Spring Baking Championship - General Discussion

[susannah]

51 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

When the theme is Shark?

Dark blue for Baby Shark is good for that theme but I don't think it is a spring color.

[kirklandia]

17 hours ago, theatremouse said:

When the theme is Shark?

Where could a Spring Baking Championship cheftestant find inspiration? I doubt that they are allowed to consult their smart phones, where a quick image search provides ideas that should surely satisfy Nancy's need for  springiness. 

More inspiration?

Edited March 26, 2021 by kirklandia

[RoxiP]

14 hours ago, theatremouse said:

When the theme is Shark?

Good point.

[Rammchick]

15 hours ago, theatremouse said:

When the theme is Shark?

What color would you make a shark to make it springy?  Then the critique would be, hey, sharks don't come in that color, or somesuch.  Damned if you do, damned if you don't!

[joanne3482]

Maybe the water could have been more turquoise colored? Is turquoise more spring than dark blue? Where's Nancy when we need her? 

I thought Jamal was going to win it all and am a little sad to see him go. I do like Derek also . 

I don't necessarily understand the tower thing. You "glue" the item to the styrofoam with some sort of frosting or whatever. When you pull it off, doesn't some of the styrofoam stick? Like how do you get them back off to eat them? Croquembouche I get because it is free standing. This I do not. Which is why I liked Derek's tower with cupcakes. Nothing was 'glued' to styrofoam. They were free standing. (Plus his disks were beautiful!)

Edited March 26, 2021 by joanne3482

[trudysmom]

I re-watched (because I have no life) and now that the dark haired girls group has thinned a bit I think I can put a face to a name.  Veruska has overbaked several things so far. Kardea wasn't happy with the crumble madelines.  I thought her cookies looked a bit dark, but I did like the sort of spiral effect to got from the way she frosted and arranged them.  I hope she isn't one of those that makes it to the final not because she's done amazing, but because someone has done worse and was eliminated so she makes it kind of by default.  I don't dislike her in any way, she seems perfectly nice, but her bakes are just a tad shy of really good. 

Still rooting for Derek.

[lh25]

On 3/26/2021 at 8:30 AM, joanne3482 said:

Which is why I liked Derek's tower with cupcakes. Nothing was 'glued' to styrofoam. They were free standing. (Plus his disks were beautiful!)

I agree his looked great, and I liked his disks too.  But it really didn't seem like a tower of desserts.  It was cupcakes around a tower.  Jamel could have just leaned his cookies up against his and been fine.

[Pattycake2]

I’m hoping that Derek will win as well. I used to get really involved in rooting for the different contestants in these baking competitions. However, there have been so many winners and eliminations over the past year that I found baffling, that I’m no longer I’m surprised by anything.

[needschocolate]

Jamahl's items were usually the ones I would most want to eat, but his were also usually lacking in the looks department.  If he had a bakery near me, I would probably gain 20 pounds.

Regarding the one with the monkeys bears having a tea party on top of a short tower - I thought the tower was supposed to be a tree stump, but the outside of it was green.  So confusing ...

On 3/24/2021 at 6:31 AM, laredhead said:

Who made the llama concoction - I can't remember.  I thought it looked like a lamb or sheep, and not a llama.  I would have dubbed it a little lamb, which is very baby themed.

I hope next week shows their cake decorating skills, and I do wish the producers would stop adding a surprise element when it's too late to incorporate something like that late in the game.  

I thought the llama looked like a polar bear. 

They could drop all the twists and I would not miss them.  Apparently, FN has learned nothing from the popularity of the Great British Baking Show. 

 

[CharlizeCat]

I find most of the female contestants unlikeable in one way or the other. Keya seems like such a sourpuss, but I did not know until the most recent episode that she is pregnant, so that might be part of it.  Natalie, a braggart. Mediha is annoying with her laugh and sucking up to the judges.

I think Mediha is the only home baker, so that is why Nancy might seem partial towards her. I also remember early on in the competition, Medhia was in trouble and turned on the waterworks about how she "couldn't let her family down." She skated by and ever since then, she has gotten praise from the judges for whatever she's made.

I think the key to survival on that show is to plan to make the most neutral-flavored whatever it is that you can get by with in order to incorporate the ridiculous twist. 

I was sorry to see Jahmal go. I think the finale will come down to Natalie and Derek and I am on Team Derek.

 

[bilgistic]

Who would've seen the ”surprise” non-elimination except anyone who's ever watched a Food Network competition show before?

[susannah]

On 3/26/2021 at 8:08 AM, Rammchick said:

What color would you make a shark to make it springy?  Then the critique would be, hey, sharks don't come in that color, or somesuch.  Damned if you do, damned if you don't!

I think if he had used lighter blue and green shades for the water, it would have looked more "springy," and the shark could have been a great white!

3 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Who would've seen the ”surprise” non-elimination except anyone who's ever watched a Food Network competition show before?

I haven't seen that happen before. It seemed to me that they showed the cakes so quickly that I don't know who made what. I think they should show the cakes again when they are announcing the winners, etc. I did hear that one of the flowers on top was too big on one cake and one the same size was good on another one.

[CheshireCat]

I'm not quite sure why they didn't eliminate someone. It's not like all cakes were close to perfection and the bottom two did have flaws in their cakes.

I much preferred tonight's episode over last week's. Baby showers just aren't spring specific.

I think they should have provided pictures of the flowers the bakers had to make as a cake topper. Everyone probably knows what a rose and a hibiscus flower looks like but jasmine or elderflower? I wouldn't even know exactly how an orange blossom or a violet look like. I thought the sign saying Jasmine This Way was a really neat idea.

I agreed with the judges; the orange blossom looked very heavy. She should have rolled the modelling chocolate thinner.

I think the baker who had the rose should have put more roses on the cake. It wouldn't have had to be all roses but some. And Madiha's bright red, orange and yellow flowers weren't exactly spring colored.

Other than that, I thought the cakes all looked pretty, especially considering the little time they had.

[Rammchick]

The ironic part about this show, well, one of the ironies, is that half these fruits they gush over for being "springy" don't even ripen until the summer.  And apples are definitely a fall crop.

I love that Keya brings her heritage into the things she bakes.  I wish others would do that too.

[CheshireCat]

4 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

The ironic part about this show, well, one of the ironies, is that half these fruits they gush over for being "springy" don't even ripen until the summer.  And apples are definitely a fall crop.

Yeah, my mom and I were commenting on that. In what world is pear spring-y? And I seriously doubt that a little bit of lime (or was it lemon?) and almond glaze is suddenly going to make it all spring-like.

That said, I find spring fruits hard. Rhubarb is a spring fruit and the first strawberries are ripe in late spring. I'm not aware of any other spring fruit.

[Rammchick]

2 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

Yeah, my mom and I were commenting on that. In what world is pear spring-y? And I seriously doubt that a little bit of lime (or was it lemon?) and almond glaze is suddenly going to make it all spring-like.

That said, I find spring fruits hard. Rhubarb is a spring fruit and the first strawberries are ripe in late spring. I'm not aware of any other spring fruit.

That's all I could think of too.  None of the berries are ready until summer, neither are peaches/nectarines, plums, etc.

[MerBearHou]

I enjoy the various forms of Baking Championships on FN and continue to like the judges with all of their character quirks.  Kardea has been a nice addition and I don't mind Ali at all.  But I'm so unenthused about this season.  It's the bakers.  I like Derek the most and feel he's the most talented of the bakers.  The others annoy me with their personalities, each for a different reason.  Their attempts at bantering are painful and their forced perkiness with the judges drives me nuts.  It's the least cohesive group I can remember.  I'll finish but it's my least favorite season ever.

Edited March 30, 2021 by MerBearHou

[dleighg]

Derek lives in California and doesn't know how Jasmine grows???? It is a ground cover/shrub that if you're within 10 feet of it you sure know it: it smells amazing.

[susannah]

2 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

I enjoy the various forms of Baking Championships on FN and continue to like the judges with all of their character quirks.  Kardea has been a nice addition and I don't mind Ali at all.  But I'm so unenthused about this season.  It's the bakers.  I like Derek the most and feel he's the most talented of the bakers.  The others annoy me with their personalities, each for a different reason.  Their attempts at bantering are painful and their forced perkiness with the judges drives me nuts.  It's the least cohesive group I can remember.  I'll finish but it's my least favorite season ever.

I know I am in the minority, but I miss Carla! I also think Jesse was better than this guy, except for when Nancy would hand feed him. That was just gross. I am underwhelmed with this group also, which I like as it is easier to watch than when the judges were clearly insane and blind for keeping/chopping someone!!!!!

[Darian]

Kardea is an excellent judge. I miss Lorraine and want Nancy gone, so I'd love to swap Kardea in for Nancy. Ali Kahn has kept the streak of me liking every Spring Championship host. 

I'm not rooting for or against any baker, though my favorites are gone, but I like them all enough to hope they all do well, and will be happy with any winner. 

[binky101]

Some of the cakes looked more autumn than spring, to me, but I was mostly lusting over Ali's amazing shirt in this episode. WANT.

[trudysmom]

On 3/30/2021 at 2:56 AM, CheshireCat said:

I think the baker who had the rose should have put more roses on the cake. It wouldn't have had to be all roses but some. And Madiha's bright red, orange and yellow flowers weren't exactly spring colored.

Other than that, I thought the cakes all looked pretty, especially considering the little time they had.

I have to respectfully disagree, Cheshirecat, except for the color choices on Madiha's cake.  I thought the 'hand sculpted'  flowers on a couple of cakes looked bad, borderline ugly, and I HATE those stupid piped swirls they want to call roses. Not roses.  Maybe I'm too old school, but a rose is either sculpted from fondant or gum paste, or piped with a rose tip.  What they want to call a rose is a simple swirl that goes on top of a cupcake. 

I didn't care for the look of Derek's cake so I was really afraid he was going home, but only because I didn't like that black tier.  "Not springy!"

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by trudysmom
Spelling

[susannah]

52 minutes ago, trudysmom said:

I have to respectfully disagree, Cheshirecat, except for the color choices on Madiha's cake.  I thought the 'hand sculpted'  flowers on a couple of cakes looked bad, borderline ugly, and I HATE those stupid piped swirls they want to call roses. Not roses.  Maybe I'm to old school, but a rose is either sculpted from fondant or gum paste, or piped with a rose tip.  What they want to call a rose is a simple swirl that goes on top of a cupcake. 

I didn't care for the look of Derek's cake so I was really afraid he was going home, but only because I didn't like that black tier.  "Not springy!"

 

I don't know what he was thinking with that black tier. It looked awful.

[jabRI]

19 hours ago, susannah said:

I did hear that one of the flowers on top was too big on one cake and one the same size was good on another one.

What they said was that it was too 'thick' on one of the cakes and not pleasant to eat, but they didn't comment on the size (that's was my takeaway at any rate)

[LittleIggy]

Do those “edible flowers” taste like anything or does one just pick them off to eat the baked good? BTW, I like Ali. He’s a good, affable host.

[emmawoodhouse]

I hate to be that person, but I think Derek was saved from elimination. His cake was pretty clearly the worst, but they couldn't leave all female contestants, especially some who are far inferior. Mediha  (sp?) has had several bad days, but the producers like her. Apparently, they also like Derek as well. 

[Dena0033]

8 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

I hate to be that person, but I think Derek was saved from elimination. His cake was pretty clearly the worst, but they couldn't leave all female contestants, especially some who are far inferior. Mediha  (sp?) has had several bad days, but the producers like her. Apparently, they also like Derek as well. 

I was kind of thinking that too, but I bet they build in one "just in case" week and use it if they need to.

I also think last week Mediha won because it was sort of a week no one did crazy well, so they just threw the home baker a bone, so it wouldn't be the same people winning over and over. I'm sure they try to please viewers across the board to some extent.

[emmawoodhouse]

Yeah, they have a predetermined number of episodes, so the NOBODY GOES HOME!!!!! episode is a given. It was just so obvious that production stepped in to save Derek this week. And I say this as someone who's rooting for him (he's local). 

[bilgistic]

7 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Yeah, they have a predetermined number of episodes, so the NOBODY GOES HOME!!!!! episode is a given. It was just so obvious that production stepped in to save Derek this week. And I say this as someone who's rooting for him (he's local). 

This is what I was implying upthread and no one understood what I meant. Every FN baking championship show I've seen has the "everyone's safe" week. It's just a matter of what episode it happens.

[CheshireCat]

11 hours ago, trudysmom said:

I have to respectfully disagree, Cheshirecat, except for the color choices on Madiha's cake.  I thought the 'hand sculpted'  flowers on a couple of cakes looked bad, borderline ugly, and I HATE those stupid piped swirls they want to call roses. Not roses.  Maybe I'm to old school, but a rose is either sculpted from fondant or gum paste, or piped with a rose tip.  What they want to call a rose is a simple swirl that goes on top of a cupcake. 

Well, yeah, I agree with that. I don't like the swirls as roses either. And I guess, pretty enough would have been a more fitting description. Considering what we've seen in the last Halloween and Christmas Baking Championships and this one so far, I thought this was one of the best decoration.

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong but the first two or three years that I watched, I found the decorating skills to be more impressive but the last couple of years, I can't say I've been wowed. Have they shortened the baking time or behind-the-scenes rules?

[trudysmom]

Or they're just running out of ideas?  I wish they would stop with the twists, that's sabotage at times for some bakers who are halfway through and a crazy flavor gets thrown in.  It's definitely become very formulaic, even Duff seems to be phoning it in this season. 

[jabRI]

I agree, the 'twists' are unnecessary, should be more like the GBBS where you know what you have to do within the time frame so you can plan and execute. I don't think any professional bakers would be thrown a 'twist' other than finding out about an allergy.

[ruffy666]

It doesn't appear as though they're bringing back Best Baker in America (unless they're gonna move it to Discovery+?) so I guess we are in the minority for not appreciating the "fun" twists.

I do agree, there's something 'off' with this crop of bakers.  But I have to wonder if the fact that they're following COVID protocols is making it more difficult for people to gel and so the banter just feels fake and phoned in.  Let's assume they're all doing the best they can.

I still don't like the host and I can't really pinpoint why, other than the fact that he's constantly making goofy muppet faces and his jokes are terrible.  But I can't say he is quantifiably worse than most of the other hosts, he just grates on my nerves.  And even though I do miss Lorraine I gotta admit that Kardea is a nice addition so I'll agree with the commenter upthread to just get rid of Nancy :)

[CheshireCat]

9 hours ago, trudysmom said:

Or they're just running out of ideas?  I wish they would stop with the twists, that's sabotage at times for some bakers who are halfway through and a crazy flavor gets thrown in.  It's definitely become very formulaic, even Duff seems to be phoning it in this season. 

Something that I noticed is that the twist seems to fit more with the bakes this time around. The coffee wasn't great but one of the twists before (can't remember which one) seemed to at least go with the cake and the flower topper wasn't counterproductive either. It's something that I would have considered anyway had I done such a cake.

That said, I agree, and wish they'd just get rid of it. The only ones who seem to want it are the producers.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, ruffy666 said:

I do agree, there's something 'off' with this crop of bakers.  But I have to wonder if the fact that they're following COVID protocols is making it more difficult for people to gel and so the banter just feels fake and phoned in.  Let's assume they're all doing the best they can.

This season hasn't grabbed me either so I haven't bothered commenting here, but I'm not sure it's just COVID that's the issue. Since the pandemic started, they've done one season each of their four X Baking Championships (Halloween, Holiday, Kids, Spring) with noticeable changes. While the Halloween season was similarly "off" for me, I thought the most recent Holiday and Kids editions were their usual fun selves despite alterations like new judge arrangements, parents watching from another room, and no group hugs. So while the protocols (and COVID fatigue) might have an impact, I think it's a combination of that and the particular mix of bakers/judges/host in any given season. And this particular combo just isn't clicking for me, even though they all seem nice enough.

Edited March 31, 2021 by tracyscott76

[lzim61]

On 3/29/2021 at 12:38 PM, CharlizeCat said:

I find most of the female contestants unlikeable in one way or the other. Keya seems like such a sourpuss, but I did not know until the most recent episode that she is pregnant, so that might be part of it.  Natalie, a braggart. Mediha is annoying with her laugh and sucking up to the judges.

I think Mediha is the only home baker, so that is why Nancy might seem partial towards her. I also remember early on in the competition, Medhia was in trouble and turned on the waterworks about how she "couldn't let her family down." She skated by and ever since then, she has gotten praise from the judges for whatever she's made.

I think the key to survival on that show is to plan to make the most neutral-flavored whatever it is that you can get by with in order to incorporate the ridiculous twist. 

I was sorry to see Jahmal go. I think the finale will come down to Natalie and Derek and I am on Team Derek.

 

Keya announced on IG today that her newborn passed away. RIP.  

Edited April 1, 2021 by lzim61

[susannah]

19 hours ago, lzim61 said:

Keya announced on IG today that her newborn passed away. RIP.  

Oh my God. What a horrible, sad thing. 😢

[GaT]

On 3/31/2021 at 7:45 PM, lzim61 said:

Keya announced on IG today that her newborn passed away. RIP.  

OMG, that's horrible. I looked on her IG & he was such a sweet little boy, such a terrible thing to have happened.

[Adeejay]

I am upset that the only baker I could pick out of a line up was sent home.  I love Mediha's bubbly personality.  I was hoping she'd make the final three.  Sad to see her go.  

[Flip Flops]

I like Derek. He might’ve had a miss tonight with that thick pink stuff, but I have a feeling that the judges have turned on him. They seem to gush on the ladies and forgive a lot of their mistakes. 

[CheshireCat]

So, was the cookie on the bottom of the Madiha's cheesecake soggy or was there just no crunch? If it was soggy, then I understand the criticism (though I don't think it justifies sending her home and even less so when Chiantae's cake was falling apart) if it was just the typical oatmeal cookie softness then I think the criticism was unfounded. There is a European/German cheesecake that does not have a bottom in any way and it's delicious (and I expect a professional baker to know that such a cheesecake exists and is popular elsewhere) and the one that does have a bottom does not have a crunchy bottom either. It's often made with semolina. Duff may prefer cheesecake with crunch but it absolutely does not have to have crunch and to claim otherwise makes him sound narrow-minded and ignorant. (And this is probably bothering me more than it should but it's just not true what he said).

I also liked the flavor combination and thought the cheesecake looked very spring-y and delicious. And using raisins instead of blueberry/berries would have made the whole thing far too sweet and more fall-like.

I don't get what Derek was doing in the bottom two. Just because his fruit thing-y was too thick? The dessert itself looked divine; I think it was the best looking one and the judges said that it tasted exactly like a thumbprint cookie, so I'd say he more than rose to the challenge.

The opera cake looked boring and I thought the whole thing was fairly unoriginal. I also thought the look of it was almost as non-spring-y as Natalie (she was the one with the Gingersnaps, right?)

And why was Chiantae not in the bottom two? Her cake was falling apart and didn't taste like the cookie, so, contrary to Derek, she did not rise to the challenge.

I think I would have had Chiantae and Natalie in the bottom two and then sent Chiantae home because the cake was a mess, wasn't structurally sound and didn't taste like the cookie.

 

[MerBearHou]

Which one had the cake with the “sludge” on the plate surrounding the base of the cake?  That looked awful as did Keya’s leaning cake — Nancy loved it — come on, Nancy.  One cake is brown and cream and another cake is brown and orange — one they praise, the other is too brown.  I’m glad Derek was saved.  Honestly most of these cakes are too busy and look very rough / amateurish.  I will not miss Madiha.  

It makes me sad watching pregnant Keya as we now know what is just up ahead for her...

Edited April 6, 2021 by MerBearHou

[rlc]

Chiantae should have been in the bottom for using premade lady fingers and for using apples as her ‘spring’ fruit.

Watching Keya now is just heartbreaking.

I don’t think Mediha should have gone home this week, but I think she should have been gone a few weeks ago so I’m okay with it.

 

[CheshireCat]

1 hour ago, MerBearHou said:

Which one had the cake with the “sludge” on the plate surrounding the base of the cake? 

That was the gingersnaps cake, so I believe Natalie.

[susannah]

1 hour ago, rlc said:

Chiantae should have been in the bottom for using premade lady fingers and for using apples as her ‘spring’ fruit.

Watching Keya now is just heartbreaking.

I don’t think Mediha should have gone home this week, but I think she should have been gone a few weeks ago so I’m okay with it.

 

I was thinking the same about Keya. It is so sad to watch her and know the tragedy that is coming. So the season was all filmed before she gave birth? In regard to the show, I am SO glad Madiha got chopped. Every single week she would complain about not knowing this or never having had that, and seemed IMO to want special treatment because of it. I never have been impressed with anything she ever made. Chiante's cake was lovely, but I get why she was dinged for using premade ladyfingers. Veruska did well in the preheat but can't remember how her cake turned out. Derek's cake was beautiful, but the top was too sludgy on the fork. Here's a question that may sound stupid, but since fruits and vegetables are imported from everywhere year round, ripe or not, why couldn't any fruit be spring fruit, with execution being more important?

[CheshireCat]

1 hour ago, susannah said:

 Veruska did well in the preheat but can't remember how her cake turned out.

She made the opera cake with the blood oranges on top.

 

1 hour ago, susannah said:

Derek's cake was beautiful, but the top was too sludgy on the fork.

To be fair, though, desserts should be served with a small fork and a small spoon so that you can separate anything that you need to separate and don't end up with that kind of a mess. (It made me wonder if they ate it like that on purpose).

 

1 hour ago, susannah said:

Here's a question that may sound stupid, but since fruits and vegetables are imported from everywhere year round, ripe or not, why couldn't any fruit be spring fruit, with execution being more important?

I think that's what they're doing since nectarines and peaches are late summer fruits and plums are late summer/early fall fruits.

[Rammchick]

9 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

So, was the cookie on the bottom of the Madiha's cheesecake soggy or was there just no crunch? If it was soggy, then I understand the criticism (though I don't think it justifies sending her home and even less so when Chiantae's cake was falling apart) if it was just the typical oatmeal cookie softness then I think the criticism was unfounded. There is a European/German cheesecake that does not have a bottom in any way and it's delicious (and I expect a professional baker to know that such a cheesecake exists and is popular elsewhere) and the one that does have a bottom does not have a crunchy bottom either. It's often made with semolina. Duff may prefer cheesecake with crunch but it absolutely does not have to have crunch and to claim otherwise makes him sound narrow-minded and ignorant. (And this is probably bothering me more than it should but it's just not true what he said).

One of the most famous New York cheesecakes comes from a restaurant in Brooklyn called Junior's, and it's very iconic crust is actually vanilla sponge cake.  So yes, Duff, a cheesecake's crust can be soft.

This whole, "This is springy", "This isn't springy," business is just pissing me off.  How was that brown opera cake with dried oranges any more springy than a brown sticky toffee pudding?

[ShelleySue]

11 hours ago, rlc said:

 

Watching Keya now is just heartbreaking.

 

Oh no!  What happened?

 

[MerBearHou]

51 minutes ago, ShelleySue said:

Oh no!  What happened?

 

Her little newborn baby boy passed away just a few days after his birth.  A very rare genetic defect, I believe.  

[jabRI]

I'm not sure I'll stick with these type of shows.  I find the judging really arbitrary, especially last night.  Unlike the  GBBS, I have a hard time understanding sometimes why someone is off the show.