Cupcake Wars
Encyclopedia
Cupcake Wars is a Food Network
reality-based competition show hosted by Justin Kredible
based on creating unique and professional-style cupcake
s that began airing in June 2010. The show is similar to its successful Chopped
show in that it starts with 4 contestants who are eliminated one by one in 3 rounds. The show regularly airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm, EST. The show also challenges its contestants to create cupcakes with unusual ingredients with the winning team receiving $10,000. Each team consists of a chef
and a sous-chef. Cupcake Wars has completed airing its third season.
based on taste alone with a theme associated including a twist ingredient(s) in 45 minutes. For example, a date-night themed cupcake must include various aphrodisiacs, such as oyster
s, basil
, dark chocolate or champagne.
The second round is based on both taste
and presentation
. In 75 minutes, the contestants must make 3 different cupcakes, each showcasing a different taste with an outstanding presentation.
The third round is hardest, with the remaining 2 teams making 1,000 cupcakes in only 2 hours (originally 4 hours in the first episode). Each team is assisted with the help of a 5-person team consisting of one carpenter and four baking interns to create the showcase for the cupcakes and help make the cupcakes for their corresponding contestants.
birthday party for an orca
, a "match-making" aphrodisiac
party, an Ace of Cakes
100th episode celebration, "Survival of the Fittest" theme, an autistic charity event and at a film festival.
The show features chefs from all backgrounds, including vegan pastry chefs, small business owners and internet companies alike. As a result, the show has had unexpected winners, such as Chloe Coscarelli
, a 22 year-old vegan pastry chef
who won an episode without using any egg
s, butter or milk in any of her cupcakes.
The third "rotating" judge is a special guest and is associated with the theme of that episode.
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
reality-based competition show hosted by Justin Kredible
Justin Kredible
Justin "Kredible" Willman is an American actor, magician and entertainer. He currently hosts two Food Network series, Cupcake Wars and Last Cake Standing, and The Hub series, Hubworld,. and will also host the upcoming Scrabble Showdown for The Hub...
based on creating unique and professional-style cupcake
Cupcake
A cupcake is a small cake designed to serve one person, frequently baked in a small, thin paper or aluminum cup...
s that began airing in June 2010. The show is similar to its successful Chopped
Chopped (TV series)
Chopped is a reality based cooking television series created by Michael Krupat, produced by Daniel Kay, and hosted by Ted Allen that pits four chefs against each other competiting for a chance to win $10,000. New episodes air every Tuesday at 10pm EST on Food Network.-Format:In each episode, four...
show in that it starts with 4 contestants who are eliminated one by one in 3 rounds. The show regularly airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm, EST. The show also challenges its contestants to create cupcakes with unusual ingredients with the winning team receiving $10,000. Each team consists of a chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
and a sous-chef. Cupcake Wars has completed airing its third season.
Rounds
In the first round, the contestants must create a cupcakeCupcake
A cupcake is a small cake designed to serve one person, frequently baked in a small, thin paper or aluminum cup...
based on taste alone with a theme associated including a twist ingredient(s) in 45 minutes. For example, a date-night themed cupcake must include various aphrodisiacs, such as oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, basil
Basil
Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum , of the family Lamiaceae , sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries....
, dark chocolate or champagne.
The second round is based on both taste
Taste
Taste is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc....
and presentation
Food presentation
Food Presentation is the art of modifying, processing, arranging, or decorating food to enhance its aesthetic appeal.The visual presentation of foods is often considered by chefs at many different stages of food preparation, from the manner of tying or sewing meats, to the type of cut used in...
. In 75 minutes, the contestants must make 3 different cupcakes, each showcasing a different taste with an outstanding presentation.
The third round is hardest, with the remaining 2 teams making 1,000 cupcakes in only 2 hours (originally 4 hours in the first episode). Each team is assisted with the help of a 5-person team consisting of one carpenter and four baking interns to create the showcase for the cupcakes and help make the cupcakes for their corresponding contestants.
Themes
The show invites cupcake bakers from all over the United States to compete in the 3 rounds. Each episode has a theme. Some themes used so far have been a golf tournament, a SeaworldSeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
birthday party for an orca
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
, a "match-making" aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
party, an Ace of Cakes
Ace of Cakes
Ace of Cakes is an American reality television show which airs on the Food Network. The show focuses on the daily operations of Duff Goldman's custom cake shop, Charm City Cakes, in Baltimore, Maryland; including small-business ownership, working with various vendors, tasting with customers,...
100th episode celebration, "Survival of the Fittest" theme, an autistic charity event and at a film festival.
The show features chefs from all backgrounds, including vegan pastry chefs, small business owners and internet companies alike. As a result, the show has had unexpected winners, such as Chloe Coscarelli
Chloe Coscarelli
Chloe Coscarelli is an award-winning vegan cook. She lives in California. Coscarelli won the Cupcake Wars reality cooking competition on Food Network. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. She appeared as herself in the 2010 television documentary The Veg Edge.-External links:*...
, a 22 year-old vegan pastry chef
Pastry chef
A pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods...
who won an episode without using any egg
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
s, butter or milk in any of her cupcakes.
Judges
There are 3 judges in the series with 2 of them being permanent judges:- Candace NelsonCandace NelsonCandace Nelson is a pastry chef and judge on the television series Cupcake Wars. She is credited with starting a nationwide cupcake craze with the opening of her store, Sprinkles Cupcakes, in 2005.-Early life:Nelson grew up in Indonesia...
, founder of Sprinkles CupcakesSprinkles CupcakesSprinkles Cupcakes is a Beverly Hills, California-based cupcake bakery chain established in 2005. It is considered the first cupcakes-only bakery.- History :...
, the world's first cupcake bakery - Florian BellangerFlorian BellangerFlorian Bellanger is a French pastry chef and judge on the Food Network's competition series Cupcake Wars.-Early career:Bellanger grew up in Paris, France and spent much of his free afternoons baking for his family. However, a childhood chocolate allergy prevented him from enjoying sweets and...
, executive FrenchFrench cuisineFrench cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
pastry chefPastry chefA pastry chef or pâtissier is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods...
The third "rotating" judge is a special guest and is associated with the theme of that episode.