Cupcake Wars
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Cupcake Wars'' is an American
reality competition Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
series that premiered on December 27, 2009, on cable television network
Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, who manages and operates it as a division of the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks Group. The channel airs both televi ...
. The show, which is based on creating unique and professional-style cupcakes, was hosted by Justin Willman and later by Jonathan Bennett. The show is similar to '' Chopped'', a cooking show aired on the same network, in that it starts with four contestants who are eliminated one-by-one during three rounds, with the winning team receiving $10,000 and the opportunity to be featured in an upcoming event. Each team consists of a primary baker and a supporting baker.


Rounds

Each round takes about a third of the completed episode. After each round, one team is eliminated. The first round lasts 45 minutes and is focused on
taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste. Taste is the perception stimulated when a substance in the mouth biochemistry, reacts chemically with taste receptor cells l ...
. Contestants must create a cupcake with unusual ingredients related to a theme – for example, a date-night theme might require contestants to incorporate various aphrodisiacs, such as
oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...
s, basil, dark chocolate, or champagne. The second round lasts 75 minutes and is based on both taste and
presentation A presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product. Presenta ...
. Contestants must make three different types of cupcakes of their own choice with a unique presentation that relates to the theme. In the third and final round, the remaining two teams make 1,000 cupcakes in two hours. Each team must feature improved versions of the four cupcakes they made in the first two rounds and must showcase them on an elaborately constructed display. Both the cupcakes and the display must remain consistent with the episode's theme. Each team receives the assistance of four baking assistants and one carpenter in completing the round.


Themes

The show invites cupcake bakers from all over the United States to compete. Each episode is centered on a theme or event; past themes include a Seaworld birthday party for an orca, a "match-making"
aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases libido, sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. These substances range from a variety of plants, spices, and foods to synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs, such as ...
party, an '' Ace of Cakes'' 100th episode celebration, "Survival of the Fittest" theme, an autism charity event, a golf tournament, and a film festival.


Judges

There are three judges in the series, with two of them serving as permanent judges: * Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world's first cupcake bakery (in episode 6 and episode 7 of season 7, Bobbie Lloyd, Chief Baking Officer of Magnolia Bakery filled in for Nelson) * Florian Bellanger, executive French pastry chef * The third, rotating judge, is a special guest and is associated with the event in which that episode's winning cupcakes are to be served. Nelson and Bellanger usually give the bakers technical critiques on the methods, amounts, and ingredients they use, while the guest judges' critiques are usually much more subjective, based on whether or not they liked the cupcakes.


Episodes


See also

* '' Cake Wars''


References


External links

* * * * Spinoff. {{Food Network series 2000s American cooking television series 2010s American cooking television series 2000s American reality television series 2010s American reality television series 2009 American television series debuts 2018 American television series endings Food Network original programming Cooking competitions in the United States Reality cooking competition television series Television series about chefs