01x02 - Mid-Canada Holiday Playoffs

[bunniefuu]

MARY [V.O.]: Last time,
our search began in the west,

and after an amazing
qualifying round...

: [gasps] Oh my gosh,
are you kidding me?

MARY [V.O.]: ...and
an intense baking round...

ANDREW: I think
this is delicious.

MARY [V.O.]: ...in the end,
it was Jenna...

JENNA: I'm going to the finale!

MARY [V.O.]: ...and Renell...

RENELL: I got
a silver cake stand!

MARY [V.O.]: ...who claimed
their spots

in the national finale.

Tonight, the search continues
in our Mid-Canada region.

MARY: Hi!
[applause]

MARY [V.O.]:
Where, once again,

we've invited eight bakers
to tell us their stories.

MARY: And this is...

amazing!

ANDREW: It's just delicious.

MARY [V.O.]: Four will
move on to Round Two

in the Cross Country
Cake Off Kitchen...

where they'll bake for a shot
at the national title,

and the grand prize of $50,000!

We're back on track, Canada.

This is Cross Country Cake Off.

♪

MARY [V.O.]: Mid-Canada's
best cake-makers have gathered

in Toronto to show us
their creations

at beautiful Casa Loma:

once a grand private residence,

and now a historic landmark
in the heart of the city.

JULIE INTV: Oh my gosh.
I am so full of adrenaline.

ANDRE INTV: I decided to enter
on a whim, and boom, here I am!

♪

CONTESTANT: Hey.
ANDRE: Hey, how are you?

♪

SUBRINA INTV: I had to spend
all night yesterday decorating.

ANDRE: Andre.

SUBRINA: Nice to meet you.
I'm Subrina.

SUBRINA INTV: It's my dream
to open a bakery one day,

so I'm really hoping that I can
make it to the next round.

ANDRE: Hi, hi.

Oh man, what's in
that box there, Brian?

BRIAN: Something heavy.
[all laugh]

JULIE INTV:
I come into the room,

there's seven other bakers...

and I'm feeling
a little bit nervous!

MARY: Hi!
ANDREW: Hey, everyone!

[greetings & applause]

MARY: Welcome!
ANDREW: Welcome, yeah!

[applause]

ANDREW: We had awesome
cake-makers apply

from Canada's most
populated region,

and you are a very select group.

MARY: But only four of you
will move on

to the Cross Country
Cake Off kitchen

to bake for a place
in the national holiday finale.

ANDREW: And the cakes sitting
in those boxes of yours

could be your ticket
to the upcoming baking round.

MARY: We asked you to bring
a cake that pulls out

all the stops
on your cake-making

and decorating skills,

and tells us a little something
about who you are.

Suzie...
BOTH: It's cake time!

♪

SUZIE INTV: I have
always loved to bake.

Last year, I had
a foot operation

and that took me away from
all my physical activities.

So baking, for me,
was to keep mentally sane.

MARY: I love birds.

And this is amazing.

SUZIE: My husband
and my daughter and I,

we are birdwatchers.

I had the opportunity
to take my daughter

to the rainforest in Peru.

That's where I was born.

And it was such an incredible
experience to see the macaws

and other parrots
flying over our heads.

And we are chocolate-lovers.

This is a chocolate sponge
with a chocolate ganache

and cherry compote.

ANDREW: Yeah, kind of like
a nod to a black forest.

SUZIE: That's right.

ANDREW: From the rainforest?
MARY: From the rainforest, yes!

SUZIE: That's right.

♪

MARY: You can taste
that the sponge isn't

over-the-top chocolate.

And those cherries,
really, really smart move.

Brightness, tartness.

ANDREW: Something
I might do differently

is some kind of
a chocolate crunch to it.

You could give a reference
to the chocolate shavings

that are found on the outside
or on top of a black forest.

MARY: That's right.

ANDREW: Which gives
a fun textural pop, right?

SUZIE: Okay.
MARY: A hundred percent.

ANDREW: Mm-hm.

MARY: Thank you
so, so much, Suzie.

SUZIE: Thank you.

ANDREW: Alright, Andre...

BOTH: It's cake time!

♪

ANDRE INTV: I was born
in New Jersey.

I live now in Toronto.
I'm a father.

That's my thing, 24/7,
is baking and my family.

MARY: Oh my gosh, what a party.

So, why this cake, Andre?

ANDRE: The colours
honestly came from my boys.

They were in the house and they
started finger-painting.

And the colours
that you see right here

are actually the colours
that they were using.

And the three roses
are representing

the three favourite
women in my life--

my wife, my mother,
and my grandmother.

MARY: Oh my gosh,
that's beautiful!

ANDREW: Ahh!

MARY: This is just like
your whole family in a cake!

That controlled drip
is so wonderfully done.

ANDRE: It's a vanilla sponge
with chocolate chips.

In the middle is American icing
and cookie butter sauce

that I've created myself.

MARY: That cookie butter
running through there.

Peanut butter who?

ANDRE: Peanut butter what?

[all laugh]

MARY: Gonna give it a go.

♪

ANDREW: Am I getting some maple?

MARY: Um, I-I somehow get maple?

Yeah!

Are we getting maple?
ANDRE: Yes, you are.

ANDREW: I was not
expecting that maple hit,

but it's comforting,
it's like morning vibes.

MARY: It is moist.
ANDRE: Thank you.

MARY: It's falling apart
in my mouth.

But that American buttercream
is super sweet,

so with that cookie butter,
everything is sweet on sweet.

ANDREW: It's warm,
it's breakfast-y,

but it's just
a little too sweet.

MARY: Thank you so, so much.

ANDRE: Thank you, thank you.

MARY: Alright, Jessica...

BOTH: It's cake time!

♪

JESSICA INTV: I'm a mom of two,
and I'm a doctor.

I love making cakes
and I love gardening.

I really like to build and
construct things from my mind.

I made a brain cake.

It was so anatomically accurate
that my kids thought

that I had brought
a brain home from work.

MARY: Jessica,
this cake is so fun.

The thing that I love
the most is those carrots.

Because not only are they
adorable little carrots,

but they also act to hold up

that kind of gravity-defying
watering can.

JESSICA: So, I chose
to water carrot sprouts

because the cake
is a carrot cake.

It pays tribute to some of the
flavours that I grew up with,

so it's a Middle Eastern
spice blend called hawaij.

Notes that you might pick up
are cardamom, turmeric, ginger.

MARY: It's all cake.

I'm sorry, I was expecting
a plate in the middle.

JESSICA: The whole
thing is cake.

MARY: Yeah.

JESSICA: So there was a lot of
planning in the structure

of how to build it.

MARY: You're not only a doctor
and a baker, you're an engineer.

♪

MARY: Mmm.

That spice blend!

The cumin in there.

Can I steal that?

JESSICA: Absolutely.
MARY: Okay.

ANDREW: Just a really
clever way to introduce

a spice blend that's
personal to your culture.

MARY: Mm-hm.

ANDREW: That said, more icing
would be nice to kind of balance

the textures that are
happening in your mouth.

MARY: Thank you so much,
Jessica.

ANDREW: Thank you.
JESSICA: Thank you, guys.

ANDREW: Derek...

♪

DEREK INTV: I got
into cake-making

to spend more time
with my daughter.

Her name's Taylor;
she's 10 years old.

She was born
with cerebral palsy.

I'd never made
a cake in my life

until two and a half years ago.

I'm trying to show her
that things are possible

and there's no limitations.

DEREK: This whole outdoor
is totally me.

MARY: Yeah.
DEREK: If I could be anywhere,

it'd be outside
with my two kids.

MARY: Mm-hm.

ANDREW: I see a lot of different
techniques and I appreciate

the details and the different
textures that you've used

to bring this memory to life.

MARY: I love this
stream feature.

I think it's so great that
you've added some movement.

You can kind of see the rapids.

DEREK: The inside
is a lemon velvet sponge

with a cream cheese
lemon buttercream.

And it has a lemon curd filling.

MARY: Oh!
ANDREW: Oh, look at that.

MARY: Whoa, lemon!
Did you smell that?

ANDREW: Mm-hm.
MARY: Whoo!

♪

ANDREW: There it is.
That's what I want.

That's beautifully tart
and acidic.

It's just delicious.
MARY: That curd slaps.

ANDREW: Right!
MARY: Derek, lemon curd king.

ANDREW: It's moist, it's fluffy,
it is really enjoyable.

MARY: Thank you so much.
Thank you.

ANDREW: Thank you, Derek.
DEREK: Thanks.

MARY: Yeah.
[applause]

ANDRE INTV: Derek's cake,
it just looks awesome.

I'm a little nervous now,
a little nervous.

Just a little bit.

MARY [V.O.]: Coming up...

MARY: Oh...
That's beautifully done.

ANDREW: Just perfection.

MARY: Oh my gosh.
ANDREW: It's just delicious.

MARY [V.O.]: Four more
Mid-Canada cake-makers

vie for a spot
in the upcoming holiday round.

MARY: Rarely do you see
bakers move like this.

ANDREW: Yeah.
[laughs]

♪

MARY: Alright, Subrina.

BOTH: It's cake time.

♪

SUBRINA INTV: I got
this idea when I was 12

to make a dessert table on Eid,

after fasting for
a whole month of Ramadan.

And that's how I started baking.

Most often I make cakes
for family and friends,

and I have three kids.

SUBRINA: My cake is inspired
by Lebanese culture.

It consists of a coffee table

with a coffee pot
and a coffee cup,

and a saucer with some
nice decorated cookies

that we serve on Eid.

MARY: I'm a sucker for a doily,
so I love that little detail.

SUBRINA: Thank you.

ANDREW: It really
does paint a picture.

The biscuits look like they're
actually tiny biscuits.

MARY: Yeah.

ANDREW: And the detail
on your pot here, it's magical.

SUBRINA: Instead of using
buttercream in the middle,

I decided to use a Lebanese
custard prepared with milk,

strawberries, and rosewater.

ANDREW & MARY: Mmm.

♪

MARY: How'd you get rosewater
to taste that good?

SUBRINA: That's
actually handmade.

MARY: You make
your own rosewater?

SUBRINA: Yes.
ANDREW: Wow.

MARY: That's beautifully done.
SUBRINA: Thank you.

ANDREW: I was concerned that
there was going to be too many

competing flavours going on in
here but it's perfect harmony.

Yeah, this is really enjoyable.

I feel like you've invited us
into your home

and treated us
to something really special.

SUBRINA: Thank you so much.

ANDREW: Mariya...

♪

MARIYA INTV: I actually
started baking

in the beginning of Covid.

I just found that I had
a lot of time on my hands.

I made a social media reel
about a cake design,

and it went viral.

And after that, like,
things just exploded for me.

♪

ANDREW: This cake is a magical
symphony for the eyes.

The colours are wonderful,
and it's just like technique,

technique, technique, technique.

It's beautiful.

MARIYA: So,
it's a representation

of my relationship
with my husband.

We spent three months together
in Southeast Asia.

I wanted to incorporate
elements from our trip

so that's where the
rice paper sails come in.

The flavour is a vanilla cake
sponge soaked in a matcha milk

and layers of a matcha ganache.

♪

MARY: It tastes
like matcha fudge.

Which I wasn't really expecting.

But I'm not mad at that.

ANDREW: It's such a fun texture
to have in a cake.

I love it.
MARY: This was beautiful.

Thank you for those flavours.
MARIYA: Thank you so much.

MARY: Alright, Harki...

♪

HARKI INTV: I usually bake
for friends and family,

and being Sikh, there's so many
siblings, so many relatives...

HARKI: We always try
finding a way to party

and kind of get together.

This cake was actually
inspired by the wardrobe

that women wear to parties.

Pink is my mom's
favourite colour, so I was like,

I have to do pink.

MARY: And I feel like
you nailed it.

As soon as you brought
it up, I was like,

this looks like an outfit.

The textures on here are lovely.

I love this tufting.

HARKI: Thank you.

ANDREW: I love so much
that you brought the culture

to the outside of the cake.

What are we going to expect
to see on the inside?

HARKI: So, it's a cinnamon cake,

because I love like
my cinnamon cereals.

And in regards to the icing,
it's kind of a hybrid between

whipped cream icing
and American buttercream icing.

I just wanted to keep it
like not too sweet.

Fingers crossed.

MARY: Oh, big bite.

♪

ANDREW: It's dreamy.
MARY: Oh, it is.

ANDREW: And it's exactly
breakfast cinnamon cereal.

MARY: I will say, I'm seeing
a little bit of tunnelling

in your cake.

So that's when those
like long kind of bubbles

go up through the cake layers.
HARKI: Okay.

MARY: Oftentimes
that's caused by over-mixing.

But delicious breakfast cake.

Harki, you can come
for breakfast any time.

HARKI: Awesome, I'm down.
[laughs]

MARY: Alright, Julie...

BOTH: It's cake time!

♪

JULIE: So, the cake is actually
landmarks from my background:

my mom's hometown in Germany,
my dad's hometown in Quebec,

and then of course,
Toronto, my home today.

ANDREW: This is a really
stunning thing to look at.

These lines that you drew,
these are straight and sharp,

precise, meticulous.
Just perfection.

Where does that
precision come from?

JULIE: So, I actually come
from a military family.

Growing up, there was
a lot of discipline,

order in the household.

So I think I definitely
get it from my family.

MARY: It is stunning.

The outside is fantastic.

So what's going on inside?

JULIE: A lavender-infused
vanilla cake.

MARY: Ooh.

JULIE: With blueberry filling

and a vanilla buttercream
on the outside.

MARY: Sometimes
lavender's tricky.

ANDREW: Yeah,
it can become floral,

like a bouquet in your mouth.

MARY: Yeah.
Alright, let's give it a go.

♪

ANDREW: The way that you've
balanced the flavours

in this cake is incredible.

It's not overly floral.

You get the blueberry,
you get the lavender,

and the vanilla and the sponge
marry so well together.

Very nicely done.

MARY: If I was to look up
vanilla cake in the dictionary,

that's the cake I would taste.

It's perfect and it complements
with those flavours beautifully.

JULIE: Thank you.

MARY: Cake-makers,
thank you so much for sharing

your lovely cakes and your
even lovelier selves with us.

ANDREW: We're going to need
some time to discuss.

MARIYA INTV: This is the most
terrifying moment of my life.

I have no idea if I stood out

amongst all of these
amazing bakers.

DEREK INTV: I'm hoping that
all this hard has paid off

and I have a shot.

ANDRE INTV: I really
want to win.

I just want to know, for myself,
that I can actually do this.

MARY: Cake-makers,
each and every one of you

is a hometown baking hero,

but only four of you have earned
one of these bronze cake stands.

ANDREW: And now,
in no particular order,

the four bakers
who are moving on

to the Cross Country
Cake Off Kitchen,

to cook for a place
in the holiday finale are...

♪

ANDREW: Mariya.
[applause & cheering]

MARY: Julie.
[applause]

ANDREW: Subrina.

SUBRINA: Oh my God.

MARY: And...

♪

MARY: Derek.

DEREK: Thanks.
MARY: Congratulations!

ANDREW: Congratulations!
[applause]

MARY: Come on up and get
your bronze cake stand!

DEREK INTV: Taylor is
going to be over the moon

blown away that I'm moving on
to the next round.

MARIYA INTV: This is
the best feeling.

I just can't wait to see
what's in store next,

and I'm really excited
for the challenge.

MARIYA: Yours was amazing.

MARY [V.O.]: Coming up...

ANDREW: Welcome to the
Cross Country Cake Off Kitchen.

MARY [V.O.]: The Mid-Canada
finalists battle for a spot

in the holiday finale!

JULIE: I feel like
I'm at cake camp.

SUBRINA: As I'm carving,
it might fall apart.

Who knows.
DEREK: Feeling the pressure now.

♪

JULIE: [in a whisper]
Oh my God.

MARIYA INTV: It is absolutely
stunning in the kitchen.

It's so festive.

SUBRINA INTV: It's so
Christmassy, very pretty.

Oh my God!
I'm here.

I am really trying to keep
those nervous levels down

because I feel like
the competition is very fierce.

MARY: Hi!
ANDREW: Hey, guys!

DEREK: Hey.

MARY: Mid-Canada bakers,
'tis the season for cake!

ANDREW: Welcome to the
Cross Country Cake Off kitchen,

where all is merry and bright.

MARY: You four came out on top
at the Mid-Canada qualifiers

in Toronto, where each of you
earned a bronze cake stand.

Tonight, the four of you
will compete

for two silver cake stands.

ANDREW: You definitely
want one of those.

They're your ticket to
the national holiday finale,

where our six regional finalists
from all over Canada

will go for the gold:

the first ever Cross Country
Cake Off holiday grand prize

of $50,000.

SUBRINA: Oh my God.

JULIE: Oh my God.

ANDREW: Just a little
stocking stuffer for you.

MARY: Oh, I'm sweating about it.

SUBRINA: Whoa.

MARY: But first,
you have to crush it tonight.

And now, onto that sweet brief.

You'll be channelling your most
treasured holiday memories.

We want a cake that
transports us into a time,

tradition, or moment
that's special to you.

ANDREW: Bake us a cake
that really takes us there,

in just 4.5 hours.

MARY: And now, Andrew, I think
there's only one thing left

for us to say.

ANDREW: Let's do it.

MARY: Cake makers...

BOTH: It's bake time!

MARY: Whoo!

Rarely do you see
bakers move like this.

ANDREW: Yeah!
[laughs]

JULIE: I'm going shopping.

MARY: Everybody's getting
all set up to make their cakes.

I'm excited to learn
more about who they are

and what their
family traditions are.

ANDREW: Yeah.

When we saw these guys
in the Mid-Canada qualifiers,

they had as much time
as they wanted.

It's gonna be much different
with a time constraint.

MARY: This is where the test is.

MARIYA: This is a baker's
dream kitchen right now,

so I'm really excited.

SUBRINA: I'm adding some
date molasses to my pecans.

They smell amazing, like heaven.

It reminds me of back home.

SUBRINA INTV: When I hear
holiday memories,

I'm instantly thinking
of my childhood.

My cake is called
"Eid in Lebanon."

I'm going to build
a mosque as the top tier

and then the bottom tier

will represent the sky
and the moon sighting.

♪

DEREK: I chose the fresh ginger,

just because it has a stronger
taste than the dried.

My daughter inspired
these flavours.

She's a big fan of gingerbreads
and building them,

so I figured I'd just go
all out with the gingerbread.

DEREK INTV: Today I am making
a two-story gingerbread house

with a bobblehead elf
on the roof

and bright shiny
Christmas lights.

MARY: What's
inspiring this cake?

DEREK: Traditions
with my kids, yeah.

MARY: Nice.

DEREK: We celebrate the holidays
from December first right on.

MARY: Oh my gosh.

DEREK: December first,
the lights go up.

MARY: Holidays with kids,
oh my gosh, nothing better.

DEREK: Yeah.

JULIE: This is actually
the first time I'm doubling

the recipe, so I'm really hoping
nothing's gonna go wrong.

Today, I'm going to recreate
a family traditional recipe,

to really get that like
Christmassy feel

that I get at home.

JULIE INTV: I'm making
a white chocolate hazelnut

and almond spice
Linzer torte cake

with hand-painted nutcrackers.

ANDREW: What's
inspiring this cake?

JULIE: I wanted to take
you and Mary back to 2019.

When my family came to visit,

we went to go see
the Nutcracker ballet.

And after, we got to see
all the different

storefront decorations
for Christmas,

and it was such
a magical evening.

ANDREW: Oh, I love that.

SUBRINA: Okay, let's do it.

Okay, looks good.

DEREK: This is a cake release.

None of the cakes seem to stick,
so I continue to use it.

JULIE: We'll just
put everything in

and this'll be the last step,
then I can put them in the pans

and then throw them in the oven.

MARY: Oh, look at that batter.

Beautiful colour.

MARIYA: Thank you.
MARY: It is pure pistachio.

ANDREW: It's the holiday theme.
MARY: Oh, yes.

Nuts.
ANDREW: Nuts.

MARY: Oh.
ANDREW: Green.

MARY: Mmm.
ANDREW: Mmm.

In Middle Eastern culture,
during the holidays,

we always have
a beautiful decadent

pistachio-flavoured dessert.

I really want to be able
to show that to the judges

and show them a piece of me.

I'm making a cake today that's
inspired by holiday ornaments.

It's going to be two tiers that
feature a pistachio cake sponge

with chocolate spheres.

MARIYA: Just trying
to get that cake in the oven

as soon as I can.

[thudding]

SUBRINA: Sorry.

JULIE: Beautiful.
Alright.

And it's going in the oven.

Oh.
And now we just pray.

DEREK: Hopefully they cook.

MARIYA: My cake's
in the oven now.

I'm gonna be working on
the Swiss meringue buttercream.

MARY: How many yolks
are in that bowl?

MARIYA: Um, probably 20.

MARY: Oh, girl,
that's a lot of yolks.

MARY: I feel like we can expect
a large cake from Mariya,

based on the amount
of Swiss meringue buttercream

she's making.
ANDREW: Oh, I hope so.

MARIYA INTV: It is definitely
quite a tall cake.

DEREK: This is my
mascarpone buttercream.

Tastes really good.

Not too sweet.
It's good.

♪

SUBRINA: It needs more.

I taste the Swiss meringue
but it doesn't really have

that date molasses taste to it,

so I have to add
a little bit more.

Date molasses
is actually a staple

to Lebanese culture,

so I did want them
to get a sense of how it tastes.

SUBRINA: Maybe that will do it.

MARIYA: I'm melting
the ruby chocolate right now

to make the ruby buttercream.

So ruby chocolate actually comes
in this beautiful pink colour,

it's completely natural,

so it's perfect
for the holidays.

MARY: Oh, those cakes
are coming out of the oven.

SUBRINA: Yeah, looks good.

♪

MARIYA: Okay, we're good to go.

DEREK: There we go.

JULIE: Okay,
we'll let that cool down a bit.

♪

MARIYA: Okay.

SUBRINA: I'm nervous.

I'm building
the top tier right now.

I'm just gonna
carve these layers.

You never know.

As I'm carving,
it might fall apart, who knows.

DEREK: I'm just stacking
my bottom tier of my cake

with mascarpone buttercream.

I'm doing it in steps
'cause it's super soft,

so I don't want it
to fall over on me.

♪

JULIE: Oh my God.
Ugh.

My Swiss meringue is not done.

We want it to be
a little soft and smooth,

so when it spreads on the cake,
we don't have too many bubbles.

MARY: Cake-makers,
you're at the halfway point.

ANDREW: Two hours and 15 minutes
left, cake-makers.

SUBRINA: I feel like a cake
needs a lot of crunch to it.

DEREK: Fresh ginger cookie,

just for a little bit
of texture.

MARIYA: I'm just adding
the lemon curd to the layers.

I have pistachio cake layers
with the pistachio oil soak,

ruby buttercream
and then the lemon curd.

ANDREW: Mariya really loves to
make things pristine and exact.

Look at how she's using
that acetate paper.

♪

JULIE INTV: My Swiss meringue
buttercream is not solidifying.

JULIE: We'll see
if I can fix it,

with a bit more butter.

I'm hoping it's gonna like
solidify a little bit more.

It's curdling.

Okay, this is a good sign.

Ahh!
It worked.

I think, I think I saved it.

So relieved.

Actually, it turned out
really well.

Maybe I should modify
all of my recipes.

SUBRINA: It's breaking.

Do you see how it's crooked?

I'm trying to carve it
in a hexagon,

and I cut it in the wrong shape.

SUBRINA INTV: I don't know...

SUBRINA: I'm really nervous.

I don't know if
this is gonna work.

♪

SUBRINA: It's breaking.

Do you see how it's crooked?

I cut it in the wrong shape
but...

we'll manage.

SUBRINA INTV: I don't know
if I'm gonna make this work.

I'm trying to stay
as positive as I can.

SUBRINA: There,
that looks better.

♪

MARY: You could hear
a pin drop right now.

ANDREW: The concentration
and focus is real.

JULIE: Right now, focusing
on the nutcracker painting.

I'm painting on fondant
as my background.

MARIYA: I'm about to make some
ornaments out of chocolate.

Making them in a couple
different colours today.

MARIYA INTV: I want to be
able to show the judges

that I have
a wider range of skills.

I can do things that are
outside of what I did

during the qualifier round.

MARIYA: So I'm just melting
the two spheres

so that I'm able to bind them
together using freeze spray.

♪

DEREK: I'm making an elf
to sit on top of my cake.

My daughter enjoys
doing this with me a lot.

She's a big fan of Christmas

and everything
that goes along with it.

When Covid hit,
everything shut down

and I was looking for things
to do with my daughter,

and she's always been
into baking,

so I decided to learn
how to bake cakes.

DEREK INTV: I told my daughters,
if I was to win,

then I would make
our kitchen accessible.

But whether I win or lose,
they will be proud.

MARY: One hour, cake-makers,
you've got one hour.

JULIE: I am running out of time.

Once I finish this,
move straight to decorations.

♪

SUBRINA: I'm creating a dome
for the top of the mosque.

I just made it out of fondant.

There's a mosque
in Lebanon that I really love,

it has the same colours,
so that's why I decided

to go with this one because
it's my favourite mosque.

SUBRINA INTV: I'm really
hoping that I can win.

It would really mean
the world to my kids especially.

They all support me and I really
want to make them proud.

I am the role model to them

and I want to show them
that dreams do come true.

SUBRINA: It is a bit stressful
but I'm managing.

I'm, I'm--
I'll be okay.

DEREK: Right now I'm
working on sugar moulds

that'll act as Christmas lights
on my gingerbread house.

Can't have Christmas
without Christmas lights.

DEREK INTV: I just love

Any type of lights.

I've got lights on everything,
and you name it,

I put lights on stuff and it's--
it just adds that extra wow.

DEREK: I'm using
a soldering g*n.

I have all these types
of tools in my garage,

so I always improvise.

And I'm just melting
little holds in these

sugar ornaments for
a little bit of a light show.

♪

JULIE INTV: There's so much
I can do with $50,000.

JULIE: Nice.

JULIE INTV: I'm really thinking
about opening a bakery one day.

MARY: Julie, this is beautiful.

What is...
JULIE: Thank you.

MARY: What is this
structure here?

JULIE: I was really inspired
by the Nutcracker ballet,

when the Sugarplum Fairy comes
out of like the Faberge egg.

MARY: I was a cannon doll.
JULIE: Oh!

MARY: No big deal.

JULIE: Oh my God,
so you'd be familiar?

MARY: Yes.
Good luck.

JULIE: Thank you.

MARY: Now we're gonna do this,
off, okay! [laughs]

MARY: Alright cake-makers,
this is it,

you've got 30 minutes left.

MARIYA INTV: It's
so important to me

that the edges
are very clean and crisp.

If I were to win
that prize money,

I would love to open up a bakery

that has more
of a modern edge to it,

similar to the designs
that I create.

♪

SUBRINA INTV: I start adding
the second tier on top

with the pillars.

SUBRINA: What is that?

SUBRINA INTV: I start seeing
the cake leaning a bit.

SUBRINA: Yeah,
it's not taking the weight.

It already cracked.

It's kind of tu, turv...
like a topsy-turv...?

Yeah, it's slanted,
it's leaning.

I'm really worried
that it's going to collapse.

SUBRINA: I think
it's still too soft.

I need to put it in the freezer
for a bit to firm up.

I don't know.

Fingers crossed.

DEREK INTV: I'm making
my fondant bricks,

and when I pull it off of
the table to lay it on the cake,

it's so warm and soft that
the brick lines start to crack.

DEREK: Not great.

It's tearing when I pick it up.

And it's sticking to my window.

Oh...

Oh, come on.

DEREK INTV: I have to
start over.

DEREK: Feeling the pressure now.

JULIE: Oh, I made such a mess.

I am running out of time.

MARIYA: A very
nerve-wracking moment.

♪

MARIYA: Now it's just the
fun part, which is decorating.

MARY: Cake-makers,
you have 10 minutes left.

[dramatic music]

DEREK: Oh...

SUBRINA INTV: I'm trying
to finish those last touches,

and I'm just noticing
the cake leaning more.

You know what?
The show has to go on,

I have to keep going.

At this point, I really
need to add all that detail

because it's going to count.

SUBRINA: Sabrina
always makes it work.

ANDREW: You've got
one minute left, bakers.

JULIE: Ah.
It's happening.

DEREK: [sighs] Come on.

MARY & ANDREW: Ten,
nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three,

two, one.

Step away from those cakes!

MARY: Oh my gosh!

You should all be so proud.

DEREK INTV: I did it.
I'm done.

I can relax.

SUBRINA: I can breathe now.

SUBRINA INTV: You know what,
with all the detail

that I was able to
incorporate in my cake,

I'm pretty happy
with the end result.

SUBRINA: My kids
will be so proud of me.

I know they're gonna
be over the moon.

JULIE: I am so relieved
that it turned out.

I'm feeling
so many mixed emotions.

MARIYA: I put my heart
and soul into this piece,

so it's all
up to the judges now.

♪

MARY: And now for
a closer look, Julie,

why don't you
bring up that cake?

♪

JULIE: With this cake,
I'm trying to take you back

to when my parents came to
visit me and my husband

to celebrate Christmas
for the first time in Toronto.

We went to see the Nutcracker.

We went to go see
all the Christmas displays

downtown Toronto
and it was so magical.

It was a good memory and now
it's become like a new tradition

to see the ballet
and then also go see

the storefront decorations.

ANDREW: I love that story.

And this cake really
does make me feel like

I'm Christmas shopping
for a Nutcracker on Rodeo drive.

[all laugh]
MARY: Ooh, we fancy!

ANDREW: Oh, yeah!
JULIE: Yeah, I like that.

ANDREW: And I do really
appreciate that you went

for the not-so-obvious
colour combination.

The night sky there with
the stars and everything

really make it magical.

I appreciate
how every nutcracker's

wearing a different outfit.

Even the facial expressions
are slightly different

from one to the other.

MARY: For some reason,
I like the snarky one.

This is the snarker,
I like him, yeah. [laughs]

What can we expect
to see on the inside?

JULIE: I made a white chocolate
Linzer torte cake.

MARY: Whoa!

JULIE: I'm using hazelnut
and almond spice crumb.

It's filled with white chocolate
buttercream.

We've got raspberry jam
on top and then we've got

a white chocolate
hazelnut crumble.

MARY: Really nice even layers.

♪

MARY: This buttercream
on the inside,

you said it was
a white chocolate?

JULIE: Yes.
MARY: I was a little worried.

MARY: Sometimes
white chocolate is like,

"Hi, have you heard of sugar?"

But that cake
is not overly sweet.

It is delicious.

It kept inviting me
back for more.

ANDREW: The hazelnuts
come through.

You've got the texture
of the crumble.

MARY: That was
a delicious crunch.

You made a beautiful cake
and such a wonderful tribute

to holiday memories.

JULIE: Thank you.
ANDREW: Thank you.

MARY: Alright, Derek,
let's see that cake.

♪

MARY: Ah!
ANDREW: Whoa!

MARY: That was thrilling.
[laughs]

DEREK: The holiday has always
been a magical time for us.

It starts at the beginning
of December

when I turn on the lights.

I spend quite a few weekends
making gingerbread houses

and spending the rest
of the week eating them.

And the elf
joins us throughout the month,

making sure
the kids stay good.

It's just a fun month that helps
the kids get into the spirit.

ANDREW: Derek,
when I'm standing next to you,

I feel about this big.

MARY: [laughs]

ANDREW: This cake
puts a smile on my face.

It really takes me back to
the nostalgia of cartoon elves

at Christmas
and the gingerbread houses,

putting up the Christmas lights.

MARY: This is such a beautiful
representation of how you spend

your month of December
with your family.

Your work
on the elf is adorable.

His face in particular
is really cute.

Your sugar work here is really,
really nice on those lights.

Even on the windows,
it's really nice and clear.

I know that the fondant was
giving you a bit of an issue.

DEREK: It was; it was just
too soft and then when I put

the brick lines in it,
it stretched and tore.

The inside
is a gingerbread sponge

with a mascarpone buttercream.
MARY: Mmm.

DEREK: And then there's crumbled
ginger cookies in there as well.

MARY: Nice.
It smells like gingerbread.

ANDREW: It really does.

MARY: So I can't wait
to taste it.

♪

MARY: Derek,
that is gingerbread cake.

It is so ginger-y.

I love the addition
of that fresh ginger in there

because it gives it
a bit of a spiciness.

It's really nice,
the cake itself, dynamite.

ANDREW: The seasoning in your
cake layers is sophisticated,

but your American buttercream
and mascarpone filling

is cloyingly sweet.

MARY: It has a bit
too much sugar in it,

it's a little grainy,
but I might even do this

just with a classic
cream cheese frosting.

It's got more of a tang to it,
which I think would have played

really nicely off
of this gingerbread.

ANDREW: If you had thinner
cake layers and a little less

of the filling, it would be
a more sophisticated bite

that would match the experience
of the flavour of your cake.

DEREK: Okay.
MARY: Thank you so much, Derek.

DEREK: Thank you.
ANDREW: Thanks, Derek.

MARY: Also, thanks
for the light show.

[laughs]
DEREK: No problem.

[applause]

ANDREW: Mariya, please
carefully show us your cake.

♪

MARIYA: I wanted to create
feelings of enchantment

similar to the type of feelings
that you feel when you look

at a beautifully decorated
Christmas tree.

The cake represent my family.

Well, my mother-in-law
absolutely loves to decorate

during the holidays,

so the ornaments
are dedicated to her.

ANDREW: Mariya,
when I look at this cake,

it makes me think of a abstract
Christmas tree in the sky.

ANDREW: The design of
this cake is ethereal.

I'll admit, I had to look at it
for a while to be like, oh...

MARY: Christmas tree.

ANDREW: ...that's
a Christmas tree.

That's really cool.

MARY: This chocolate work,
it is so stunning.

They look kind of like vintage
Christmas decorations

because of the different
tones you used.

ANDREW: I will say with
how pristine and blank

your Christmas tree canvas is,
we are going to notice

all the little imperfections
on the chocolate work

that you've done here.

There are ornaments here
that the gold brushwork

might have been a little hasty
and gotten onto other ornaments.

MARIYA: The flavour of the cake
is dedicated to my family.

We are from
a Middle Eastern culture,

so I wanted to create a cake
that reminded me of the holidays

growing up, and that would
be a pistachio cake,

but also make it my own
by pairing it

with the acidity
of a lemon curd,

as well as the fluffiness
of a ruby buttercream.

ANDREW: Christmas tree
on the outside,

Christmas tree on the inside.

MARIYA: I wanted
the inside to also be festive.

MARY: How did you get
those pistachios in there?

MARIYA: So I used
a pistachio paste.

MARY: Okay.

MARIYA: And it definitely
is more dense

than your average cake,
but in Middle Eastern culture,

we usually have a very
dense pistachio dessert,

so it kind of works with that.

♪

MARY: Mariya, I have never
had a cake that texture before.

It was a treat!

It was thick and sticky...

MARIYA: Mm-hm.
MARY: ...in a really nice way!

The pistachio flavour
is front and centre.

MARIYA: Yeah.

MARY: But I will say,
I'm not getting a ton of lemon.

ANDREW: I will agree,
it could have been more lemony.

But I do feel like the level
of acidity in your curd

balanced with the flavour
of the pistachio in a way

that is delightful.

The ruby in the buttercream
to me, I mean, it was fluffy.

MARY: Mm-hm.
ANDREW: Fluffy!

I do appreciate you
putting these flavours together.

That's your signature
kind of move.

MARIYA: Yeah.

MARY: Really really fun flavours
and absolutely stunning

on the outside.
MARIYA: Thank you so much.

MARY: Really beautifully
done, Mariya.

ANDREW: Thank you, Mariya.
MARIYA: Thank you.

[applause]

ANDREW: Subrina,
please bring us your cake.

♪

SUBRINA: My cake comes
from my childhood memories,

celebrating Eid in Lebanon.

I decided to build
a mosque tier.

I added a sky and stars
at the bottom

because when the moon
is done its full cycle,

that's when
we get to break our fast.

We have a unique thing
in our village,

it's almost like
Halloween in Canada.

Men go to prayers at the mosque
and then they go visiting

house to house with children
and they're greeted with coffee,

dates, and some candy.

ANDREW: They sound like really
beautiful traditions and I think

it's captured
really well in this cake.

The colours that you chose here
carry your eye from the bottom

up to the top.
MARY: Mm-hm.

ANDREW: And it's really
just pleasing to look at.

MARY: This dome is wonderful,
it is perfect.

Not only did you
put cake on top,

not only did you make
these lovely spires,

but you also then covered it
in fondant, which is heavy.

Because of all that weight,
it did do a little bit of

that lean forward,
which is a bit tricky.

What's going on
on the inside?

SUBRINA: So, it's a butter
pecan cake with date molasses.

MARY: Mmm!

SUBRINA: And Swiss meringue
buttercream.

I also added date molasses just
so you can get that flavour.

♪

ANDREW: Subrina,
the bringer of the crunch!

Those nuts
are toasted perfectly.

I can see why your cake wanted
to slump over a little bit.

SUBRINA: Yeah.

ANDREW: Because
it is a moist cake.

It's bouncy, it's got the crunch
in there, the textural variants.

I mean,
the date molasses is divine.

MARY: Mm-hm.
ANDREW: I love it.

I will say that the one thing
that kind of threw me off

a little bit about the cake,
I could see these pockets

of un-sifted dry ingredients.

MARY: I also got a little bit of
these pockets of flour.

So that's a bit of an issue.

That being said,
it's really, really delicious,

really moist cake.
The texture of that crunch

was delicious.
The toast was perfect.

It's such a beautiful
holiday cake.

SUBRINA: Thank you.
[applause]

♪

ANDREW: Bakers, thank you
for sharing your favourite

holiday memories with us.

They were heartfelt
and delicious.

MARY: We have a tough
decision to make.

♪

DEREK INTV: Getting a spot
in the finale would be

spectacular for me,
as well as a dream come true

for my daughters.

I am shaking,
I'm so scared.

I need a silver cake plate

because this is just
the beginning of what I can do.

♪

SUBRINA INTV: My cake
didn't really go as planned,

but I really hope
that I can stick around

to show my true baking skills.

JULIE INTV: I do feel like
there are some areas

for improvement,
and that's really

what I'm gonna take
into the next round.

If I can make it there.
[laughs]

MARY: Cake-makers,
please come forward.

♪

MARY: You all brought
so much holiday spirit

to this challenge, but before
we deliver the good tidings,

I wanted to let you know,
this was a really tough call.

Like really tough.

ANDREW: Really tough.
MARY: Mm-hm.

ANDREW: We took everything
it account--

the concept and execution
of your cake,

as well as the flavour
and the overall story.

MARY: Two of you will receive
these silver cake stands

and move on to the next round.

ANDREW: And so, the cake-makers
who will represent

our Mid-Canada region

in the Cross Country
Cake Off holiday finale

are...

♪

ANDREW: Julie and Mariya.

MARY: Congratulations.
MARIYA: Oh my gosh.

MARY: Please, come grab this.
JULIE: Thank you.

MARIYA: Thank you so much!

MARY: Congratulations!

I did it!
[laughs]

This is so validating

and I'm really, really excited
to share more.

MARY: It was such an absolute
pleasure eating those cakes.

MARIYA INTV: I'm so happy,
so excited right now,

to be holding this in my hand.

This just means,
keep working hard,

keep pushing yourself,
and keep growing.

MARY [V.O.]: Next time...

We're headed East,
to meet eight new cake-makers.

MARY [V.O.]: Who will
earn the remaining spots

in our holiday finale?

MARY: Oh my gosh, I love that!

ANDREW: This cake
was so much fun.

MARY [V.O.]: Find out on an
all-new Cross Country Cake Off!

♪