Watch Lauren muppetize the judges while making her Elmo cake in
"Food Network Challenge: Sesame Street Cakes."
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Food Network Challenge Newlywed Cakes
I shot my third Food Network Challenge called
"Newlywed Cakes"
This Challenge had a mystery theme, mystery client, mystery assistant, with a mean little twist in the judging.
Everything was revealed to us just one hour before the competition began. It was the most difficult Challenge I've done so far.
What a day!!
The episode is scheduled to air January 10, 2010.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Food Network Challenge Sesame Street Cakes
The begining of the day was wonderful. Here I am next to my Elmo armature getting ready to make the cutest cake I've ever made. My assistant, Heather, and I had all the kinks worked out during practice and nothing stood in our way of having a great day at Challenge...
...Until thirty minutes after the clock started, Heather severely burned her hand with sugar that was heated to 340 degrees. Our judge, Kerry Vincent, was the first one to come to our rescue. While the producers were bringing us bandages and burn ointment and calling the peremedics, Kerry and I were wrapping Heather's hand. I thought for sure that our day was over.
I don't know how she did it, but Heather kept working! I thought I could just get the muppets finished and submit them for judging. Heather was responsible for the two large cakes in our peice. I never imagined that she would be able to continue such a huge job with that hand in such pain. There was no stopping her.
My character was Elmo and I designed the cake as a Sesame Street parody of Food Network Challenge. Sesame Street has always used parodies on their show to entertain parents and older siblings. It's a great idea and I thought I would pull this parody idea into my cake.
Elmo is the star of my parody cake, as he has just been named the winner of the Monster Network Challenge. He is standing on top of the judges table holding his winning cake in the air. His assistant, Goldfish Dorothy, has her gold medal around her fish bowl. The host of the show, Cake'in Gerhard (Keegan Gerhard), holds Elmo's medal in his hand. The two judges, Cookie Vincent (Kerry Vincent) and Patrick Cakestand (Partick Coston), look on with excitement.
Here you see me talking to the third judge, Carol-Lynn Parente, executive producer of Sesame Street. At that point, she was sold on my idea.
The whole set is very calm and quite all day.
I made Elmo out of rice cereal treats and red modeling chocolate. The fur was modeling chocolate that I pulled through a pasta attatchement on the Kitchen Aid mixer. I think Elmo took me two hours to finish. We were so behind with Heather's burn.
There's Patrick looking over our judges' table cake. I try hard to read him when he comes around my kitchen.
Keegan is looking at the cake after I got Elmo and Cookie on. He gave me a big smile!
I'm starting to work on my third muppet, Patrick Cakestand. For some reason I was able to finish him in half the time which gave me some time to help Heather catch up.
The finishing touch on Patrick was his uni-brow. The real Patrick hated this, but I told him that I gave him the uni-brow because his eye brows are the only hair he has on his shaved head. Plus, the uni-brow is a classic muppet feature.
On to my fourth and final muppet, Cake'in Gerhard.
The chef's coats were made from a wonderful and unusual sugar product called Sugar Veil. It is pure white and very shiney. I was able to cut the pieces from large sheets that I had made.
Heather and her burned hand....Still working with a smile!
With thrity minutes left, all four muppets are up and ready. Now it's time for Elmo's cake and poured sugar fish bowl (the cause of Heather's burn).
Rush, rush, rush.... Getting little details finished as best we can.
I had to climb a ladder to get Elmo's cake up. The entire cake stood almost 5-feet tall.
Here's the winning cake. Mike McCarey's Big Bird. It was incredible. I've never seen a cake that perfect in person. He deserved his win!
Mariane Carroll's Cookie Monster cake. So cute! I loved the chef's hat and the smiling stick of butter.
Roland Winbeckler's Oscar The Grouch cake. It was great. The sugar "trash" he made at the bottom of the cake was fantastic!
So, by now you know that we didn't win. But we got the silver medal. We were both so proud to have finished the cake, especially under those circumstances.
Our cake still makes me laugh.
The judges, both sets, posing with the cake.... Classic!
Here's Mike McCarey. Check out his website. You won't believe his cakes. http://www.mikesamazingcakes.com/
Here are Marsha and Roland Winbeckler http://www.winbeckler.com/
Marianne Carroll and Lauren Bozich http://www.whiteflowercake.com/
Here are Kerry and Cookie. A match made in Heaven!
Ahhh, the silver medal. Next time gold....?
Food Network Challenge Sesame Street Cakes, original air July 26, 2009 on Food Network.
...Until thirty minutes after the clock started, Heather severely burned her hand with sugar that was heated to 340 degrees. Our judge, Kerry Vincent, was the first one to come to our rescue. While the producers were bringing us bandages and burn ointment and calling the peremedics, Kerry and I were wrapping Heather's hand. I thought for sure that our day was over.
I don't know how she did it, but Heather kept working! I thought I could just get the muppets finished and submit them for judging. Heather was responsible for the two large cakes in our peice. I never imagined that she would be able to continue such a huge job with that hand in such pain. There was no stopping her.
My character was Elmo and I designed the cake as a Sesame Street parody of Food Network Challenge. Sesame Street has always used parodies on their show to entertain parents and older siblings. It's a great idea and I thought I would pull this parody idea into my cake.
Elmo is the star of my parody cake, as he has just been named the winner of the Monster Network Challenge. He is standing on top of the judges table holding his winning cake in the air. His assistant, Goldfish Dorothy, has her gold medal around her fish bowl. The host of the show, Cake'in Gerhard (Keegan Gerhard), holds Elmo's medal in his hand. The two judges, Cookie Vincent (Kerry Vincent) and Patrick Cakestand (Partick Coston), look on with excitement.
Here you see me talking to the third judge, Carol-Lynn Parente, executive producer of Sesame Street. At that point, she was sold on my idea.
The whole set is very calm and quite all day.
I made Elmo out of rice cereal treats and red modeling chocolate. The fur was modeling chocolate that I pulled through a pasta attatchement on the Kitchen Aid mixer. I think Elmo took me two hours to finish. We were so behind with Heather's burn.
There's Patrick looking over our judges' table cake. I try hard to read him when he comes around my kitchen.
Keegan is looking at the cake after I got Elmo and Cookie on. He gave me a big smile!
I'm starting to work on my third muppet, Patrick Cakestand. For some reason I was able to finish him in half the time which gave me some time to help Heather catch up.
The finishing touch on Patrick was his uni-brow. The real Patrick hated this, but I told him that I gave him the uni-brow because his eye brows are the only hair he has on his shaved head. Plus, the uni-brow is a classic muppet feature.
On to my fourth and final muppet, Cake'in Gerhard.
The chef's coats were made from a wonderful and unusual sugar product called Sugar Veil. It is pure white and very shiney. I was able to cut the pieces from large sheets that I had made.
Heather and her burned hand....Still working with a smile!
With thrity minutes left, all four muppets are up and ready. Now it's time for Elmo's cake and poured sugar fish bowl (the cause of Heather's burn).
Rush, rush, rush.... Getting little details finished as best we can.
I had to climb a ladder to get Elmo's cake up. The entire cake stood almost 5-feet tall.
Here's the winning cake. Mike McCarey's Big Bird. It was incredible. I've never seen a cake that perfect in person. He deserved his win!
Mariane Carroll's Cookie Monster cake. So cute! I loved the chef's hat and the smiling stick of butter.
Roland Winbeckler's Oscar The Grouch cake. It was great. The sugar "trash" he made at the bottom of the cake was fantastic!
So, by now you know that we didn't win. But we got the silver medal. We were both so proud to have finished the cake, especially under those circumstances.
Our cake still makes me laugh.
The judges, both sets, posing with the cake.... Classic!
Here's Mike McCarey. Check out his website. You won't believe his cakes. http://www.mikesamazingcakes.com/
Here are Marsha and Roland Winbeckler http://www.winbeckler.com/
Marianne Carroll and Lauren Bozich http://www.whiteflowercake.com/
Here are Kerry and Cookie. A match made in Heaven!
Ahhh, the silver medal. Next time gold....?
Food Network Challenge Sesame Street Cakes, original air July 26, 2009 on Food Network.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Food Network Challenge, Sesame Street Cakes
I just shot my second Food Network Challenge.
This one was "Sesame Street Cakes."
Wait until you see these cakes!
It is scheduled to air on July 26, 2009 on Food Network.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Food Network Challenge...At Sesame Street!
The Food Network sent me and my competitors to New York on January 28th to visit the set of Sesame Street to prepare for the next Challenge we're doing in this spring. It's a Sesame Street themed Challenge and we are all making a muppet cake. Our Challenge will be filmed at the Food Network studio on March 25th.
This was an amazing experience. I can't even explain how emotional I was all day. From Sesame Street to the brilliant cake artists that I look up to... I was overwhelmed!
From the left, this is Roland Winbeckler (one of the pioneers in American cake decorating and an incredible cake artist. Remarkably, this will be Roland's first Challenge), Mike McCarey (a master cake sculpter, a Challenge multi-winner, and my hero), Marianne Carroll (incredibly creative cake designer and a Challenge veteran). I'm up against some tough competition, but I can't wait!
Me on the Sesame Street stoop.
I'm making the Elmo cake for the Challenge. Each of us interviewed our muppet. This is me during my interview with Elmo. After the interview was over Elmo called my 4 year-old daughter, Stella, in Dallas. She LOVED it!
Here's Marianne interviewing Cookie Monster. What a cute couple!
Roland interviewing Oscar. This was a hysterical interview! Even the cameraman was having trouble holding the camera still. We were all laughing.
Mike interviewing Big Bird. He even prepared a custom "knock-knock" joke for Bird.
Roland snooping around Sesame Street. I'm sure there's some good stuff in that can!
Mike, Marianne and I wanted pictures in Big Bird's bedroom with his huge nest.
Mike, Marianne and I wanted pictures in Big Bird's bedroom with his huge nest.
This was an amazing experience. I can't even explain how emotional I was all day. From Sesame Street to the brilliant cake artists that I look up to... I was overwhelmed!Wish me luck for the Elmo cake I'll be making in March on the Food Network. All the cakes will be great. This Challenge will air sometime this year to head the 40th Anniversary of Sesame Street.
Monday, December 29, 2008
More Food Network Pictures!
Behind-the-scenes pictures from my first Food Network Challenge
Disney Classics Cakes
This episode premeired on Food Network on March 15, 2009.
It will air in rotation. Check the Food Network website for air times.
All of the four competitors were assigned a film crew for the day. That's my cameraman, Greg. He saw and heard everything I did that day.
Judge Kerry Vincent is actually very sweet. Much unlike her stern persona on TV. I got her laughing early in the day. She's a kitten!
Half way through the day my assistant, Heather, and I were so tired already. I think this is the only laugh we had that day. It was much needed.
I love this moment. Heather is peeling off the red brick stencil from our chimney cake. The judges loved it. Our other judge, Patrick Coston, actually gave us a "wow."
The judges were always hovering around us. They never gave us many insights into what they were thinking. They would slip away throughout the day to talk smack about all of us to the cameras. We didn't know what they said until we saw the episode.
Putting Mary Poppins' head on. It all started to come together.
ARGHHH! I'm so tired at this point. Getting all my white gumpaste elements airbrushed black, hoping they would dry in time to place on the cake. With one hour left I felt like I wanted to give up. But I kept going and finished the cake in time.
Moving this heavy cake was the last thing we had to do. Then I faced the judges.
The winning cake!! "Pinocchio" by Richard Ruskell, Montage Resort in Beverly Hills, CA
"Sleeping Beauty" by Grace Chyun, Sweet Gems Cakes in Huntington Beach, CA
Me with the host of Food Network Challenge, Keegan Gerhard.
Moving this heavy cake was the last thing we had to do. Then I faced the judges. The winning cake!! "Pinocchio" by Richard Ruskell, Montage Resort in Beverly Hills, CA
"Sleeping Beauty" by Grace Chyun, Sweet Gems Cakes in Huntington Beach, CA
"Snow White" by Ashley Vicos, Atlanta, GA
Me with the host of Food Network Challenge, Keegan Gerhard.
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