I loved the fact that the compitition was one right after another....they were exhausted and stressed. that is how I feel after a big week. (okay, I've never had a week that big...but still)
it made it more real then if they went home and rested up and practiced techniques and have that whole week to improve on design, time line ect....working them back to back was awesome!!!!!
I have recorded all the challenges and the kids and I have watched them over and over...we have loved it!

and I really love the fact that they had to drive the cakes across town......like a real cake delivery would have to be.

this challenge was the best one food network has ever done before in my opinion.

it was sooooo cool!



I was torn between Mary and Courtney....either one could have one easily....although I did notice that Courtney's tv said "that's what she said" and that was what she put on the wedding cake....maybe she was do tired she didn't notice.

My 9 year old son just got home from school so we get to watch it again.


melody

I'm really excited that Mary won! Her cake was just awesome!! And she really stayed and did the most work out of everyone. Courtney's cake looked amazing, but I really didn't like how she used the same phrase, "That's what she said!" on two of her cakes. And the geometric shapes as well. Browen's idea was awesome, I just think she ran out of time and energy to make it work. Plus, it obviously wasn't very stable.

But everyone really did a great job!

I think Bronwenn and James deserve alot more credit then they were given for truly joining forces and designing a cake together. Mary and Courtney just slapped each of their ideas on a board and called it a cake. No real team work there. it is too bad that james and bronwenn had to go up against eachother in the end. although they each had creative ideas Mary and Courtney did not take the true teamwork part seriously, they couldn't give up their own ideas. Divas....need I say more?

yeah, did courtney really think she was going to get away with that? she was the last one in there! and they got her on the mic! and you know Kerry will NEVER let her live that one down! DRAMA!

This has been niggling at my brain,, if offend some of you I am sorry. Didn't anyone else think that as soon as they were given the go to start she took a big pile of cakes out and started carving a cake or did I miss the sequence of events....it just seemed to me that she already had a design ready to go.....maybe its nothing but its been buggung me. Is it possible she knew ahead of the others what the challenge was going to be? I know I am a suspicious old Nanna....

And for having to design a cake at the last minute like that--I mean Bronwen rang the customers bell y'know? The kids really got a kick out finding their own specific panels on the cake.

And for Courtney to re-use recent ideas is so normal. We all do that. But Mary always kept in mind that the judges like something different every time. That's so interesting.

We as decorators do that all the time, we always want to trump our last cake and do a new technique. That should be incorporated into the scoring system--whether the contestant pushes themself to go bigger and try new stuff. Because that sure is one of the criteria huh. The quiet criteria.

They take cake with them as part of their supplies. They had time to plan what they were making and had a sketch of it. They had to make their ideas work with what they had. No cheating, no advance notice - just bring cake and be ready to compete. Think about it, do you really think they could come up with and idea, bake the cakes and then decorate in 24 hours? A 6 foot tall cake? Think is thru!

Mary and her sister deserved to win...although it was close... I loved Courtney's cake too! The car on Mary's cake was what won me over...it was amazing!

Bronwen is one of my favorite cake artists and I wasn't impressed on her final cake. I've seen a lot of better cakes from her and I didn't like any of her cakes other than her first pink cake.

Mary and Courney I think did really beautiful cakes in the final challenge. I honestly didn't like the boards that were showing on Courtney's cake but other than that, her cake was awesome.

I was never a fan of Mary but I have to admit that ALL her cakes were my favorites. I think she deserves to win.

I'll tell yah one thing. I have no idea how those folks survived the week. I imagine they are still resting up. No of course not--they have businesses to run. But man, the amount of energy they each expended is incredible--probably woulda lived an extra coupla years if they hadn't competed!!!

Every one of Barthomew Cubbin's* Hat"s off to them!!!!

YOU GUY'S ROCK!!!!!!!!

(re: Dr. Seuss book, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.)

Marys car blew me away!!! It was so cute, the color was so right!!! When I saw that, it was like she has to have it in the bag!!! Then i saw Courtneys designs...and it was like...hmmm, I like that also. I wasnt too kleen on Bronwrens, even though I love her cakes!!! I was disappointed that she couldnt add the last tier.

you could see the "stress" all on there faces, and I thought,...there is no way I could do something like this even if I was a fantastic decorator, the pressure!!!! I give credit to them all, from the very start...all the decorators that competed in this. I can only imagine the disappointment of not making that far.

Kudos to all!!!! They are all FANTASTIC in my eyes...and Im sure others. on Mary...CONGRATS!!!!!!

Well I am glad that I am wrong...thanks for your thoughts.

I am not sure that FN even named the showdown correctly. I think it could have been named "Last Sugar Artist Standing!" after what they put those folks through.

Not to mention actually showing Kerry smiling and being helpful and complimentary and stuff--'bout time! (that they showed it!!)

I am so friggin jealous of Mary that it's not funny! I wanted Bronwen to win but Mary so deserved it more, she stayed in the kitchen and started banging out her cakes I would have don ethe same for $50,000 and the braggin rights to boot!! Congrats to the Cake Girls, but I'm still green with ENVY!! GRRRR

Question.. why wasn't Mike McCarey competing?

He probably could not give that much time to the competition, or just didn't want to do it. I am sure he was invited!

I watched it tonight again....and Mary did have the best cake....I did see her sister smashing down the frosting with her hand.......I think they were just too tired to even think....so I am amazed they didn't fall into the cake at that point...poor kids........they are all three amazing young ladies....I wish they could simply be allowed to have a challenge without challeging their physical and mental abilities....I don't care for that at all. I agree all three are amazing..........and all those who went home in the beginning as well

Maria_Campos--Mike was invited, as were a few other top competitors first, but when they said no they had to find others to fill in.

OOhhhh makes sense, because he would have won hands down.

He is amazing! I would have loved to have seen Mike go up against Mary, and Marina--that would have been a fight to the end.

That would have been like the clash of the titans!

Could anyone who taped the final episode on DVD please PM me??? I missed it, not once, not twice (2am), BUT THREE TIMES! Grr..... darn my *other* family members who think they need to watch their shows too. Don't they know I NEED to see these things?!