Bakers vs. Fakers (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Say Cheese - full transcript

I'm Sean, from
Redondo Beach, California,

and I am a professional baker.

I'm Sherry, from Morgantown,
West Virginia,

and I'm a professional baker.

I'm Maribelle, from San Diego,

and I am a professional baker.

I'm Louis, from Philadelphia,
and I am a professional baker.

[ Suspenseful music plays ]

Hang on!
The fun is about to begin.

Four bakers are here
to do battle.

Golden-brown delicious.



Two are amazing amateurs.

Do I look like I need help?

Hey, have you got an
Easy-Bake Oven down there?

And two are professionals.

Lovely.
Out of this world.

But only they know
their true identities.

Their mission?

Just winnin' a bunch of money.

Outbake the competition.

If a professional baker wins,

they take home $10,000.

That sounds fancy.

But if an amateur is able
to fake out the judges...

I didn't wanna stop eating it.



You're a baker.

And take down the pros,
- Pssh! Pssh!

they walk away with 15 grand!

- Wow!
- [Gasp]

Bada-bing, bada-boom.

Are you a baker

or a faker?

- I...
- Am...

A...

[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

BOTH: Ohhhhh!

- Aah!
- Yes!

BUDDY:
How can you do this to me?

Welcome to
"Bakers vs. Fakers."

- Whoo!
- LOUIS: It's happening.

- Thank you.
- There are two rounds

of competition.

Round 1 is my choice.

And, today,
you will be baking...

[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

Cobbler!

Easy, easy.

Easy!
I like to hear that.

Easy.

I am so excited
about making cobbler.

I like doing classic dishes
like that with little twists.

But it does take a real pro

to make a great cobbler using...

[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

Cheese!
- SEAN: Cheese?

Ah! [laughs]

[Whimsical tune plays]
We have cheddar,

ricotta,

Parmigiano,

goat,

and brie.

I adore all cheeses
and ricotta is a go-to for me.

But it's a risky cheese
because it's a lot of moisture.

BUDDY:
At the end of the round,

the baker that makes the judges'
least favorite cobbler

is goin' home.

45 minutes on the clock.

Let's bake!

[ Suspenseful music plays ]

Whoo!

There's so many different ways

and interpretations of cobbler.

What do you think cobbler is?

Cobbler is really
a great American classic,

usually sweet, with fruit,

baked with some kind of batter
or biscuit topping.

Warm, gooey, fruity,
loving dessert.

It's so full of love, it almost

loves ya right back
as you eat it.

SEAN: Come on, come on, come on.
- But the trick here

is to incorporate cheese.

Seeing what ingredients
are out there

with the cheese,
what would a baker pick?

To me, a true baker would
really make a good pairing

between the fruit
and the cheese.

That will separate the
fakers from the bakers,

who can really
incorporate the cheese

and some really interesting
spices into their cobbler,

but still have it taste
like a delicious dessert.

I think the cheese,
integrated into biscuit dough

for the topping, that's
something a true baker would do.

- Exactly.
- Gotta get it done.

I've been baking since
I was knee-high to a grasshopper

with my mom in the kitchen.

Gonna start
with the blueberries.

Gonna get those going
and then I'm gonna go

through my biscuits.

My family would describe me
as crazy, loud.

[laughing] Holy hell.

I would say my baking style is
oldschool with a modern flair.

So I like to take
the old hand-me-down recipes

and make 'em my own.

I'm making a blueberry cobbler
with a ricotta-cheese biscuit

and goat-cheese whipped cream
because it reminds me

of French toast
that my mom used to make.

She used to stuff it
with goat cheese.

I need to get my berries going
because they need to cook down

a little bit to get
the right consistency.

I'm gonna add cornstarch,
thicken it up,

and that should be good to go.

I'm gonna work hard to get those
berries just the way I like 'em.

I don't want 'em to be too soft.

I like the way Sherry
is cooking her berries.

Blueberries have
a lot of pectin,

which is the natural thickening
property of a lot of fruits.

And when you cook those fruits,

you get that wonderful,
natural thickness

that just makes
a cobbler a cobbler.

Sherry is a baker.

But you can learn a lot
of these pro moves

in many publications

and TV shows.
- Ohhhhh.

Awesome, and that thickened up
real beautiful.

I'm happy where I am, so far.

LOUIS:
Guys doin' okay over there?

It smells like fear.

I describe myself
as being very outspoken.

What are you creepin' for?

Creeper!

You either love
or you hate Louis.

Look at that.

My influence definitely comes

from having a really
great Italian background

and I'm thinking the things

that you can do with the spices,

like tarragon, black pepper;
and the goat cheese.

And I totally have
this dish in my head.

So I'm making
an apple-blueberry cobbler

with goat-cheese biscuit
and black-pepper cream.

One more apple.

Look at Louis peelin'
the apples.

I think that's got
a home-baker energy.

The way he's just sorta
doing those short,

disjointed peeling motions
looks like a faker.

Yeah, but his apples
are cut thin, so that

there's that balance
of crisp versus soft.

LOUIS: I wanna get the blueberries
and the apple on the stove.

Look at this!

Those berries!
So happy.

The blueberries will
soften up, sweeten.

You're getting like
a nice bite to the apple.

It's like falling snow.

Nice tartness from the zest.

Yeah!

I'm concerned about you.

Let's go-o-o!

I have a lot
of Filipino influence.

But mostly, I consider myself
a new-age, magical baker.

I'm putting a little bit
of magic into my food.

I put all of my energy
into a big light in my body

and then I just kind of push it
right into my baking.

Crazy is passion
and passion is baking.

Nice!

[ Laughs ]

Today, I'm making a strawberry
and brie cobbler

with a pistachio biscuit topping
and lavender cream.

I'm adding sugar and cornstarch

so that the juices
from the strawberries

are able to thicken up
a little bit.

Got my strawberries
macerating right now.

I'm really thinking that the
tartness of strawberries

with cheese,
that's gonna go well.

So I'm gonna
incorporate the cheese

by using cream cheese and brie
into the strawberries.

Brie has a little bit
of a bitterness to it

when it's cold,
but when you melt it,

it makes it a lot more
creamy and sweet.

I don't really think
that a baker would risk

cooking brie that long.

Because if you have those
inner pieces of brie,

they can get really rubbery
when you bake them

and then let 'em cool.
- PAULETTE: Yeah.

ALEX: I just don't think that's
the smartest cheese choice.

It's a real faker move to me.

I got all the magic
on my side over here.

[ Suspenseful music plays ]

I think you're missin'
a couple ingredients.

I'm here to send
other people home.

I'm not losin'.

I like to call myself
the cake bartender.

Whatever you order at the bar,
I can cake it.

Caramelize my peaches
a little bit.

So I'm gonna make
drunken peach cobbler.

My concern is time,

so I'm going to be
using canned peaches.

Y'all need a drink?

Adding some peach rum,

peach whiskey,
peach vodka to it.

SHERRY: Are you doin'
shots over there?

Yeah.
- [Laughs]

To me, they're
grown-folk extracts.

They highlight the flavors
nicely in the cobbler.

People like my cakes
because they get a buzz.

Now, I am a thirsty girl.

I like the liquor.
But it should complement.

It shouldn't overpower it.

Canned fruit
and all that liquor?

It's gonna be mush.

Definitely Sean has
my strongest vote

for the faker, so far.

I agree.
I couldn't agree more.

SEAN: Come on, pie.
Come on, pie shell.

Let's dance.

What do we think about
Sean using premade pie dough?

It's almost like
he's taking moves

he's seen on some cooking shows

and implementing them
here today.

I think that,
if Sean has another plan

for some of that time,

for example, is he gonna make
a really cool whipped cream

or find a cool way
to integrate the cheese?

I'd cosign with that.
I think Sean's a baker.

SEAN:
About to go in the oven.

I'd bet the keys to the
car on that one.

- Whoo!
- That Sean's not a baker.

Taking the express bus
with the pie dough

and some canned fruit

is someone who bakes
so much that they're like

"You know what? I can get
the taste with whatever."

If you're gonna prove
that you're the real baker,

I'd be makin' everything.

He's gotta be the faker.

Sean is a baker.
Period.

No. [patting island]
Sean is not a baker.

Everybody, settle down.
Sean's a baker.

Moving on.
- [Laughs]

You runnin' out of time!

Yeah, you are, with
your premade pie crust.

Gonna turn it u-u-up!

Ooh.

Buddy gon' dig that.

Are you a baker

or a faker?

- I...
- Am...

A...
[Suspenseful music climbs]

BOTH: Ohhhhh!

- Aah!
- Yes!

[Suspenseful music climbs]
[Clunk]

♪♪♪♪

Turnin' my oven up because
I know that it needs to be 425.

Once those blueberries are done,

I can start
my ricotta cheese biscuit

and goat-cheese whipped cream
to top my cobbler.

Usin' 1 cup of this ricotta.

Ricotta is a very wet cheese.

I'm hoping that the moistness

plays well with
the dryness of the biscuits

and they match well together.
I got this goin'.

It's important that biscuit
dough isn't overworked

and, when you feel it
with your own hands,

rather than a mixer, you know
exactly what you got.

I think that Sherry
might be a baker.

I really like the way

she's mixed her batter in
with her hands.

I completely agree.
Getting your hands in there

and knowing the finesse
and like the relationship

you have with the dough
is a sign of a real baker.

SHERRY: I'm making some
goat-cheese whipped cream.

Hoping the tartness
of the goat cheese plays

with the sweetness
of the blueberries.

When I'm in the kitchen,
it's my driven force

and it all started with my mom.

Family is the most
important thing in my life.

I have two kids, one in college.

Winning this money
would be huge.

I absolutely do not wanna lose.
Oh, that's so good.

LOUIS: You guys getting
this mad skill that I have?

Ooh! I talk smack!

The fruit's done, so now
it's time to make the biscuit.

I'm gonna use cornmeal
because I love the texture.

It has that nice sandiness.

And the flavor
that it adds to a dish,

it's very American.
[laughs]

One baker and three fakers.

Some of us are actually

- [Laughs]
- doin' things from scratch.

It forms into a beautiful dough.

Ooh, I love it!

So I'm gonna incorporate
the goat cheese

into my cobbler dough because
I really love the flavor,

the complexity,
that goat cheese tends to have.

It plays off of what
it's being put into.

What home baker is putting
goat cheese into their topping?

Because you have to know
what you're doing to know

that those flavors
will balance together.

What baker uses tarragon
and goat cheese?

Louis.

And he's chosen
those little Crock-Pots

and they're really deep
and the ratio is gonna be off

from the fruit
to the crust on top.

So maybe Louis is a faker.

Ms. Virginia, ya happy?
It's in the oven!

Good job, you!

So, then, I start
my black-pepper whipped cream.

Whip it up!

I like to [snaps fingers]
surprise people

by adding spices
to lift up the dessert.

Gonna turn it u-u-up!

ALEX: Tell me,
is it okay to put pepper in cream?

- No.
- It seems like

a professional level
of combination of flavors.

To me, that is a baker.

Now, we wait!

10 minutes left!
- Okay.

[Whimsical tune plays]
So, the strawberries

and brie are done.

And I make a biscuit.

I'll do some pistachios here.

So, I'm adding pistachios
into my biscuit

because I think it gives just
this unique texture and flavor.

So Maribelle has not yet
gotten anything in the oven.

To me, you know what?
If you're a baker,

you're gettin' your stuff
in the oven.

- Immediately.
- It's about to be.

Don't worry about it.

My heart is so goin'
towards Maribelle.

I love the pistachios.

It's gonna complement the
strawberries and the cheese.

I feel like she is a real baker.

In the oven.

Let's test some of these flours.

I feel like I am a flour child.
[flower]

Some of that lavender.

So, I'm going to make
a lavender cream on the side.

Lavender gives it
a more sophisticated flavor

and that lightness
really helps out

with the richness
from the cobbler.

Mmm, yes.
Perfect.

5 minutes left!

[ Suspenseful music plays ]

LOUIS: Aah!

Just burned myself!

SHERRY:
Oh, and they're coming out!

I'm gonna blast it
just to cool it off

so my whipped cream
doesn't melt all over.

So check out Sherry.

She just made a real faker move.

She took her cobblers
directly from the oven

right into that freezer.

It's just gonna turn to soup.

But you gotta let
that cobbler cool.

Ready to come out?

Normally, I take
about an hour and a half or so

to make this dessert,
so I had to cut corners

to save time by using
the premade pie crust.

Ah, yes.

But when I pulled out
my cobbler out of the oven,

it was lookin' good.

Make the taste buds dance
a little bit more than normal.

Next, Imma take that cheese

and I'm gonna make
a brie cream sauce.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

Brie has the texture
of cream cheese,

but has a little
different tanginess.

Ooh.
Buddy gon' dig that.

My mom used to
make peach cobblers

when we were growin' up.

My passion for baking,
it came from when my mom died.

I went into depression
for about three months

and I just found one
of her old cookbooks.

That's when I started really
bakin' more and more.

She's the main reason
I'm here to win.

Period.

- 2 minutes left!
- I got time.

So who are the two
bakers, and why?

I think Sean and Sherry
are the bakers.

I like the way
Sherry is balancing

the tang of goat cheese
with sugar in her cream.

I think that's gonna
be really nice

to have a little
contrasting flavor

on top of her cobbler.

Sean, he got his canned peaches

and his premade pie
dough in the oven

and then he worked
the brie into butter

like a beurre manié.

This is why I've been cosigning
on Sean the whole time.

Paulette, who are
your two bakers?

Absolutely Maribelle and Louis.

- Whoa!
- With Maribelle,

I am loving this cream-
cheese and brie mixture.

They're both really
creamy cheeses,

but the cream cheese,
I feel, is gonna kinda like

marry well with that brie
once it gets inside of there.

I think she is the real deal.

And Louis, I love goat cheese
for a biscuit.

I feel a real baker knows his
ingredients well enough to know,

"You know what? My heavy cream
needs some pepper."

Aaaah!

All right, guys!

10, 9, 8,

7, 6,

5, 4, 3,

2, 1!

Stop your work!

Time's up.

SEAN:
I'm thinkin' the crust,

it's amateur,
but I just did it to buy time,

and I think they're gonna
be especially impressed

with the brie drizzle.

SHERRY:
My cobbler is a winner.

[Suspenseful music plays]
I know my flavors are on.

It looks beautiful.
I'm confident with it.

Bakers and fakers,

I gave you 45 minutes

to make cobblers using cheese.

Now, it's time
to face the judges.

Remember, at the end
of this round,

one of you will be going home.

BUDDY: So, Sean,
what did you make for the judges?

I made a drunken peach cobbler
with a brie cream sauce.

♪♪♪♪

Love that you went full force
with the liquor cabinet.

So there were nice
little punches of it.

I do like how you
tucked the crust in.

It was very visually appealing,
but I was hoping

that something was gonna
get knocked out of the park

and it was just a flavor sizzle.

I think that canned
peaches have their place,

but definitely not in a cobbler.

With all these
prebought ingredients,

there's no reason
to keep going back.

I think that you did
take a lot of risks.

To look at those cheeses
that you had on that board

and pick brie -
I would not have picked brie.

I say that with admiration.

- Thank you.
- And then work it into a cream.

To me, that really is thinking
about the dish as a whole.

But you needed to cook
that alcohol out.

Sherry.
What did you make for us?

Hi. I made a blueberry cobbler
with a ricotta biscuit.

♪♪♪♪

ALEX: In terms of taste,
I love the ricotta.

In terms of baking chemistry,
I'm not crazy about it.

So you have to bake
the biscuit separately.

Because it's a touch steamed
and undercooked

right where it's
touching the fruit.

However, filling?
Delicious.

Awesome.

The cheese that you used,
how you used it is

so flavorful and so present.
- Thank you.

The thing that I would've liked
to have seen a little different

is the filling to be
a little bit thicker.

It is a little bit
more on the soupy side.

Maribelle.

What did you make for us?

So, I made here
a strawberry-brie cobbler

with pistachio biscuit.

I used brie and then also put

a little bit
of cream cheese in there.

And then on the side there,
you have a lavender cream.

The flavors are really good.

I love that you mixed the cream
cheese in with the brie.

Very sophisticated.

I love that you
chose pistachios.

Very complementary
to the cheese.

But the strawberries were mush.

I think it's beautiful.

And I think your dough
is really great.

It has a shortbread
energy to it.

It's just addictive.
- Thank you.

And I love the brie.

I don't like
the cream cheese at all.

I think the cream cheese
came into town

like a heavy hitter
and really obscured the fruit.

[Suspenseful music plays]
- Mm.

That said, hats off
to your creativity.

Louis.
What did you make?

I made a apple/blueberry/
goat-cheese cobbler.

I used goat cheese
in the cobbler dough.

♪♪♪♪

I love the taste and texture
of your apples and blueberries.

Flavorful, they come through
nice and strong.

And I like that
you used cornmeal.

It's a really classic
mix with blueberry.

I was so excited that you
chose goat cheese in your dough.

There's a lot of flavor
goin' in there.

The tarragon does come
on in and shine.

And then your whipped cream.

So the black pepper was
just kind of lost in it.

You chose a vessel
that's adorable.

But it's deep and the balance

between the crust
and the fruit is off.

Because of your structuring,
not 'cause it's not good.

This topping to me
is gloriously kind of sandy.

Like a hybrid between
a thumbprint cookie,

a biscuit, and cornbread,
that I could eat all day long.

Thank you all.

[Suspenseful music plays]
But now comes the hard part.

The judges need to deliberate,
so please give us a moment.

LOUIS: There's always that
thing in the back of your mind:

whether or not your plate
is good enough.

So, seeing what I'm
up against right now,

I definitely am like,

"Louis, you could've really
plated the game up more."

[ Suspenseful outro plays ]

[ Clunk ]

[Suspenseful music plays]
Bakers and fakers,

now it's time to find out
who won,

who's goin' home,

and?
Who that person really is.

Alex.

The winner of this round is...

[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

Louis.

BUDDY: Yay-ay-ay-ay!
[Applause]

Good job, Louis.

You took the right amount
of risk

and you added the right
amount of classic

and it was just beautiful.

Thank you so much.

Aaaah!
And it only proves

little classics with twists

are really what people want.

Paulette, please tell us

who made
the second-best cobbler.

[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

Maribelle.

BUDDY: Yay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay!
[Applause]

Great job, Maribelle.
You're safe.

[ Outro plays ]

Okay, judges.

We are down to the two cobblers

you liked the least.

Alex, please tell us who's
moving on to Round 2.

[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

Sherry.

[Upbeat tune plays]
[Applause]

Unfortunately, Sean, that means
you've been eliminated.

But before you go,
I need to know:

Are you a baker

or a faker?

I...

am...

a...

[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

Baker.

- Ohhhhh!
- Ha-ha!

- Hoh-hoh-hoh.
- All right!

- She knew.
- You were right.

- She knew.
- She was right.

So, where are you a baker?

I'm the cake bartender
at Cake Buzz

in Redondo Beach, California.

I started baking a little
more than 10 years ago.

What I love about baking
is I have the freedom to play.

New alcohol comes out,

I get to try to do somethin'
really crazy with it.

I bake with any liquor.

Cognacs, rums, vodkas,
tequilas, sake, you name it.

Mine is rum.
- Oh, man.

Oh, that's awesome.

I just started lookin' around
for drink recipes

and I started created frostings
with those drink recipes.

People like my cakes because
the frosting is not cooked, so,

at Cake Buzz,
you get to have your cake

and drink it, too.

Well, man, you should be
very proud of yourself.

You represented yourself
and your bakery well.

Thank you.

♪♪♪♪

[Whimsical tune plays]
Hello, baker and fak-ers.

[ Laughter ]

I'm gonna give you the freedom
to bake any dish you like.

As long as you include...

[ Whimsical-suspenseful
tune plays ]

Rice!

Ha-ha!

[ Laughter ]

Yes!

I am immediately thinking

that I wanna show
my Filipino culture.

So I really wanted
to make a dessert

and make Filipinos proud.

We have wild rice,

Arborio rice,

leftover Chinese-food
restaurant rice -

Ew! -

puffed rice cereal,

and rice pudding. Mmm!

Rice doesn't have
a great flavor of its own,

so I'm hoping that
the texture can add something.

But I don't want anybody
to have a hard piece of rice,

you know, chokin'
on their dessert.

[Whimsical tune plays]
You must incorporate

at least one of these types
of rice in your dish.

I'm gonna give you guys
45 minutes.

Let's bake!

- Aaaah!
- Whoo!

What do you guys think for rice

as a surprise ingredient?

It will be very telling to see

what rice they choose

to separate the fakers
from the bakers.

There are some
real plays on texture

that can be made
by using two of these things.

I bet a faker would take
that puffed rice

and make like
a rice cereal treat.

I hope that's not the
first thing they go for,

to make the obvious choice.

But the rice cereal,
I think, is great texturally

and that leftover rice,

you could make that
into a cake filling.

That's exactly
where I would start.

You can do so much
with leftover rice.

Which one would you
stay away from?

I think that Arborio rice,
it's a tough ingredient.

Maybe someone could do
a dessert risotto.

Just doin' a proper
risotto on its own

is, what, 20 minutes,
- Yeah, about 20.

- 30 minutes?
- PAULETTE: Yeah.

You know, you're pushin' it.

Let's do it, guys.

Yeah, what do you got goin' on?

I'm usin' risotto.

My love of baking stems
from my Italian upbringing.

When I think about rice,
I immediately think of risotto.

You know, bein'
Eye-talian and all,

you gotta do it from scratch.

For Round 2, I'm doing
coconut Arborio-rice risotto

with macerated blackberries

and a little
vanilla-honey drizzle.

- How you doin', my brother?
- I'm great. How are you?

- You're makin' risotto?
- I'm makin' risotto.

If you pull this off,
you must be a baker.

It's either out on left field

or it's out on right field
or it's a total foul ball.

Or however baseball goes.
But something like that.

I need you to cook a little bit
faster for me, darling.

The next step:
Add coconut milk.

Gotta get up in this
with the spatula.

Risotto is like me:

There's no in between.

You have to get it right.

If it's a little undercooked,
you have that bite.

So I want a really nice
creaminess of the risotto

and the coconut milk is really
gonna tie this together.

What you say?

The baker is Louis and
I'm gonna tell you why.

He's the only ones
with big-enough cannolis

to make a dessert risotto.

He took that surprise
ingredient and embraced it.

He's the baker!
- Take a fork.

You just wanna mash up some of
the berries, not all of 'em.

I like what
Louis is doing, though.

He's got blackberries,
macerating them in sugar.

Even though Sherry
is my horse in the race,

I like what Louis is doing.

You are boiling very nicely.

Thank you.
Keep it up.

Do you guys want a crystal?

- Me?
- Yes. Let me bless it.

Don't bless my - Don't.

No!

I don't need this rock.
- [Laughs]

That's fine. I'll keep
all the magic to myself.

It's so magical.

For Round 2,
I am immediately thinking

that I wanna show
my Filipino culture.

♪♪ Sift that baby
really good ♪♪

I'm making a Filipino ube
brownie with coconut rice cream

and a rice-chocolate brittle.

- Maribelle!
- Hello.

- How we doin'?
- Good!

Right now,
I'm defrosting some ube.

What's ube?

Ube is a Filipino taro root.

- Oh.
- It's a distinct flavor,

so you may or may not like it.

But I think with what
I'm doing to it, you will.

The first thing that I do is
start making my brownie batter.

Ube makes a brownie
very, very, very moist

and gives it like a really gooey
kind of banana texture.

Just magical down here.

I'm glad my magic
is comin' off on you.

Growing up Filipino,
I was just obsessed with ube.

We put it in everything.

So ube is definitely
the ultimate way

to show your Filipino pride.

Some vanilla bean in there.

And then I'm going
to put in shredded coconut

and macadamia nuts to give it
a crunch and different texture.

♪♪♪♪

So good.

I think Maribelle,
she's the baker.

She has a very varied palette.

She pulled out an ingredient
that not that many people like,

so to be that self-assured,
to put it into brownies,

she's gonna knock it
out of the park.

- That's "grandma ube."
- It's not grandma ube.

- Yeah.
- Ube is on her menu.

The same way I rolled meatballs

with my grandma, she cut ube.

It's the life lessons.

Maribelle should be bakin'
those brownies

in a much smaller pan
'cause they're gonna be raw

and that is a faker move.

But that ube is gonna give it

such a nice, starchy texture,

they're gonna be like -
- Ube, schnube.

- Don't you ube my schnube.
- Whoa! Ube, snube.

That ube is gonna
take the starch level

and make it nice
and gooey and chewy.

MARIBELLE: Puttin' this
bad boy in the oven.

I'm gonna use the rice pudding
and the takeout rice.

For Round 2, I'm making
a German chocolate cake

with rice-pudding filling

because it is my daughter's
absolute favorite.

This is gonna be my cake base.

My idea is to get it in
really quick into the oven

and get this baby baked.

This is where the magic
comes together here.

Ooh! That's hot.

Then, I'm gonna add
that crazy rice pudding.

My rice is speaking to me.

Sherry's adding rice pudding

to her cake mixture,
rather than eggs.

Ooh, like that move.

Sherry is a baker.

I think it's very risky.
It's probably gonna be

raw and gooey because,
if it had the eggs in it,

it would rise a little bit
and separate and be able

to get the little grain crystals

of a cake sponge.

Puttin' it on a sheet pan

is gonna make
the cake batter very thin

and let it cook
evenly and quickly.

I think I'm good.
And it's in the oven.

I'm gonna move on to my filling.

Making basically a custard

and I'm doin' pecans,
coconut, and rice.

I take the unsweetened coconut.

I know toasting it is gonna
give it this extra-nutty flavor.

This coconut's superfine,

so it's not gonna take much
to toast it up.

I think the texture
of the filling

is going to work well
with the texture of the rice.

and I'm gonna add takeout rice.

I hope this tastes good.

She's just stickin' that
finger right in there.

- Oh, yeah.
- That's a sign of a home baker.

Oh, that's so good.
[chuckle] Mmm!

I'm feelin' really
good right now.

[singsong] And my cake is
comin' out of the oven!

[Suspenseful music plays]
Oh, no!

Oh, this isn't good!

Sherry's cake looks good,
but it looks not cooked enough.

SHERRY:
Half of my cake's raw.

Work it out, girl.
Work it out!

Sherry looks like she's really
struggling with her cake.

- She's donezo.
- I'm dying.

I'm dying a slow, painful death.

[Suspenseful chord strikes]
[Clunk]

Holy heck.

I realize my cake is not done.
It's raw.

Is Sherry's cake cooked?
I'm like holding my breath.

She might've overput
rice pudding in the batter

and it was never gonna cook.

SHERRY:
Oh, this isn't good!

Not good.

I know that I need
to finish strong

and that's what I'm gonna do,
so I'm gonna throw these back

in the oven
and see what I can do.

Did she just put
that back in the oven?

ALEX: Oh, yeah.
- Do you think she has time

for this?
- I mean, at this point,

I'd go in the deep fryer.

[ Suspenseful chord
strikes dully ]

I'm all in.
[Whimsical tune plays]

- She...
- Do not mess with my girl!

Faker, faker, faker.

[ Twinkle! ]

F-f-f-f-f-f-f- faker!

Come on, baby.

This some creamy risotto!

The risotto is on the stove.

Now, it's time to make
the vanilla-honey drizzle.

Peel it like that.

You scoop it out like this.
Put it up in here.

I wanna get the honey
thinned out

and then the vanilla bean
just breaks up throughout it.

So you have this
nice honey flavor,

but then just hints
of a really dark, deep vanilla.

So you wanna break it
down like that,

but you wanna get
the vanilla to move around.

Yay-ay-ay! Louis.

Louis is using
real vanilla beans.

He's taking those vanilla beans,

putting it in honey,
and he's letting it steep.

So that's gonna give a flavor
unlike anything else.

I couldn't agree more,
and that's why

I'm tellin' you he's the baker.

This is definitely...

a little bit too high.

I'm a little bit concerned,
watching Louis.

His risotto looks really dense.

I think he's gonna
need more liquid.

Anything, just to loosen that
risotto up so when he plates it,

it's a little bit soupy.

I think Louis is the baker,
but that risotto

looks drier than
my sister's elbows.

- Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh!
- Just sayin'.

I'm gonna make
a white-chocolate brittle

with the rice cereal
and the coconut.

It'll be like
a garnish on the top.

The brownies are in the oven.

So I start my white-chocolate
candy brittle.

It'll give the dish
a crunchy and creamy texture.

It's so magical.

It's a real safe move, to take
rice cereal and make a treat.

But what I like that she's doing
is she's making it her own,

adding coconut
and white chocolate.

Baker all the way.

I'm also thinking of making
like whipped cream

and add the takeout rice.

I'm just like majorly
in the zone right now.

The rice will actually
soak up the cream

and it just gives it
a different texture.

All right.
Let's taste this bad boy.

[ Upbeat outro plays ]

She's been tasting a little bit
of everything as she goes.

Mmm, pretty good.

A sign of a professional.

I just don't get the ube
in the brownies.

- No?
- You'll get it.

When done right,
by a professional

that's used it a lot -
my girl Maribelle.

I really wanna open my oven.
I don't know if I should.

I'm so scared that
it's not gonna be finished.

Not done!
♪♪ Fudge! ♪♪

Maribelle's brownies
aren't even baked.

Are they raw?

Well, there's nothing wrong
with some brownie batter.

They look raw to me.

[sharp inhale]
Ay ay ay.

I feel like I'm screwed.

Oh, my God.
These are not done.

While the cake is in the oven,
I decide that I wanna do

chocolate feathers
because it looks beautiful.

I can paint these
on some parchment,

throw them in the glass chiller,
and they'll be good to go.

Absolutely flyin'
by the seat of my pants here.

- Sherry's painting something.
- I love what Sherry is doing.

Listen, the painting
with the chocolate

is somethin' she probably
saw on Food Network.

Sherry's the baker.

Get on my train, baby.

Okay.
Let's try this again.

I get my cake out of the oven
and I have 3 minutes.

And the cake's still gooey.
So you know what?

I'm gonna call it a gooey
German chocolate cake.

Come on.

♪♪♪♪

There she goes.
That's my girl.

That's my girl.
Do it!

SHERRY:
Okay. I got this.

It's tryin' to recover.

- Who's your baker?
- It's all about Maribelle.

There's nothing better than
a delicious brownie sundae.

That's so classic and perfect.

But look, she's translating it

into something exotic
and a masterpiece of art.

I don't think Maribelle's
a baker. I just don't.

I think Sherry
is the actual baker.

Sherry is mixing the rice
with coconut and other things.

Only a baker would
run the gamut of textures

and the chocolate little leaf

that she's kind of
whipped up on the fly

certainly is not something that
I do recreationally at home.

She's got all the makings
of a great cake!

You're both wrong because
Louis is the baker.

He's got the creativity
and the passion of a pro.

You say it's Maribelle.
- Yep.

You say it's Sherry.

We are all over the place here.

[Suspenseful music plays]
Splash!

All right.
- No! No, no, no.

- Can't take the pressure.
- I can't - I can't -

No one is finished!

SHERRY:
Oh, my God!

[ Suspenseful music plays ]

[ Clucking ]

BUDDY:
All right, guys!

[Suspenseful music climbs]
10, 9, 8,

7, 6,

5, 4, 3,

2, 1!

Stop your work.
- Whoo-oo-oo!

[ Laughter ]

[ Ominous chords strike ]

The cakes aren't perfect,
but I'm happy with it

and the flavors are there,
so I'm hopin' for the best.

[Suspenseful music plays]
Are you a baker

or a faker?

- I...
- Am...

A...

- Ah-ha-ha!
- Ah!

Man! No!

[ Clunk ]

Baker and fakers,

you've had 45 minutes

to make whatever dish you want,

as long as you
incorporated rice.

The dishes look great.

But only one will win.

So, Maribelle,
what did you make for us?

I made an ube brownie

with a white-chocolate/
puffed-rice brittle.

[ Suspenseful music plays ]

You can clearly get
your love of cooking

and your love of heritage
all in this dish.

And you used the ingredients
in a really thoughtful way.

The cereal treat that you used
with the white chocolate,

I like that you turned it
into a nice textural play on it

where it's kinda hard
and crispy,

but when you chew on it,
it melts in your mouth.

Mm-hmm.

I think the brittle is amazing.

It tastes like a candy bar
to me in the most luscious way.

Going through
from the creamy bottom

all the way to the brittle
and the macadamia,

you span such texture and taste.

I have to say, what I don't
like is that the brownie

is really undercooked.
- Yes.

That said, the ube kinda
ties it all together

and gives it sort of like

a fun,
molten-chocolate-cake energy.

Sherry, what did
you make for us?

I made a gooey
German chocolate cake.

I used the rice pudding
in the cake

and I used the leftover
takeout rice in my filling.

[ Suspenseful music plays ]

You really hit the mark.

It's got the gooey, the crunch,

just enough sweet.
It's decadent.

You really incorporated the rice

in really unique ways.
- Thank you.

But the brownie was underbaked.
No doubts about it.

It was downright gooey.

I think that the rice for your
German chocolate cake filling

is wonderfully kind of chewy

in that wonderful,
gooey, ricey way.

The addition of the pecans
also gives it a nice crunch.

Delicious.

I like your choices.

I just think you need
a little more time.

Louis.

I did a coconut/Arborio-rice
dessert risotto

with macerated blackberries.

[ Suspenseful music plays ]

When the plate was placed
before me, I thought,

"It looks already congealed
and sealed up."

The flavors almost beat it
because they are so delicious.

You've got a lot of layers
on this dish, and my favorite,

that really took me by surprise,
was the vanilla-honey drizzle.

You could drizzle
that all over me.

I'd take it, absolutely.
- Hey, yeah.

I think that
the blackberry combination

with the coconut is inspired.

I mean, it's like garden-fresh.

What I don't like
is that you made risotto

and that it's not creamy.
[Ominous chord strikes]

What I'm getting is
a lot of rice.

It's a little dry.

I think just you needed
a little bit more liquid

as a facilitator to kind of
make this more creamy.

- Yeah. Understood.
- You all did an amazing job.

But now, we need
to give the judges

a little time to deliberate.

If I won, it would mean
the world to me, actually,

because I wanna show
my kids that, you know,

when life throws you
some soggy cake,

you gotta make it happen.

I feel like the judges
definitely got

what I was going for with taking
risotto to the next level.

Baker and fakers,
in this envelope,

I have the name of the winner.

But before I reveal that to you,

you gotta tell me
who you really are.

Louis, are you a baker

or a faker?

[Suspenseful music climbs]
I...

am...

a...

[Suspenseful chord strikes]
[Clunk]

Louis, are you a baker

or a faker?

[Suspenseful music plays]
I...

am...

a...

faker.

[Laughter]
Oh-hoh-hoh, man!

No, Louis! No!

How could you do this?

How could you do this to me?

What do you do for a livin'?

I am actually
a fitness instructor.

- Oh, God.
- Whoa-oa!

Get my squat on, yeah.

I teach a fitness class
in Philadelphia.

Hold 'til I feel the burn.
That's how we're holding.

It is a hardcore weight
and resistance bands class.

I absolutely love what I do.

[clapping] Great job, guys!

[Cheering and applause]
You guys really rocked today!

Being a baker
and in fitness seems crazy,

but it actually does work.

If you incorporate
healthier ingredients,

it can help with your diet
and help with fitness.

So they really do
go kind of hand-in-hand,

at least for me, when they're
done the right way.

So we still have one baker,
one faker, remaining.

Maribelle, tell me:

are you a baker

or are you a faker?

[Suspenseful music plays]
I...

am...

a...

baker.

BOTH: Ohhhhh!

- Aah!
- Yes!

[ Laughter ]

Called my girl.

Where are you a baker,
Maribelle?

I'm the pastry chef at
Point Loma Nazarene University.

- Excellent.
- Too much talent.

Thank you.
I am the head baker.

So every day,
I bake for the students.

Go ahead and sheet red velvet.

We do hundreds of different
desserts every single day.

I'm always having to keep myself
on my toes and to think

of different, innovate ideas
for our different desserts

because they want
something to impress.

- That looks so good.
- Thank you.

I've always wanted to be a baker

because I've always
wanted people to feel the way

that I feel loved,
through pastries.

- Sherry.
- [Nervous laugh]

I guess we know what that means.

I am

a faker.

[Laughter]
Oh, my God!

BUDDY: I told you.

So what do you do, Sherry?

I am actually personal assistant
for a retail developer.

BUDDY:
Oh, awesome.

You make chocolate feathers
at your desk?

I absolutely adore my boss
and I love what I do.

Everything that normal people
do at their home, I do for him.

I'm just finishing up
over at work today.

I did everything on the list.

But I feel like
something is lacking.

Baking is my passion.

I love baking
because creating something

that is so sweet and beautiful
and knowing that you're going to

make other people happy with it
is just an awesome experience.

Now that you've
showed me your cards,

it's time for me
to show you mine.

Maribelle, if you're the winner,
you win $10,000.

Louis or Sherry win,
you win 15 grand!

[Suspenseful music plays]
Whoo!

BUDDY:
That's it. Make it rain.

And the winner is...

[ Suspenseful music climbs ]

Maribelle.

[ Laughter ]

You won $10,000!

Congratulations.

How does it feel?!

Amazing.

I mean, Maribelle, your
development of flavors, alone,

was reason enough
to give you the win.

You made us a candy bar
and a brownie.

It was like a little
mini amusement park

- Thank you.
- and it was delicious.

And that really
is your heritage,

your country, where you grew up.

That's your family
all on a dessert plate

and I do agree with Alex:
it is a carnival ride

that I wanna get on
and never get off of.

[laughs] Thank you.

Bakers don't make
that much money

and winning $10,000,
to a starving artist-baker,

is just mind-blowing.

This just means so much to me
because I'm gonna be able

to show my family that,
when you have something

you're passionate about,
you're able to succeed.

Maribelle, I guess
the crystals worked.

[Laughter]
It was that energy.

It was that magic.

[ Laughter ]

PAULETTE:
Congratulations. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, guys.
Thank you so.

♪♪♪♪