I am a major Food Network junkie and live for their 'Challenges'...
that said, am I the only one who thinks that most of the people in the audience would gag if they actually had to taste some of the cakes created? Don't get me wrong, these are decorators that I would give my right arm to be in the same room with....well, not my right arm - what would I decorate with?

I look at those hard-as-rock-no-crumb "cakes" that they carve up and think "Thank God we don't have to eat it!!" It looks very dry and quite unappetizing. There was a post not to far back where they were complaining about the taste of MMF and someone came along and said: "MMF.. yukky? I don't think so - otherwise why would all those award winning decorators like Colette Peterson use them?"

I was rolling! They use them because it gives them the medium they need to create their masterpieces.... and the ONE competition that I saw where they had to compete on taste doesn't count since that was cut up sheet cakes that they served!

I want to see a Food Network Challenge where they have all the greats like Colette, Duff, Mike & Michelle and all the ones I am forgetting and give them 7 hours to create a masterpiece cake and give an award to the winner.... then cut that cake up and serve it to the audience and have another award for taste...

I guess I am frustrated because it seems like people work on their competition or Fair cakes for weeks and are completely inedible by the time they are done, but the brides see these cakes and want them.... and they want them velvet moist and fresh and don't seem to understand that fondant is basically sugar playdough and sort of tastes like it .

Forgive me for my rant.... I am done now

LMAO!!! I AGREE. I think taste needs to come before beauty.

I think you should send them an E mail and give them your suggestion.

AMEN!!!! LOL I agree on TASTE over beauty... Sometimes they make unrealistic goals on a cake! I've seen em where I think I'd rather havea slice of a dummy cake than the real one haha

I think the Elvis Challenge that Mike won was to be recreated and cut up for the fan club on a special meeting of some sort......wonder if they all had to say, "thankyou, thankyouverymuch" after being served?






booooo! I know, I know

Bravo Cake Diva!! I wondered the same thing too. Why would you want to eat a cake that took two weeks to make? I remember on foodnetwork where they did have a taste test. most of the cakes didn't taste that great. I don't just want to be a great decorator, I want to master great tasting cakes. How many times have you heard that the wedding cake was beautiful but didn't taste good and was dry? Having a great tasting cake to me is more important than spending weeks just to see how well you can decorate. Just my opinion.

If you watch the challenges carefully, you will see that the cake slabs they use get handled like our groceries at the checkout line - very fast and very rough. Normal cake would not stand for this handling, as we all know that we would have chunks in our hands.

I have been told from someone who attends Colette's classes in NJ that this question was posed - the answer - the cake slabs are frozen, to accommodate both handling and carving.

This is second-hand information, so please feel free to correct me if I have been misinformed.

Theresa

I have to agree with you guys..those cakes sometimes do look inedible. I know my wedding cake sucked..course, it didn't look that good, either.
As far as freezing the cakes, I distinctly remember Colette telling our class that she doesn't freeze. But she was referring to baking ahead and freezing not freezing to make it easier to handle. I get the impression she doesn't freeze at all, just uses it a firmer cake.
Also, I asked her her opinion on MMF and she had never heard of it.

But other than that, I agree that the taste is just as important as the beauty of the cake!!

Cindy

Ok, Cindy, you could be right about what Colette does for her customers, but what about her challenge cakes? This is what the person whom I spoke with was referring to. Did she say anything about them?

Theresa

You make very good points!!! I see some cakes and am just in awr of their beauty but then I have to wonder if it tastes nearly as good as it looks. I too would love to see a challenge based on looks & taste

I agree. There are some cake shows here in the US that have taste as well as design, etc, as part of their criteria. Unfortunately, there are not enough of them. Most cake contests are one or the other.

Theresa

I agree too on the taste of them, but honestly, have never thought about tasting them. I wish they would do a cake challenge with JUST buttercream frostings. I'm sorry, but anyone can play with fondant and make it look beautiful (hey, we all went ot Kindergarten and played with play-doh), and I know I'm going to tick someone off with that comment, but the REAL challenge to me is 'get the bag out and pipe it'.

Well, Food Network is always open to suggestions. Send them an e-mail through their Contact link and let them know how you feel.

I think a 1-tip contest would be great for a challenge, too.

Theresa

I went to the Food Network site just for kicks and guess what??

They will NOT hear any show ideas from the public... the only way is to have your own production company and they give a mailing address but if you don't have an actual production company, they say they will have to return it unopened. I suppose this is CYA in case a few months from now we see the show idea WE submitted and have a hissy...

And I totally agree... I would LOVE to see an all BC cake challenge.... has there ever been one? I feel like I've seen it but maybe I was thinking of the all BC cake contest they had here at CC not too long ago...

I just don't think there is anyway to get those incredible carved shapes without a tough cake. And lets face it, if you know your cake is judged on appearance ONLY, wouldn't we make it a bit differently? Perhaps a dryer recipe or overbake it so we are sure it won't crumble? I think it's difficult to 'have your cake and eat it too" so to speak! JMHO

Wow, they used to be so accepting of ideas! You're probably right, it's a case of CYA.

Theresa

They did do a contest a while back that was for taste also. I remember it anyways. There was a woman who thought she had it nailed because her cakes were made from all organic - fresh ingredients and she came in last on taste....I thought she was going to cry.

Oh, I remember that one! Was that the cupcake one? I get confused because I watch them all I know that they made sep. cakes for tasting so of course, those were not carved and covered in fondant and edible paint

I'm puzzled as to why people here are bashing what they "think" must be the taste of those cakes -- unless they've personally tasted them to know for sure?

Why would one assume they don't taste good, just because they look so perfect?

I don't get it.

I wasn't bashing the cakes as much as the concept.... in order for those cakes to look the way they did, most people agree you have to use a much tougher cake recipe to handle the carving. They looked dry as a bone. I am just wondering what a huge competition cakes tastes like. Sadly, I have never had the opportunity to sample one...

It is just a chuckle because I read these stories about how they work on the cakes for weeks ( not the competition ones, obviously ) and I am just wondering at one point are we sacrificing flavor for looks? Is there any way to get a multi tiered carved masterpiece that tastes nice and moist with a good filling? Usually the carved don't have filling of any kind...

I'm not trying to slam their talent either... they are artists and I respect them. I also think they can make a mean cake that is very delicious... I"m just wondering if it's possible to do both atl the same time.

I'd rather have a cake look pretty and tast awesome myself, I've always wondered how these cakes taste.

I also wondered about the taste of the cakes and sometimes the cleanliness as well.

Joanne

The cake challenges are judged by the best decorated cake. The way they handle those cakes and travel MILES to be in the compeitions, for all we know they might be made with a ton of flour. Not trying to bash them because some of them probably can make a pretty good tasting cake. But if it takes you a couple of weeks to make my cake, I don't want it. lol.

These challenges are all about looks.
So no matter how they taste, it does not count. So why worry about something that is not a part of judging ? Wouldn't that be common sense ?

But these very famous cake makers make wedding cakes for their clients that are good tasting and fresh. Challenge is challenge, w/c is totally a different story than when a bride and groom orders a wedding cake from them. These people are not on Food Network for no reason. Geee! if these bashers make better tasitng cakes, then why are they not on TV ?I wonder !

I think FoodNetwork is doing a great job in showing these challenges. They make the rules, not the people watching the show.

I thought so too !! and you are very welcome BTW !!
Have a very nice long week-end .

I'm so sorry Prettycake... I didn't realize you were the one I quoted as saying....

Quote:

Originally Posted by prettycake

Hmmmm Yucky ? but it is the one used by award winning cakes made by Colette Peters, and all the beautiful cakes we see in major competitions. Even in the Oklahoma Sugar Art, Wedding Cake Classics, Birthday Cake Challenge, Spooky Cake Challenge, Cup CAke Challenge and on and on and on.. These people must be doing something right, otherwise they won't be in these prestigious competitions.

I'm so embarassed.... but I think everyone here knows that you are more into the competition
and winning than anything else..... and that's ok!

(I'm one of those bakers that care more about how my cakes actually taste then how many Blue Ribbons I win...
I'm sure you understand )

Everybodys priorities are different.. just like their opinions!

I'm glad I came across this thread, because I would like to add my 2 cents. Being someone who cares how my cakes taste and LOOK and one who uses fondant 95% of the time....

My cakes are delicious and moist..and.....I have never made a carved cake that wasn't filled....and I do work on my cakes days or weeks in advance. But I don't not BAKE them in advance....I merely work on the decorations in advance. They are covered in real buttercream and then a layer of fondant. If you don't like fondant, you can simply peel it off...

You simply cannot use the Food Network Challeges as a basis for how the cakes taste. The competition is purely aesthetic...they are under a time restriction and it is NOT reality.
I.E.....I know Colette makes her decorations 2 days before the cake is due and bakes the day before. Most of us have seen Duff do the same thing. Remember...they have staffs of people working for them in their studios which allow them to work this way.
I also want to say is that when I see food competitions that are based on taste.....I change the channel. It's just boring without the amazing decorations.

For the Vegas wedding cake challenge, taste was part of the judging. This was the one where the engaged couple who won the Food Network Throws a Wedding contest were guest judges (with Giadia DeLaurentis and Warren Brown, and one other I think). The competitors had to do a tasting as well as create the actual cake. The winning cake was served at the couple's wedding the next day, so the tasting cake had to be the same cake/icing as the competition masterpiece.

I think it just depends on the competition -- if taste is involved, then of course the competitors include it as a focus. Otherwise, if the judging is purely based on looks, why not just focus on that? At least they're not using dummy cakes, but are working with something you could (although you may not want to) eat. The competitions aren't meant to simulate real-life cake making. If they were, they wouldn't be in a strange kitchen and under such a time crunch.