they're limited on the amount of stuff they actually CAN bring with them because they're required to use pretty much everything they bring with them.
I loved all of the cakes. I think all of them did what they were supposed to do. I think if I were a girl having the chance to have such a fancy 16th birthday, I wouldn't have turned my nose up to any one of them. I just think that is teaching young people how to be rude to adults.
Yes I think the Kerri could have a little more tack in how she delivers, but then again we are only seeing part of it.
All of the cake would have been fit for a princess of 16.
cCc
Can't believe I missed it! I've got it recording later on when it repeats! Love the cake challenges!
Now I have to get up that much earlier to watch before I go off to run errands and take DD to the doctor!
Yes, the magic of TV everyone. I have seen four Challenges in person. KERRY is a giving person. I just tire of these debates about what we see on TV. She has accolades coming out of her ears. She is not a judge at OSSAS, She owns the show pretty much! It has been her ansd Loy's baby for quite sometime now.
I have the show recorded and have yet to watch it. I am glad to hear Kerry is on the show.
She is a very down to earth woman. I emailed her back in February about my show cake and she immediately replied and gave me some very helpful advice. She gave me her phone number and said to call if I had any questions. I didn't call but I thought that was very nice. She also had emailed to me the air dates for the OSAS on Food Network.
Funny thing is I immediately emailed my sister and told her about Kerry's reply and I called her the "Queen of decorating" and I mistakenly sent Kerry that email!!!!!!!! 
She replied back with that email saying "I think you meant to send this to someone else. I assure you I am no Queen..................." She went on about other things but I thought that was so cool!!!
Anyway, here is what she wrote:
Dear Amy:
I think you meant this to go to someone else.
Don't worry, I am no queen, am very down to earth, say what's on my mind, get flack for it from time to time, stick to principle and honesty and the rest is just fluff -- write anytime you like, your e-mails are as welcome as the flowers in May!
Best always,
Kerry
That that was funny!
Amy
Anyway, here is what she wrote:
Dear Amy:
I think you meant this to go to someone else.
Don't worry, I am no queen, am very down to earth, say what's on my mind, get flack for it from time to time, stick to principle and honesty and the rest is just fluff -- write anytime you like, your e-mails are as welcome as the flowers in May!
Best always,
Kerry
That that was funny!
Amy
THAT is the Kerry I've met!! However for a short time that I was able to chat with her because she WAS judging a FN Challenge, but she was so encouraging about getting involved in the industry PR stuff and going to Oklahoma (in due time, I want to get some more stripes in).
To be honest, I was a bit shy about going and saying "Hi" at the ICES Convention...
I value any advice she has to give! I should get a chance to watch the show tomorrow!!! Can't wait to see it!
I'm sure she can be a wonderful person...
It's also possible that (like Bronwen) the more of these competitions she's a part of, and the more times she's on TV - the smaller her britches are getting for her.
But I could be wrong; that's just the way it seems to me.
I'm sure she can be a wonderful person...
It's also possible that (like Bronwen) the more of these competitions she's a part of, and the more times she's on TV - the smaller her britches are getting for her.
But I could be wrong; that's just the way it seems to me.
Bronwen a friend of mine and is also a wonderful person. I just chatted with her via email and have had the honor of just hanging out with her. My husband works on TV. I have to say that most everything you hear or see has been edited in some way shape or form. I have known Bronwen for a couple of years now and she has always been giving and sharing.
OH no! I missed it! I thought it was on at 9pm but all i got was the iron chef. 
Will they replay it?
Oh beachcakes, of course they will replay it for the next month over and over ad naseaum.......... 
August 20, 2007 3:00 AM ET/PT
August 22, 2007 9:00 PM ET/PT
August 23, 2007 12:00 AM ET/PT
August 25, 2007 6:00 PM ET/PT
August 26, 2007 3:00 PM ET/PT
What I liked about this challenge is that it didnt rely on some already preexisting TV, Movie and/or Industry characters just to continue to market that character even further into our popular culture!
Did anyone catch how the cookies and cream cake was set up? The layers were chocolate and white or ? Or a recipe for it? I'd love to taste a cake like that. Too bad they didn't give out any recipes this time.
For those who don't know, they've given out a fair amount of recipes of name cake decorators through these challenges.
Duff's Buttercream
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32891,00.html?rsrc=search
Kim Morrison's Buttercream
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30215,00.html?rsrc=search
Colette Peter's Chocolate Bourbon Coconut Cake
(Wedding Cake Challenge)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30225,00.html?rsrc=search
Stanton Ho Genoise with Buttercream-Italian Meringue
(Wedding cake challenge)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30224,00.html?rsrc=search
Michelle Bommarito "Rich Chocolate Cake with New York Attitude"
(Wedding Cake Challenge)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30220,00.html?rsrc=search
Bronwen Weber's Milk Chocolate Cupcakes
(Cupcake Challenge) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32103,00.html?rsrc=search
There's a lot more on the FN site, including the recipes from not cake-related challenges.
Thanks. I think I'll have to reDVR it and watch for details during the explanation for filling.
I'm wondering if it's "just TV" or if the fillings are always that thick in these cakes. Tell me if it didn't seem that the cookies and cream filling and chocolate ganache seemed to be at least 1/2" thick!?! Is this only because it was specifically for the tasting? It seems that if the bottom layer of cake were actually this saturated with filling that it would surely bulge and give out-wouldn't it?! I don't put even HALF that amount of filling...maybe I should?!
While I haven't sat down and talked to Kerry I have seen her in person and have heard her talk to a large group. She always speaks very well, with very thought out ideas.
I agree that what you see on TV is what the people running the network what you to see. The average person wouldn't watch the cake challenges unless there were drama involved.
As far as the cookies and cream filling. There is a recipe floating around here that uses some kind of whip cream. I have made my own version just using my basic butter cream with crushed oreos mixed in. Yummy!! I did a cake like that, the white and chocolate layers with the cookies and cream for my nephew's b-day.
I was a little surprised that the cake with the 16 princess crown on top and purse was considered too young. I thought it would have been perfect for a 16 yr. old girl. Shoot, I'm 25 and would have been more than pleased to have that as my own cake. It's too bad.
The winning cake was gorgeous but I really thought the other one screamed "Sweet 16"!!!
CakesByMonica: Thank you for all the links. I didn't even know that those recipes got posted there.
I LOVE Michelle Bommarito's cakes. Loved the one she did for this competition. It was soooo pretty in PINK!! 
The top tier was just beautiful!!! Thta baby pink she used was soooo delicate!
Too bad she didn't win. I like her cakes. She does excellent work.
Liked the cake that won too, but for a Sweet 16 I think that it was a bit too mature. The guy that made it was very humble and had a good attitude. And his cake looked soooo YUMMY!!!
I think what won it over for James was the fact that it tasted soo good! I would've LOVED to have a taste of cake like that! Wow! In the middle of the challenge she was saying that she would change her theme to go with the cake! NOW! RAE ANN DID say that she loved Michelle's Pretty in Pink Design until Kerry said something about being too weddingish. I think that she was an impressionable 16 year old just like all kids are. There is no harm in that and she choose the one that made her party seem older! I THINK!
I also agree with Cindy1207. That is MY type of cake and I am 25! LOL I think the purse was very cool and the whimsicalness of the whole thing made it seem different. OH, I think what knocked her out of the ranking was the type of crown she made. Seemed a little plastic looking. I think if she would've went with hanging beads off of it she would've won! AGAIN! Just MY opinion! (and yes I was making up words in there! LOL)
I think too that Kerry's smiles are edited out. I think the network likes to give this anxiety factor to the challenge and she can SEEM a little intimidating but, she really does know what she's talking about. I would do ANYTHING to meet her! But, these challenges make me feel like I have a looong way to go in the cake decorating world!
Stephanie
I've read enough here on CC from people who have attended FN challenges in person and even met competitors and judges, to know that you have to take the actual show with a grain of salt. As with any reality TV, editing can make something seem totally different than it really was. That said, I'm probobly a victim of editing but I had to feel bad for Michelle Doll when Kerry totally pushed her plate of cake away and said it was dry! I would want to cry! Also, I totally loved the whimsical cake with the purse. I agree with the competitor who made it when she said kids are trying to grow up and be all mature too soon these days.
<fingers in the ears icon needed here> I'm not listening.... I can't hear you!
How amazing is Cake Central..... I replied to a post about this saying " 
I can't see this in the UK" and lo and behold I get an offer from someone I don't even know to tape it and send it to me. AND she won't accept any reimbursement for her time and trouble. Thank you so, so much Bakingangel! You're unbelievably generous. I can't wait to receive and watch the tape!
Suzanne x x x
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