World Cake Championship (2019) Movie Script
1
Tetreault: The grand national
wedding cake competition
Is the largest
cake-decorating competition
In the united states.
It's like the world cup
of cake design.
Excuse me.
Coming through.
Man: It's the crme de la crme
of wedding cakes and sugar art.
Vincent: It's recognized
all around the world.
Up to 83,000 people
pass through.
Honestly, that's awesome.
Scutti: And anyone who is anyone
knows a win at oklahoma
Is a lifetime accomplishment.
Girl:
The cakes look beautiful.
It's crazy how people
can make it all edible.
It's so awesome!
I can't even talk.
Tetreault: Because this is
the 25th anniversary
And the grand prize
is $30,000 in cash,
I am expecting the competition
to be fierce.
Perkins: There are competitors
coming from all over the world
To dethrone me.
I'm coming for you.
No!
Aah!
$30,000 is a life-changing
amount of money.
Vincent: The winner is...
$10.
Narrator: The tulsa state fair
is famous
For its livestock shows,
Carnival rides,
and horse competitions.
But the star attraction
Is the grand national
wedding cake competition.
Woman:
I come about every year.
It's one of my favorite
exhibits.
Woman #2:
I'm just totally blown away
That someone can do
something like this.
This is just unbelievable to me.
Narrator: While paris, new york,
and beverly hills house
Some of
the greatest cake makers,
This competition is one
of the most prestigious cake
Shows in the world.
Months of hard work
all culminate to the main event.
30 minutes!
30 minutes to finish up!
Vincent: This is the moment
where everything
Is hurry, hurry, hurry.
Are we ready?
Yeah.
Competitors
only have a limited time
To set up their cakes.
Time is ticking down.
Aah!
Even this I'm shaking.
The who's who of
the cake-decorating world
Wants to be here
in oklahoma, in tulsa,
Especially in
the wedding cake competition,
Where people come
from all over the globe.
I'm laura saporiti,
and I come from Italy.
I came all the way
from the netherlands.
This is the most challenging
competition I've ever entered.
I'm freaking out because
I've damaged my cake
And I have 20 minutes
to repaint it.
This is a really stressful time.
Things get broken.
-Aah!
-They're in a rush.
They're nervous.
Their anxiety is so high.
Boon:
Entering the competition,
This is where you start to find
out what you're up against.
I think this cake's gonna win.
This cake's gonna win.
This cake --
it's very nerve racking.
It's a lot of stress.
Vincent: Everything on the cakes
is edible,
And the score sheet's
pretty tough.
Five minutes to close!
-Holy crap.
-Five minutes, please!
-You okay?
-Yep.
Aah!
The judges are looking
for exquisite design,
The artistry,
the interpretation of the theme,
The difficulty
of the techniques used,
And obviously, the "wow" factor.
Mills: The theme for this year's
competition is
"I am a modern classic."
Vincent: Interpretation is left
entirely up to them.
They can go to whatever source
they want to,
Such as fashion,
an icon, or art --
Something that stand
the test of time.
Mills: To win would be
the pinnacle of their dreams.
To win here at the oklahoma
state sugar art show
Would be the icing
on the cake.
The winner is...
Perkins:
My name is bryson perkins.
Last year was grand prize,
Which I'm looking to
hopefully repeat this year.
My piece last year
was my ode du romance cake,
And it featured two golden
hand-molded peacocks,
Embroidered flower details
with thousands and thousand,
Thousands of hand-punched
gum-paste sequins.
Being the reigning champ
is not easy.
There are competitors coming
from all over the world
To dethrone me.
And that is not going to happen.
I am a creative director
at triolo's bakery.
Maybe with pink on that one.
So, for the oklahoma state
sugar art show,
I chose the magnificent
grace kelly.
I am making a three-tier
wedding cake.
The top tier will feature
the headdress
Worn by princess grace kelly,
lots of hand-molded decorations,
Little figurine sculptures,
multiple hand-cut flowers,
A base relief popping off
in a 3-d diorama tier.
There are a few techniques
on my cake
That I'm doing this year
that I have never seen before,
And that earns a lot of points
with innovation,
Such as my hand-piped
royal-icing floating vine work.
The base features
thousands of leaves,
Which I piped into
a little teardrop
And veined each and every leaf.
I want to continue
with that cohesive design.
Everything is 100% handmade.
No pre-made decorations.
I have been working
on my oklahoma wedding cake
For about 650 hours.
I have about 100 hours' more
worth of work.
This will definitely wow
the judges.
Vincent: The grand national
wedding cake competition
Is a place where really
unusual and fabulous
Techniques will be exhibited.
The sky's the limit.
Tetreault: Sugar art basically
means it's all made
Of a sugar product
And it's edible
and it's fun to work with.
Grady:
My name is rachel grady.
This will be my fourth year
Competing at the oklahoma
sugar art show.
Last year, I placed second.
I was shocked.
I had 200 royal-icing wings
wrapping around the sides.
Not a lot of people do the wings
Because they're very delicate
and they break very easily.
I'm an award-winning cake
designer and full-time mom.
Is this fun?
Yeah!
Yeah!
My mother and I share
a cake-decorating business
That we run together called
sassy sweets.
I am addicted to competing.
That's the only reason
we still do orders
Is so we can pay
to go to competition.
This is our happy wall.
This, obviously, is the one
I'm the most proud of.
This is my first runner-up
ribbon from last year.
So, the theme this year is
"I'm a modern classic,"
And I'm interpreting that by
combining a modern china pattern
And an older china pattern.
The title of my cake
is "delicate grace."
Starting at the bottom,
we have a square cake,
And on the sides,
royal-icing cages.
My second tier is
going to be wrapped
With a spiral
of bridgeless string work.
The top two tiers
will have royal-icing wings
Wrapping around the side.
Probably the thing that I'm most
excited about on this cake
Is the spiral string work.
I'm very carefully piping
fresh royal icing,
Barely touching it
to these pins.
The plan is that they will dry
And then be sturdy enough
to extend from the cake
Without the pins.
I wasn't sure
if this was possible
Because the royal icing
is so delicate.
Pulling the pins is
one of my favorite parts
About string work.
I just love the magic of that
icing just sticking
Straight out from the cake.
When the cake is back
right-side-up,
It'll have a wave pattern.
It's not something I've seen
any of the other competitors do,
So I'm hoping
that it's something
That'll really
catch the judge's eye.
Scutti: My name is ted.
I own sugar sugar cake studio
with my husband adam.
Cheers.
Cheers.
My expectations are
to place in the top five
And, ideally, to win.
In 2014, I placed 21st,
2015, I placed 15th,
And in 2016, I placed 9th.
My theme this year is based upon
the spanish designer balenciaga.
My design features different
interpretations of lace.
At the top, I chose to have
a custom silk screen created.
Below that tier,
you will see a separator.
The main tier features edible
real sterling silver,
Based upon a gown
that balenciaga created.
I've invested approximately
500 hours on my cake,
And I'm not going home
without a ribbon.
I worked with an artist in Italy
To create a custom
design for me,
Which was then manufactured
into this special stencil.
This is basically a silk screen,
Like you would use to,
say, make a t-shirt.
And I'm gonna put
the stencil on top,
Use some opaque royal icing,
And I'm pushing down ever
so slightly as I do this
Because I do want to encourage
the royal icing
To go through the stencil.
Now, in one smooth motion,
the stencil comes off.
The design of the lace
is as delicate as real lace
Would be on a dress.
I'm particularly proud of this
technique because it's unique,
And it's not going to be on any
other cake in tulsa but mine.
Vincent: People come here kind
of surprised to find
The level
of high expertise,
Really fine-art techniques
of the past
That have been resurrected.
So I see brush embroidery.
I see string work,
or extension work,
Flood work, gelatin work
that's just amazing.
My name is angela barry, and I'm
the owner of a&m cake designs.
And I'm a third-generation
sugar artist.
Ms, ms!
[ laughter ]
Through the different years
That I've competed
in the competition,
I have never been
in the top 10,
But this year,
I would love to win.
I am so nervous about it.
My grandmother is a world-famous
cake designer.
My mother, too.
This is really good. Right?
-It's really good.
My showpiece is inspired
by catholic fashion.
The top piece is the headpiece
of a pope and halo.
It has stained-glass technique,
pope robes,
Really embroidered,
lots of jewel.
So, I found this great picture
of a stained glass.
So I will paint this gelatin
with very nice pigments
And some shortening
just to look like the light
Is coming through.
I have been working on my piece
about 12 hours
Every day for a month.
Let's see some magic happen.
Yay!
I'm so excited this
is working out.
The prize -- this $30,000.
That is a lot of money
for one cake.
Oh, no!
This is why it takes
so much work.
I don't know what to do.
I'm behind.
Barry: Excuse me.
That's the biggest thing --
getting it here safely.
-Watch for the wheels.
-No!
The work on the cakes
is just so realistic.
It's so awesome!
I can't even talk.
People don't believe
it's made of sugar.
Perkins:
Wedding cakes are beautiful.
But let's face it --
deep down inside,
We all have a cake monster,
And we all want to walk
away with that grand prize.
My name's chrissie boon,
and my husband and I
Own a bakery in new hamburg.
We do high-end
special-occasion cakes,
Get to be really creative.
I have my ribbon from the
oklahoma state sugar art show
Last year.
I placed third runner-up.
I love the cake
I made last year.
I did everything pretty perfect.
And I think that's
what the judges look for.
They look for very clean lines,
very perfect covering.
They don't want to see
cracks in your fondant.
They don't want to
see rough edges.
Everything done to perfection.
I'm trying to win it for canada.
It's very nerve-racking.
It's a lot of stress.
My inspiration for this year's
cake is a tile from portugal.
We traveled to portugal
several years ago
For a friend's wedding and fell
in love with the country.
The name of my cake
this year is "porcelana azul."
It's gonna be
a six-tier wedding cake.
We're gonna start
with some beautiful
Sugar flowers on the top.
The second tier down
is gonna have
A jewelry pattern around it.
We're gonna have
some hand-painted tiles.
And as I go down the cake,
I will repeat
those on other tiers.
So, a great, little cake
decorator's trick --
I'm using
a little projector here
That hooks right up
to my iphone.
And it's a projection
of my inspiration tile.
I've got my gum-paste tile
cut out here.
I'll be surprised if there's
lots of hand painting.
I think it's something that most
people are very intimidated by.
I've had to start over
and over again on multiple.
I've tossed a couple.
I won't put something on my cake
if I can't get it perfect.
So, at this point, I've probably
put in around
50 hours on my cake.
I still have a lot
of long nights before tulsa,
And I'm behind.
I'm very nervous about
how long this is going to take.
Scutti:
You have to be a bit strategic
when you compete at this show,
And you have to try to balance
between the beauty element
And also giving the judges
enough varied techniques
To get enough points to end up
at the top of the heap.
I have a significant collection
of cake tools.
I have approximately 1,000 sets
of flower cutters.
There's a little bit
of an irony here
Because at the
oklahoma sugar art show,
It's all about
handmade details.
I'm known for my sugar flowers.
The color is achieved
with petal dust,
Which is basically
a dry paint.
The more handmade elements,
you earn more points.
Therefore, you are
more likely to win.
This show is very prestigious
because it's been around
For so long -- 25 years.
Vincent: The idea was hatched
over my kitchen table
Because we had nowhere
to compete,
And we thought maybe
there needed to be something
In the center of the country.
And we did.
We had one, the first.
It was at a mall.
And we decided
that we'd keep it going.
This is my second tier down,
And on the side of this cake,
as well as my top tier,
I'm going to use
my royal-icing wings.
I like to hand-draw my wing
designs, so they're original.
I always use graph paper to make
sure they're symmetrical.
I think my downfall
is I am a perfectionist.
I have obsessive cake disorder,
And I will nitpick
every little detail.
Now that they're dry,
I'm going to attach them
to the side of my cake.
If you push too hard,
you will snap it.
Uh!
You see, I just broke one there.
This is why you make extras.
You can see how delicate it is.
Just one grab too tight,
and it shatters.
I think last year
it worked in my favor
That most people
didn't know who I was.
But this year,
I kind of feel like
I've got a target on my back.
People know who I am,
and now they're gunning for me.
Narrator: Everyone who placed
in a top-10 spot
At the grand national wedding
cake competition last year
Will be feeling the pressure.
Yeah, the competition
is gonna be tough this year.
Yeah, I didn't sleep
for one whole week.
It's just been really crazy.
The competitors know if they
don't bring it to the table,
They're not going to do well.
Barry: My cake is inspired
by the headpiece of a pope
With black sugar roses going up.
I'm making sugar petals.
My grandma and I came up
With our own
special gum-paste recipe.
This is a neat creation.
You grab some plastic spoons,
cut the handles off
And hot-glue them to the board
And they're perfect
to dry petals.
When I'm doing this, I imagine
I'm squishing my enemies.
There you go.
There's your face.
[ laughs ]
They're starting
to look like roses,
But I have at least
50 more to go.
I'm taking the time to make sure
That I get
all those details correct
Because this is going
before the eyes of experts.
My swans, my diorama tier,
which is a stunner.
The castle took 16 hours.
I used a fine tip to do small,
Little string extension
detail work.
Not very many people
have the patience or stamina
And skill set to create
something this fine.
And this has to travel
on the airplane with me.
Fingers crossed it won't break
in transit
Because of the delicacy of it.
Oopsie.
Just like that, you have to be
very careful, or else they fall.
Not every sugar artist
is a great baker,
But they can be.
For this year's tasting-cake
part of the oklahoma sugar art
Show, I expect there
to be 40 to 60 cakes.
Wow, that is lovely!
Judge: The requirements are
a six- to nine-inch round cake,
Two to three layers, any flavor.
They may bake their cake 5, 10,
15 times testing recipes
Because they want
to be the best.
Grady:
So, these are my tasting cakes.
My dirty, little secret
is my husband
And I both kind of hate cake.
We didn't even
have wedding cake.
I'm making an apple-pear cake
with a vanilla-bean buttercream
And caramel drizzle on top.
It's gonna be really humid
in tulsa,
So I'm going to adjust my recipe
just a little bit with an extra
Added powdered sugar to help
your buttercream hold up.
Add some caramel on top.
Finishing touch to our flavors
is gonna be
Just a little sprinkle
of sea salt, and there we go.
Barry:
My tasting cake is bringing two
of my favorite things from peru,
Which is chocolate and lucuma.
Lucuma is a peruvian fruit.
So I will incorporate the lucuma
in the dulce de leche.
Lucuma is a great combination
with chocolate
Because of how creamy
and subtle it is.
My grandmother just flew in
from peru,
And she hand-carried
through customs lucuma pulp
So I could use it
for this competition.
What we're gonna be doing
is removing the top crust,
The bottom crust, and the sides.
In terms of the tasty cake
competition,
I did three different flavors --
A valrhona french
chocolate cake,
A sicilian pistachio cake,
and a fresh strawberry cake.
So, here's a real tip.
I've decided to make
a strawberry buttercream.
The problem is real strawberries
are full of water.
So you simply buy
some freeze-dried strawberries,
And this will create a delicious
real strawberry taste
Without adding any extra liquid.
Now I'm ready to fill them
with my different flavors.
You'll know if your cake's
not cold enough
If the spackle starts
to tear your cake.
I think I will win for tasting
over the other competitors
Because my flavor combinations
are more sophisticated,
And my techniques
are more advanced.
I'm one of
the grand national --
Put that by your table, okay?
We made it!
Vincent:
So, the cakes are arriving.
Hundreds of hours invested.
And now they're coming
through the door.
Watch for the wheels.
Watch for the wheels.
They are hurrying.
They know the clock's ticking.
They know it's time for them
to get finished
Before the judges line up.
Hurry, hurry.
It's heavy.
Tons to do.
Not a lot of time.
I've spent 22 hours to get here
with my friends.
Vincent: There's a lot of people
who may have had damage,
And they're trying
desperately to fix it.
This is what happened
in the transportation, you see?
All the pieces break.
Dickens:
That's the biggest thing --
Getting in here
and getting in here safely.
Hoping that the string work
did not fall off on the flight.
-On that side there.
-Oh, no!
Oh, no, that's not
gonna be good.
Can you just pull the --
no, no, don't, don't, don't!
Don't touch it, please.
Just don't touch it.
Oh, see? Look.
That broke.
Ohh.
Some of the plants
already broke.
Just try not to lift up
too high.
Stop telling me what to do.
Vincent: I think the competitors
have gutsy intention,
And they are tough.
Regardless, you can't give
$30,000 to a person
Who has a lackluster cake.
I should just start
all over again.
Perkins: Ms. Susan trianos --
When it comes to competition,
she's fierce.
Trianos: I got my eye out
for rachel grady.
I'm coming for you.
Boon: Bryson is somebody
you need to watch out for.
He's excellent at what he does.
My hands are shaking.
Narrator: With only a couple of
hours left before judging,
The competitors
are feeling the stress
As they fix their cakes
before time runs out.
Boon:
So, we're here in tulsa.
We just drove 22 hours
from toronto.
Here with my friends
kelly and susan.
Susan trianos has been here
for several years,
And she's done
a really excellent job
Moving up the ladder.
Now I think she has her eye
on the pie in the sky,
And she is going after it.
Trianos: This year's theme is
"I'm a modern classic."
I knew immediately
where I wanted to go.
I wanted to go with
a really fresh greek theme.
My inspiration
is jasper wedgwood pottery.
My cake will have string work
on my middle tier,
Hanging clusters of lemons,
Olives,
an oval-shaped bottom tier,
And some pressure piping, which
is like a 3-d relief pattern.
On a competition piece, I have
never used a stencil or a mold.
If I can pipe it,
I'm going to pipe it,
And that's just going to
score me extra points.
The cake is dedicated
to my grandparents.
I'm of greek descent.
My grandfather came to canada,
didn't speak a word of english.
They taught me
all about work ethic.
[voice breaking]
so, that's for them.
If I win any money,
my mom wants to go back
To greece one more time.
So, a lot of emotion
went into this one.
The artistry and creativity
of all these bakers
Is just astounding.
Girl: I think that they're
most impressive
Because the flowers
look so real.
Tetreault: There are
competitions all over the world,
But this show is
absolutely extraordinary.
The grand prize winner
at this competition
Will win $30,000 in cash.
Excuse me.
Coming through.
Vincent: Angela has a lot
to prove this year
Because her grandmother
is coming.
This is the first time
she's been to the show
In a long, long time.
It's just underneath.
Yeah.
Great expectations.
Barry: My showpiece is the
elegance of the pope robes.
For me, winning would
make family history.
Oh, look.
It broke.
My cake got damaged
in transport.
You want to just cry,
you know, just ugly-cry.
And I need this to be center and
fix some of the little details.
You see, one of these
fell off here.
I'm gonna need to
replace that.
Got to work.
Wow, look at that one.
And the colors.
Ted needs to not only have
the flamboyant visibility
Happening there, but he's got
to have the detail, as well.
Yeah, it's a kerry vincent rule
that your cake must be level.
And so I actually bring
a level and prove it.
Looks like an oklahoma cake.
I'm super-happy.
I'm proud because
I'm hopeful to be
In the top five at this point
based on what I've seen.
I haven't seen them all,
but based on what I've seen,
I think I'm there.
Bryson perkins won last year.
His cake was incredible.
And I'm sure he's gonna bring
an incredible cake
Again this year.
Aah!
Even this I'm shaking.
And I'm not gonna write,
"broken in transit."
I have to fix it because that's
what defending champions do.
No, no, I'm right here.
Yeah.
Here's what I got to watch
out for this year.
Ms. Susan trianos --
We've been friends
for quite a while now,
And she is
such a sweetheart,
But when it comes to
competition, she's fierce.
Kerplunk!
The thing I'm most proud
of about my cake
Is that it's clean.
She'll be hard-pressed
to find a flaw.
I'm really proud
of the pressure piping.
It's all white, but you can see
the details
Because of the shadows.
I think this is the front.
Yay!
I got my eye out
for rachel grady.
Rachel grady beat me
out last year.
Rachel, I'm coming for you.
So, I'm pretty proud of how
the string work turned out.
I'm hoping that this is
the thing
That the judges really think
is the "wow" factor.
I love the shaping.
I wish I'd had more time
to do it
A little more
precisely and neatly.
30 minutes!
30 minutes to finish up!
Vincent: This is the moment
where everything
Is hurry, hurry, hurry.
Contestants are pinning
their tables.
They've got to get
their cakes on.
There is no negotiation.
Mills:
Time is ticking down.
The competitors only have
a limited time
To set up their cakes.
In special wedding cake
tasting...
I have a secret weapon
for my tasting cake.
Without a doubt, I have
a very good shot of winning.
And the first place is...
Vincent:
The show attracts hugely
successful master sugar artists.
The judges have over 60 cakes
to evaluate.
In a nutshell,
I'm seeing some amazing work,
And I'm seeing some work
that needs work.
I don't think I'm gonna win.
I'm absolutely positive
I'm not gonna win.
The bulk of the work
was done in three days.
I have good intentions,
but I'm a procrastinator.
Vincent:
Cakes are judged on 10 criteria.
So it's quite complex.
It's really important to
incorporate a number of
sugar-art techniques.
You okay?
Yeah.
Boon:
This is when you start to find
out what you're up against.
I had reason to be worried.
I'm really proud of how fine
I got my petals this year.
I'm really happy
with my plaques.
I'm hoping their spacing is okay
Because at that time
in the morning,
I was not seeing
straight anymore.
But glad it's done.
In terms of competition,
I definitely think
Bryson is somebody
I need to watch out for.
He's excellent at what he does.
He's definitely one to watch.
Aah!
Do we have any drama?
-A little bit.
-Yeah, a little bit.
Ohh.
It's falling down,
But I can repair it.
Perkins: I would like to win
two years in a row, where,
To my knowledge,
most recent years,
No one has ever done it --
back to back.
Five minutes to close.
Five minutes, please.
Tetreault: The last of
the competitors are getting
Their cakes set up.
They're nervous.
Their anxiety is so high.
Name card up,
and we are all set.
I just have to walk away
and pray.
Well, now it's
in the judges' hands.
Alright. Thank you.
What number?
Some of the competitors today
are not only
In the infamous
wedding cake category,
But in the tasting category,
as well.
Has to be the best-tasting cake,
the best flavor ever.
Perryman: We're gonna be trying
probably around 30 cakes.
I'm gonna eat more cake today
than most people eat in a year.
This is a peruvian delight.
Lucuma pure.
Whoa,
they flew it in from peru.
I like the flavor of the cake.
That is nice.
Yeah, it's not too sweet.
A good cocoa flavor.
Even though it's a big cake,
I could eat
a whole slice of that.
Yes.
And I'd be fine.
Maybe two.
Caramel apple pear cake.
It's nice and moist.
Yeah, I'm sure all that fruit
in there has retained moisture.
Kept it moist.
Yeah.
The caramel almost
overpowers everything.
Yeah, it's so...
You can't even taste
the pear.
...Sweet that it covers up
the fruit on the inside,
And you can't taste
anything but caramel.
Everything was mixed well,
baked well.
Very fine crumb
on all the cakes.
The mousses have
individual flavors.
I love that strawberry
at the bottom, too.
That's really bright
and very refreshing.
It's probably my favorite part
of the cake
Is that little part down there.
Narrator:
While the tasting judges
make their deliberations,
Over at the grand national
wedding cake competition,
The sugar-art judges
get down to business.
It's going to be a hard day.
Overall, this cake has just
amazing "wow" factor.
Vincent: The judges will have to
be really thorough
Because the winner is going
to take home $30,000.
I love the shape of the board.
I love the coloring.
I love the shape
of the cake.
Tetreault:
There will be over 60 cakes
this year for us to judge.
It looks
a little bit frumpy.
They should stick to one or two
or three techniques
That they really know
how to do well.
When we judge this competition,
it's done blindly.
We have no idea
who the contestants are
Or which cake
they have entered.
This is a bit messy
down here.
Yeah, sadly, it is.
We will award points for
the neatness of decoration,
Interpretation of theme,
finish, creativity,
Skill, choice of colors,
And the difficulty
of techniques.
There are pins
in the cake.
Wow.
Oh, gosh!
[ laughs ]
oh, my goodness!
There are pins
in the cake.
Wow.
No, no, no, no!
How would you like
a pin?
Oh, gosh!
[ laughs ]
oh, my goodness.
Tetreault: Is that
a disqualification or a --
No, we don't disqualify.
-Okay.
-There's points off.
Points off.
Yeah, you don't leave pins
in cakes.
People might swallow them.
Alright.
Angela is an independent
little soul,
And she wants to be out
from underneath the shadow
Of the great ones that is
her grandmother and her mother.
We've got a headdress.
It looks like a bishop.
Yes, it does.
Mills:
A bishop's miter.
They used it in the vase.
Yeah.
That is very clever.
What do you think
of the stained glass?
Royal icing
run-out panels.
It's beautifully
piped in there.
You can see
some separation there.
A few faults
around the edge.
That would bring
that mark down a little bit.
Just a little bit.
Yeah.
Vincent: Rachel grady,
who was number two last year,
She has some
pretty fabulous work,
And I think sometimes
she doesn't really understand
Just quite how good she is.
Tetreault: So, this is the
inspiration -- the two plates.
The inspiration's
coming through.
Yes, yeah.
The floating extension work --
Very, very fine
and beautifully well executed.
Beautifully done.
This is well done.
And that's a hard skill to go
spiral around the cake
And get it so --
and also wavy.
And wavy.
Mills: Yeah.
Vincent: Bryson -- his theme
is grace kelly.
I think it reflects
the theme really well --
Grace kelly.
Yes.
I love the top piece,
Where you've got
the extension work right here,
And it really depicts
the headdress.
And the detail
of the castle.
You just see something new
every time you look at this.
Exquisite skills.
Some of the finest royal-icing
skills at the show.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And I think that sums
this one up.
Vincent: Chrissie boon, entered
the competition last year
For the first time
and was third runner-up.
So I would say that chrissie's
back with a vengeance.
And it looks stunning
against the blue background.
It does.
It really does.
The piping is really neat
around there.
If I'm going to be
really picky...
-Yeah?
-...I would say the plaques are
A little bit
on the thick side.
Mills: I can accept that
it can be that thickness.
I can accept the thickness.
It's got a "wow" factor.
Vincent: So, ted has placed well
in the past.
So I'm gonna be
interested to see
Where ted's coming with that.
There's a couple things
that stand out immediately.
This embroidery work on
the bottom looks a little messy.
The cylinder that
they've created down here
Does hide the detail
they've got on the tier behind.
It's not the most beautiful
part of the cake.
No, no.
No.
You've got dainty lace work,
and then you've got the heavy --
Heavy lace work.
Oh, my.
The plate isn't finished
underneath.
Oh, no.
It's just --
Ohh!
Vincent:
Susan's work is impeccable.
Very clean.
Susan has some really
refined skill sets,
And if she gets the right design
and she pulls it off,
I think that there's
a possibility for her.
Tetreault: When I first looked
at this from a distance,
I thought they were molded.
-Yeah.
And it wasn't until
I got up close
That I realized
that was all hand-piped.
I really could have one of these
olives in my martini.
Yes, you could.
They've used five techniques,
and they're all expertly piped.
Beautifully done.
It's just
a spectacular piece.
I mean,
the colors are vibrant.
And the execution of the skills
that they've chosen to use.
Skills are -- yeah.
Yeah.
Tetreault: So, we've finished
all of the cakes.
This has been one of
the toughest competitions
I've ever judged.
It's down to 0.3 of a mark.
Yes. I think we really need to
go back and look at those again.
Let's go.
-Yeah.
Let's go and put
fresh eyes on it.
Yeah.
This is the longest time
the judges took to adjudicate
To find out
who the winners were.
Vincent: So now, it's the moment
of truth.
Narrator: Who will take home
the $30,000 prize
In the grand national wedding
cake competition?
[ applause ]
This is the silver anniversary
Of the oklahoma state sugar
art show
And the grand national
wedding cake competition.
[ cheers and applause ]
Tetreault:
One of my favorite parts of this
show is the awards ceremony.
You can feel the tension.
The air is thick.
Everybody is so excited.
There is so much anxiety
from the contestants.
I need to be
in the top 10 for me.
I know I'm going to win.
$30,000 is a lot of money.
Perkins: No one has ever done it
back to back,
And I want to be that guy.
I am so nervous.
They want to be the best.
There's nothing better
than walking up
And getting that blue ribbon.
And here we go.
The special wedding cake
tasting third place --
Pamela heun.
[ applause ]
Angela barry, second place.
[ cheers and applause ]
Oh, you did
a good bake!
Apparently!
Yeah.
Barry: I was so excited about
my second place
In the cake tasting competition.
I felt like I put peru
in the spotlight.
And the first place is...
Ted scutti.
[ cheers and applause ]
You are welcome.
Ted's baking cake was big
and bold and delicious,
Just like ted.
So, now we move
into serious territory --
The grand national wedding
cake competition.
[ cheers and applause ]
The winner is...
So, now we move
into serious territory.
When I get serious,
I don't smile much.
You all know that.
The grand national wedding
cake competition.
Trianos:
I'm a little freaked out.
This is definitely
the stiffest competition.
There are probably 10 people
I'm really nervous about.
Boon: Let's be honest.
$30,000 is a lot of money.
That's a game changer.
10th runner-up.
Rachel grady.
[ cheers and applause ]
I'm thrilled.
I really wanted to stay
in the top 10 again.
So, managed that.
Vincent:
I think the thing that probably
let rachel down a little bit
Was the fact that she kept
the spiral extension work
Too far apart.
Grady:
This show is why I cake still.
This is what I love about cakes.
Marika cooper swick
from the netherlands.
[ cheers and applause ]
Narrator: Most of the
competitors spent
The entire year,
hundreds of hours invested,
And they're desperate to place
in the top 10.
Lori cossou.
Narrator: With every name
called, that's one less spot
For competitors
to place in the competition.
And our fifth runner-up is...
Edith hall.
[ cheers and applause ]
Narrator: There are only five
places left in the top 10.
The tension is palpable.
Pamela heun.
[ cheers and applause ]
Nancy lagomarsino,
third runner-up.
Narrator:
With only a few spots left,
The stress is
at an all-time high.
Chrissie boon,
Second runner-up.
Thank you for making the trip.
Thank you.
You've done well.
-Yay, chrissie!
-Yay!
Boon: I had no expectation after
seeing what was out there
Of making the top 10, let alone
getting second runner-up.
I'm in shock, shaking.
Vincent:
Now it's time to announce
who the top two finalists are.
Scutti: And anyone who is anyone
knows that a win at oklahoma
Is truly a lifetime
accomplishment.
Trianos: If you can do well
here, it really means
You've come
a long way in your career.
Perkins: To my knowledge, no one
has won the grand prize
Two years in a row,
and I want to be that guy.
Barry: Through the different
years that I've competed,
I've been a finalist,
but this year,
I would love to win.
I am so nervous about it.
So, now I need...
Bryson perkins
and susan trianos.
[ cheers and applause ]
Scutti: I would have liked to be
in the top five,
But I won the baking piece,
And I take it
as a tremendous honor.
Barry: I placed 11th.
Being recognized by all these
people that you admire,
That is just a prize in itself.
[ cheers and applause ]
So, now, it's time for me
to declare the winner
Of the grand national wedding
cake competition.
[ cheers and applause ]
Narrator: The judges thought
susan's cake was a standout
Due to the multiple
techniques she executed,
And her work was clean.
Bryson's intricate hand-piping
Is some of the best
in this competition.
So choosing a winner
between these two
Was extremely difficult
for the judges.
The winner of the grand national
in this 25th year is...
...Susan trianos.
[ cheers and applause ]
Taking it home to canada.
[ cheers and applause continue ]
Trianos: I've been doing this
for 32 years, and this is it.
This is -- I did it.
Vincent:
I think susan had probably
one of the cleanest cakes
I've seen in a long time.
Also, I like
the color combination.
It was really quite exquisite.
[ cheers and applause ]
Trianos: I'm numb.
I thought this year
I totally flaked.
And then it was
just bryson and I,
And when we were
standing up there,
I thought there was no way
that I could beat that cake.
My mom is the most
special person in the world,
And I'm taking her on a trip!
This year's show is one
of the best we've ever had.
And it's a wrap!
[ laughs ]
Tetreault: The grand national
wedding cake competition
Is the largest
cake-decorating competition
In the united states.
It's like the world cup
of cake design.
Excuse me.
Coming through.
Man: It's the crme de la crme
of wedding cakes and sugar art.
Vincent: It's recognized
all around the world.
Up to 83,000 people
pass through.
Honestly, that's awesome.
Scutti: And anyone who is anyone
knows a win at oklahoma
Is a lifetime accomplishment.
Girl:
The cakes look beautiful.
It's crazy how people
can make it all edible.
It's so awesome!
I can't even talk.
Tetreault: Because this is
the 25th anniversary
And the grand prize
is $30,000 in cash,
I am expecting the competition
to be fierce.
Perkins: There are competitors
coming from all over the world
To dethrone me.
I'm coming for you.
No!
Aah!
$30,000 is a life-changing
amount of money.
Vincent: The winner is...
$10.
Narrator: The tulsa state fair
is famous
For its livestock shows,
Carnival rides,
and horse competitions.
But the star attraction
Is the grand national
wedding cake competition.
Woman:
I come about every year.
It's one of my favorite
exhibits.
Woman #2:
I'm just totally blown away
That someone can do
something like this.
This is just unbelievable to me.
Narrator: While paris, new york,
and beverly hills house
Some of
the greatest cake makers,
This competition is one
of the most prestigious cake
Shows in the world.
Months of hard work
all culminate to the main event.
30 minutes!
30 minutes to finish up!
Vincent: This is the moment
where everything
Is hurry, hurry, hurry.
Are we ready?
Yeah.
Competitors
only have a limited time
To set up their cakes.
Time is ticking down.
Aah!
Even this I'm shaking.
The who's who of
the cake-decorating world
Wants to be here
in oklahoma, in tulsa,
Especially in
the wedding cake competition,
Where people come
from all over the globe.
I'm laura saporiti,
and I come from Italy.
I came all the way
from the netherlands.
This is the most challenging
competition I've ever entered.
I'm freaking out because
I've damaged my cake
And I have 20 minutes
to repaint it.
This is a really stressful time.
Things get broken.
-Aah!
-They're in a rush.
They're nervous.
Their anxiety is so high.
Boon:
Entering the competition,
This is where you start to find
out what you're up against.
I think this cake's gonna win.
This cake's gonna win.
This cake --
it's very nerve racking.
It's a lot of stress.
Vincent: Everything on the cakes
is edible,
And the score sheet's
pretty tough.
Five minutes to close!
-Holy crap.
-Five minutes, please!
-You okay?
-Yep.
Aah!
The judges are looking
for exquisite design,
The artistry,
the interpretation of the theme,
The difficulty
of the techniques used,
And obviously, the "wow" factor.
Mills: The theme for this year's
competition is
"I am a modern classic."
Vincent: Interpretation is left
entirely up to them.
They can go to whatever source
they want to,
Such as fashion,
an icon, or art --
Something that stand
the test of time.
Mills: To win would be
the pinnacle of their dreams.
To win here at the oklahoma
state sugar art show
Would be the icing
on the cake.
The winner is...
Perkins:
My name is bryson perkins.
Last year was grand prize,
Which I'm looking to
hopefully repeat this year.
My piece last year
was my ode du romance cake,
And it featured two golden
hand-molded peacocks,
Embroidered flower details
with thousands and thousand,
Thousands of hand-punched
gum-paste sequins.
Being the reigning champ
is not easy.
There are competitors coming
from all over the world
To dethrone me.
And that is not going to happen.
I am a creative director
at triolo's bakery.
Maybe with pink on that one.
So, for the oklahoma state
sugar art show,
I chose the magnificent
grace kelly.
I am making a three-tier
wedding cake.
The top tier will feature
the headdress
Worn by princess grace kelly,
lots of hand-molded decorations,
Little figurine sculptures,
multiple hand-cut flowers,
A base relief popping off
in a 3-d diorama tier.
There are a few techniques
on my cake
That I'm doing this year
that I have never seen before,
And that earns a lot of points
with innovation,
Such as my hand-piped
royal-icing floating vine work.
The base features
thousands of leaves,
Which I piped into
a little teardrop
And veined each and every leaf.
I want to continue
with that cohesive design.
Everything is 100% handmade.
No pre-made decorations.
I have been working
on my oklahoma wedding cake
For about 650 hours.
I have about 100 hours' more
worth of work.
This will definitely wow
the judges.
Vincent: The grand national
wedding cake competition
Is a place where really
unusual and fabulous
Techniques will be exhibited.
The sky's the limit.
Tetreault: Sugar art basically
means it's all made
Of a sugar product
And it's edible
and it's fun to work with.
Grady:
My name is rachel grady.
This will be my fourth year
Competing at the oklahoma
sugar art show.
Last year, I placed second.
I was shocked.
I had 200 royal-icing wings
wrapping around the sides.
Not a lot of people do the wings
Because they're very delicate
and they break very easily.
I'm an award-winning cake
designer and full-time mom.
Is this fun?
Yeah!
Yeah!
My mother and I share
a cake-decorating business
That we run together called
sassy sweets.
I am addicted to competing.
That's the only reason
we still do orders
Is so we can pay
to go to competition.
This is our happy wall.
This, obviously, is the one
I'm the most proud of.
This is my first runner-up
ribbon from last year.
So, the theme this year is
"I'm a modern classic,"
And I'm interpreting that by
combining a modern china pattern
And an older china pattern.
The title of my cake
is "delicate grace."
Starting at the bottom,
we have a square cake,
And on the sides,
royal-icing cages.
My second tier is
going to be wrapped
With a spiral
of bridgeless string work.
The top two tiers
will have royal-icing wings
Wrapping around the side.
Probably the thing that I'm most
excited about on this cake
Is the spiral string work.
I'm very carefully piping
fresh royal icing,
Barely touching it
to these pins.
The plan is that they will dry
And then be sturdy enough
to extend from the cake
Without the pins.
I wasn't sure
if this was possible
Because the royal icing
is so delicate.
Pulling the pins is
one of my favorite parts
About string work.
I just love the magic of that
icing just sticking
Straight out from the cake.
When the cake is back
right-side-up,
It'll have a wave pattern.
It's not something I've seen
any of the other competitors do,
So I'm hoping
that it's something
That'll really
catch the judge's eye.
Scutti: My name is ted.
I own sugar sugar cake studio
with my husband adam.
Cheers.
Cheers.
My expectations are
to place in the top five
And, ideally, to win.
In 2014, I placed 21st,
2015, I placed 15th,
And in 2016, I placed 9th.
My theme this year is based upon
the spanish designer balenciaga.
My design features different
interpretations of lace.
At the top, I chose to have
a custom silk screen created.
Below that tier,
you will see a separator.
The main tier features edible
real sterling silver,
Based upon a gown
that balenciaga created.
I've invested approximately
500 hours on my cake,
And I'm not going home
without a ribbon.
I worked with an artist in Italy
To create a custom
design for me,
Which was then manufactured
into this special stencil.
This is basically a silk screen,
Like you would use to,
say, make a t-shirt.
And I'm gonna put
the stencil on top,
Use some opaque royal icing,
And I'm pushing down ever
so slightly as I do this
Because I do want to encourage
the royal icing
To go through the stencil.
Now, in one smooth motion,
the stencil comes off.
The design of the lace
is as delicate as real lace
Would be on a dress.
I'm particularly proud of this
technique because it's unique,
And it's not going to be on any
other cake in tulsa but mine.
Vincent: People come here kind
of surprised to find
The level
of high expertise,
Really fine-art techniques
of the past
That have been resurrected.
So I see brush embroidery.
I see string work,
or extension work,
Flood work, gelatin work
that's just amazing.
My name is angela barry, and I'm
the owner of a&m cake designs.
And I'm a third-generation
sugar artist.
Ms, ms!
[ laughter ]
Through the different years
That I've competed
in the competition,
I have never been
in the top 10,
But this year,
I would love to win.
I am so nervous about it.
My grandmother is a world-famous
cake designer.
My mother, too.
This is really good. Right?
-It's really good.
My showpiece is inspired
by catholic fashion.
The top piece is the headpiece
of a pope and halo.
It has stained-glass technique,
pope robes,
Really embroidered,
lots of jewel.
So, I found this great picture
of a stained glass.
So I will paint this gelatin
with very nice pigments
And some shortening
just to look like the light
Is coming through.
I have been working on my piece
about 12 hours
Every day for a month.
Let's see some magic happen.
Yay!
I'm so excited this
is working out.
The prize -- this $30,000.
That is a lot of money
for one cake.
Oh, no!
This is why it takes
so much work.
I don't know what to do.
I'm behind.
Barry: Excuse me.
That's the biggest thing --
getting it here safely.
-Watch for the wheels.
-No!
The work on the cakes
is just so realistic.
It's so awesome!
I can't even talk.
People don't believe
it's made of sugar.
Perkins:
Wedding cakes are beautiful.
But let's face it --
deep down inside,
We all have a cake monster,
And we all want to walk
away with that grand prize.
My name's chrissie boon,
and my husband and I
Own a bakery in new hamburg.
We do high-end
special-occasion cakes,
Get to be really creative.
I have my ribbon from the
oklahoma state sugar art show
Last year.
I placed third runner-up.
I love the cake
I made last year.
I did everything pretty perfect.
And I think that's
what the judges look for.
They look for very clean lines,
very perfect covering.
They don't want to see
cracks in your fondant.
They don't want to
see rough edges.
Everything done to perfection.
I'm trying to win it for canada.
It's very nerve-racking.
It's a lot of stress.
My inspiration for this year's
cake is a tile from portugal.
We traveled to portugal
several years ago
For a friend's wedding and fell
in love with the country.
The name of my cake
this year is "porcelana azul."
It's gonna be
a six-tier wedding cake.
We're gonna start
with some beautiful
Sugar flowers on the top.
The second tier down
is gonna have
A jewelry pattern around it.
We're gonna have
some hand-painted tiles.
And as I go down the cake,
I will repeat
those on other tiers.
So, a great, little cake
decorator's trick --
I'm using
a little projector here
That hooks right up
to my iphone.
And it's a projection
of my inspiration tile.
I've got my gum-paste tile
cut out here.
I'll be surprised if there's
lots of hand painting.
I think it's something that most
people are very intimidated by.
I've had to start over
and over again on multiple.
I've tossed a couple.
I won't put something on my cake
if I can't get it perfect.
So, at this point, I've probably
put in around
50 hours on my cake.
I still have a lot
of long nights before tulsa,
And I'm behind.
I'm very nervous about
how long this is going to take.
Scutti:
You have to be a bit strategic
when you compete at this show,
And you have to try to balance
between the beauty element
And also giving the judges
enough varied techniques
To get enough points to end up
at the top of the heap.
I have a significant collection
of cake tools.
I have approximately 1,000 sets
of flower cutters.
There's a little bit
of an irony here
Because at the
oklahoma sugar art show,
It's all about
handmade details.
I'm known for my sugar flowers.
The color is achieved
with petal dust,
Which is basically
a dry paint.
The more handmade elements,
you earn more points.
Therefore, you are
more likely to win.
This show is very prestigious
because it's been around
For so long -- 25 years.
Vincent: The idea was hatched
over my kitchen table
Because we had nowhere
to compete,
And we thought maybe
there needed to be something
In the center of the country.
And we did.
We had one, the first.
It was at a mall.
And we decided
that we'd keep it going.
This is my second tier down,
And on the side of this cake,
as well as my top tier,
I'm going to use
my royal-icing wings.
I like to hand-draw my wing
designs, so they're original.
I always use graph paper to make
sure they're symmetrical.
I think my downfall
is I am a perfectionist.
I have obsessive cake disorder,
And I will nitpick
every little detail.
Now that they're dry,
I'm going to attach them
to the side of my cake.
If you push too hard,
you will snap it.
Uh!
You see, I just broke one there.
This is why you make extras.
You can see how delicate it is.
Just one grab too tight,
and it shatters.
I think last year
it worked in my favor
That most people
didn't know who I was.
But this year,
I kind of feel like
I've got a target on my back.
People know who I am,
and now they're gunning for me.
Narrator: Everyone who placed
in a top-10 spot
At the grand national wedding
cake competition last year
Will be feeling the pressure.
Yeah, the competition
is gonna be tough this year.
Yeah, I didn't sleep
for one whole week.
It's just been really crazy.
The competitors know if they
don't bring it to the table,
They're not going to do well.
Barry: My cake is inspired
by the headpiece of a pope
With black sugar roses going up.
I'm making sugar petals.
My grandma and I came up
With our own
special gum-paste recipe.
This is a neat creation.
You grab some plastic spoons,
cut the handles off
And hot-glue them to the board
And they're perfect
to dry petals.
When I'm doing this, I imagine
I'm squishing my enemies.
There you go.
There's your face.
[ laughs ]
They're starting
to look like roses,
But I have at least
50 more to go.
I'm taking the time to make sure
That I get
all those details correct
Because this is going
before the eyes of experts.
My swans, my diorama tier,
which is a stunner.
The castle took 16 hours.
I used a fine tip to do small,
Little string extension
detail work.
Not very many people
have the patience or stamina
And skill set to create
something this fine.
And this has to travel
on the airplane with me.
Fingers crossed it won't break
in transit
Because of the delicacy of it.
Oopsie.
Just like that, you have to be
very careful, or else they fall.
Not every sugar artist
is a great baker,
But they can be.
For this year's tasting-cake
part of the oklahoma sugar art
Show, I expect there
to be 40 to 60 cakes.
Wow, that is lovely!
Judge: The requirements are
a six- to nine-inch round cake,
Two to three layers, any flavor.
They may bake their cake 5, 10,
15 times testing recipes
Because they want
to be the best.
Grady:
So, these are my tasting cakes.
My dirty, little secret
is my husband
And I both kind of hate cake.
We didn't even
have wedding cake.
I'm making an apple-pear cake
with a vanilla-bean buttercream
And caramel drizzle on top.
It's gonna be really humid
in tulsa,
So I'm going to adjust my recipe
just a little bit with an extra
Added powdered sugar to help
your buttercream hold up.
Add some caramel on top.
Finishing touch to our flavors
is gonna be
Just a little sprinkle
of sea salt, and there we go.
Barry:
My tasting cake is bringing two
of my favorite things from peru,
Which is chocolate and lucuma.
Lucuma is a peruvian fruit.
So I will incorporate the lucuma
in the dulce de leche.
Lucuma is a great combination
with chocolate
Because of how creamy
and subtle it is.
My grandmother just flew in
from peru,
And she hand-carried
through customs lucuma pulp
So I could use it
for this competition.
What we're gonna be doing
is removing the top crust,
The bottom crust, and the sides.
In terms of the tasty cake
competition,
I did three different flavors --
A valrhona french
chocolate cake,
A sicilian pistachio cake,
and a fresh strawberry cake.
So, here's a real tip.
I've decided to make
a strawberry buttercream.
The problem is real strawberries
are full of water.
So you simply buy
some freeze-dried strawberries,
And this will create a delicious
real strawberry taste
Without adding any extra liquid.
Now I'm ready to fill them
with my different flavors.
You'll know if your cake's
not cold enough
If the spackle starts
to tear your cake.
I think I will win for tasting
over the other competitors
Because my flavor combinations
are more sophisticated,
And my techniques
are more advanced.
I'm one of
the grand national --
Put that by your table, okay?
We made it!
Vincent:
So, the cakes are arriving.
Hundreds of hours invested.
And now they're coming
through the door.
Watch for the wheels.
Watch for the wheels.
They are hurrying.
They know the clock's ticking.
They know it's time for them
to get finished
Before the judges line up.
Hurry, hurry.
It's heavy.
Tons to do.
Not a lot of time.
I've spent 22 hours to get here
with my friends.
Vincent: There's a lot of people
who may have had damage,
And they're trying
desperately to fix it.
This is what happened
in the transportation, you see?
All the pieces break.
Dickens:
That's the biggest thing --
Getting in here
and getting in here safely.
Hoping that the string work
did not fall off on the flight.
-On that side there.
-Oh, no!
Oh, no, that's not
gonna be good.
Can you just pull the --
no, no, don't, don't, don't!
Don't touch it, please.
Just don't touch it.
Oh, see? Look.
That broke.
Ohh.
Some of the plants
already broke.
Just try not to lift up
too high.
Stop telling me what to do.
Vincent: I think the competitors
have gutsy intention,
And they are tough.
Regardless, you can't give
$30,000 to a person
Who has a lackluster cake.
I should just start
all over again.
Perkins: Ms. Susan trianos --
When it comes to competition,
she's fierce.
Trianos: I got my eye out
for rachel grady.
I'm coming for you.
Boon: Bryson is somebody
you need to watch out for.
He's excellent at what he does.
My hands are shaking.
Narrator: With only a couple of
hours left before judging,
The competitors
are feeling the stress
As they fix their cakes
before time runs out.
Boon:
So, we're here in tulsa.
We just drove 22 hours
from toronto.
Here with my friends
kelly and susan.
Susan trianos has been here
for several years,
And she's done
a really excellent job
Moving up the ladder.
Now I think she has her eye
on the pie in the sky,
And she is going after it.
Trianos: This year's theme is
"I'm a modern classic."
I knew immediately
where I wanted to go.
I wanted to go with
a really fresh greek theme.
My inspiration
is jasper wedgwood pottery.
My cake will have string work
on my middle tier,
Hanging clusters of lemons,
Olives,
an oval-shaped bottom tier,
And some pressure piping, which
is like a 3-d relief pattern.
On a competition piece, I have
never used a stencil or a mold.
If I can pipe it,
I'm going to pipe it,
And that's just going to
score me extra points.
The cake is dedicated
to my grandparents.
I'm of greek descent.
My grandfather came to canada,
didn't speak a word of english.
They taught me
all about work ethic.
[voice breaking]
so, that's for them.
If I win any money,
my mom wants to go back
To greece one more time.
So, a lot of emotion
went into this one.
The artistry and creativity
of all these bakers
Is just astounding.
Girl: I think that they're
most impressive
Because the flowers
look so real.
Tetreault: There are
competitions all over the world,
But this show is
absolutely extraordinary.
The grand prize winner
at this competition
Will win $30,000 in cash.
Excuse me.
Coming through.
Vincent: Angela has a lot
to prove this year
Because her grandmother
is coming.
This is the first time
she's been to the show
In a long, long time.
It's just underneath.
Yeah.
Great expectations.
Barry: My showpiece is the
elegance of the pope robes.
For me, winning would
make family history.
Oh, look.
It broke.
My cake got damaged
in transport.
You want to just cry,
you know, just ugly-cry.
And I need this to be center and
fix some of the little details.
You see, one of these
fell off here.
I'm gonna need to
replace that.
Got to work.
Wow, look at that one.
And the colors.
Ted needs to not only have
the flamboyant visibility
Happening there, but he's got
to have the detail, as well.
Yeah, it's a kerry vincent rule
that your cake must be level.
And so I actually bring
a level and prove it.
Looks like an oklahoma cake.
I'm super-happy.
I'm proud because
I'm hopeful to be
In the top five at this point
based on what I've seen.
I haven't seen them all,
but based on what I've seen,
I think I'm there.
Bryson perkins won last year.
His cake was incredible.
And I'm sure he's gonna bring
an incredible cake
Again this year.
Aah!
Even this I'm shaking.
And I'm not gonna write,
"broken in transit."
I have to fix it because that's
what defending champions do.
No, no, I'm right here.
Yeah.
Here's what I got to watch
out for this year.
Ms. Susan trianos --
We've been friends
for quite a while now,
And she is
such a sweetheart,
But when it comes to
competition, she's fierce.
Kerplunk!
The thing I'm most proud
of about my cake
Is that it's clean.
She'll be hard-pressed
to find a flaw.
I'm really proud
of the pressure piping.
It's all white, but you can see
the details
Because of the shadows.
I think this is the front.
Yay!
I got my eye out
for rachel grady.
Rachel grady beat me
out last year.
Rachel, I'm coming for you.
So, I'm pretty proud of how
the string work turned out.
I'm hoping that this is
the thing
That the judges really think
is the "wow" factor.
I love the shaping.
I wish I'd had more time
to do it
A little more
precisely and neatly.
30 minutes!
30 minutes to finish up!
Vincent: This is the moment
where everything
Is hurry, hurry, hurry.
Contestants are pinning
their tables.
They've got to get
their cakes on.
There is no negotiation.
Mills:
Time is ticking down.
The competitors only have
a limited time
To set up their cakes.
In special wedding cake
tasting...
I have a secret weapon
for my tasting cake.
Without a doubt, I have
a very good shot of winning.
And the first place is...
Vincent:
The show attracts hugely
successful master sugar artists.
The judges have over 60 cakes
to evaluate.
In a nutshell,
I'm seeing some amazing work,
And I'm seeing some work
that needs work.
I don't think I'm gonna win.
I'm absolutely positive
I'm not gonna win.
The bulk of the work
was done in three days.
I have good intentions,
but I'm a procrastinator.
Vincent:
Cakes are judged on 10 criteria.
So it's quite complex.
It's really important to
incorporate a number of
sugar-art techniques.
You okay?
Yeah.
Boon:
This is when you start to find
out what you're up against.
I had reason to be worried.
I'm really proud of how fine
I got my petals this year.
I'm really happy
with my plaques.
I'm hoping their spacing is okay
Because at that time
in the morning,
I was not seeing
straight anymore.
But glad it's done.
In terms of competition,
I definitely think
Bryson is somebody
I need to watch out for.
He's excellent at what he does.
He's definitely one to watch.
Aah!
Do we have any drama?
-A little bit.
-Yeah, a little bit.
Ohh.
It's falling down,
But I can repair it.
Perkins: I would like to win
two years in a row, where,
To my knowledge,
most recent years,
No one has ever done it --
back to back.
Five minutes to close.
Five minutes, please.
Tetreault: The last of
the competitors are getting
Their cakes set up.
They're nervous.
Their anxiety is so high.
Name card up,
and we are all set.
I just have to walk away
and pray.
Well, now it's
in the judges' hands.
Alright. Thank you.
What number?
Some of the competitors today
are not only
In the infamous
wedding cake category,
But in the tasting category,
as well.
Has to be the best-tasting cake,
the best flavor ever.
Perryman: We're gonna be trying
probably around 30 cakes.
I'm gonna eat more cake today
than most people eat in a year.
This is a peruvian delight.
Lucuma pure.
Whoa,
they flew it in from peru.
I like the flavor of the cake.
That is nice.
Yeah, it's not too sweet.
A good cocoa flavor.
Even though it's a big cake,
I could eat
a whole slice of that.
Yes.
And I'd be fine.
Maybe two.
Caramel apple pear cake.
It's nice and moist.
Yeah, I'm sure all that fruit
in there has retained moisture.
Kept it moist.
Yeah.
The caramel almost
overpowers everything.
Yeah, it's so...
You can't even taste
the pear.
...Sweet that it covers up
the fruit on the inside,
And you can't taste
anything but caramel.
Everything was mixed well,
baked well.
Very fine crumb
on all the cakes.
The mousses have
individual flavors.
I love that strawberry
at the bottom, too.
That's really bright
and very refreshing.
It's probably my favorite part
of the cake
Is that little part down there.
Narrator:
While the tasting judges
make their deliberations,
Over at the grand national
wedding cake competition,
The sugar-art judges
get down to business.
It's going to be a hard day.
Overall, this cake has just
amazing "wow" factor.
Vincent: The judges will have to
be really thorough
Because the winner is going
to take home $30,000.
I love the shape of the board.
I love the coloring.
I love the shape
of the cake.
Tetreault:
There will be over 60 cakes
this year for us to judge.
It looks
a little bit frumpy.
They should stick to one or two
or three techniques
That they really know
how to do well.
When we judge this competition,
it's done blindly.
We have no idea
who the contestants are
Or which cake
they have entered.
This is a bit messy
down here.
Yeah, sadly, it is.
We will award points for
the neatness of decoration,
Interpretation of theme,
finish, creativity,
Skill, choice of colors,
And the difficulty
of techniques.
There are pins
in the cake.
Wow.
Oh, gosh!
[ laughs ]
oh, my goodness!
There are pins
in the cake.
Wow.
No, no, no, no!
How would you like
a pin?
Oh, gosh!
[ laughs ]
oh, my goodness.
Tetreault: Is that
a disqualification or a --
No, we don't disqualify.
-Okay.
-There's points off.
Points off.
Yeah, you don't leave pins
in cakes.
People might swallow them.
Alright.
Angela is an independent
little soul,
And she wants to be out
from underneath the shadow
Of the great ones that is
her grandmother and her mother.
We've got a headdress.
It looks like a bishop.
Yes, it does.
Mills:
A bishop's miter.
They used it in the vase.
Yeah.
That is very clever.
What do you think
of the stained glass?
Royal icing
run-out panels.
It's beautifully
piped in there.
You can see
some separation there.
A few faults
around the edge.
That would bring
that mark down a little bit.
Just a little bit.
Yeah.
Vincent: Rachel grady,
who was number two last year,
She has some
pretty fabulous work,
And I think sometimes
she doesn't really understand
Just quite how good she is.
Tetreault: So, this is the
inspiration -- the two plates.
The inspiration's
coming through.
Yes, yeah.
The floating extension work --
Very, very fine
and beautifully well executed.
Beautifully done.
This is well done.
And that's a hard skill to go
spiral around the cake
And get it so --
and also wavy.
And wavy.
Mills: Yeah.
Vincent: Bryson -- his theme
is grace kelly.
I think it reflects
the theme really well --
Grace kelly.
Yes.
I love the top piece,
Where you've got
the extension work right here,
And it really depicts
the headdress.
And the detail
of the castle.
You just see something new
every time you look at this.
Exquisite skills.
Some of the finest royal-icing
skills at the show.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And I think that sums
this one up.
Vincent: Chrissie boon, entered
the competition last year
For the first time
and was third runner-up.
So I would say that chrissie's
back with a vengeance.
And it looks stunning
against the blue background.
It does.
It really does.
The piping is really neat
around there.
If I'm going to be
really picky...
-Yeah?
-...I would say the plaques are
A little bit
on the thick side.
Mills: I can accept that
it can be that thickness.
I can accept the thickness.
It's got a "wow" factor.
Vincent: So, ted has placed well
in the past.
So I'm gonna be
interested to see
Where ted's coming with that.
There's a couple things
that stand out immediately.
This embroidery work on
the bottom looks a little messy.
The cylinder that
they've created down here
Does hide the detail
they've got on the tier behind.
It's not the most beautiful
part of the cake.
No, no.
No.
You've got dainty lace work,
and then you've got the heavy --
Heavy lace work.
Oh, my.
The plate isn't finished
underneath.
Oh, no.
It's just --
Ohh!
Vincent:
Susan's work is impeccable.
Very clean.
Susan has some really
refined skill sets,
And if she gets the right design
and she pulls it off,
I think that there's
a possibility for her.
Tetreault: When I first looked
at this from a distance,
I thought they were molded.
-Yeah.
And it wasn't until
I got up close
That I realized
that was all hand-piped.
I really could have one of these
olives in my martini.
Yes, you could.
They've used five techniques,
and they're all expertly piped.
Beautifully done.
It's just
a spectacular piece.
I mean,
the colors are vibrant.
And the execution of the skills
that they've chosen to use.
Skills are -- yeah.
Yeah.
Tetreault: So, we've finished
all of the cakes.
This has been one of
the toughest competitions
I've ever judged.
It's down to 0.3 of a mark.
Yes. I think we really need to
go back and look at those again.
Let's go.
-Yeah.
Let's go and put
fresh eyes on it.
Yeah.
This is the longest time
the judges took to adjudicate
To find out
who the winners were.
Vincent: So now, it's the moment
of truth.
Narrator: Who will take home
the $30,000 prize
In the grand national wedding
cake competition?
[ applause ]
This is the silver anniversary
Of the oklahoma state sugar
art show
And the grand national
wedding cake competition.
[ cheers and applause ]
Tetreault:
One of my favorite parts of this
show is the awards ceremony.
You can feel the tension.
The air is thick.
Everybody is so excited.
There is so much anxiety
from the contestants.
I need to be
in the top 10 for me.
I know I'm going to win.
$30,000 is a lot of money.
Perkins: No one has ever done it
back to back,
And I want to be that guy.
I am so nervous.
They want to be the best.
There's nothing better
than walking up
And getting that blue ribbon.
And here we go.
The special wedding cake
tasting third place --
Pamela heun.
[ applause ]
Angela barry, second place.
[ cheers and applause ]
Oh, you did
a good bake!
Apparently!
Yeah.
Barry: I was so excited about
my second place
In the cake tasting competition.
I felt like I put peru
in the spotlight.
And the first place is...
Ted scutti.
[ cheers and applause ]
You are welcome.
Ted's baking cake was big
and bold and delicious,
Just like ted.
So, now we move
into serious territory --
The grand national wedding
cake competition.
[ cheers and applause ]
The winner is...
So, now we move
into serious territory.
When I get serious,
I don't smile much.
You all know that.
The grand national wedding
cake competition.
Trianos:
I'm a little freaked out.
This is definitely
the stiffest competition.
There are probably 10 people
I'm really nervous about.
Boon: Let's be honest.
$30,000 is a lot of money.
That's a game changer.
10th runner-up.
Rachel grady.
[ cheers and applause ]
I'm thrilled.
I really wanted to stay
in the top 10 again.
So, managed that.
Vincent:
I think the thing that probably
let rachel down a little bit
Was the fact that she kept
the spiral extension work
Too far apart.
Grady:
This show is why I cake still.
This is what I love about cakes.
Marika cooper swick
from the netherlands.
[ cheers and applause ]
Narrator: Most of the
competitors spent
The entire year,
hundreds of hours invested,
And they're desperate to place
in the top 10.
Lori cossou.
Narrator: With every name
called, that's one less spot
For competitors
to place in the competition.
And our fifth runner-up is...
Edith hall.
[ cheers and applause ]
Narrator: There are only five
places left in the top 10.
The tension is palpable.
Pamela heun.
[ cheers and applause ]
Nancy lagomarsino,
third runner-up.
Narrator:
With only a few spots left,
The stress is
at an all-time high.
Chrissie boon,
Second runner-up.
Thank you for making the trip.
Thank you.
You've done well.
-Yay, chrissie!
-Yay!
Boon: I had no expectation after
seeing what was out there
Of making the top 10, let alone
getting second runner-up.
I'm in shock, shaking.
Vincent:
Now it's time to announce
who the top two finalists are.
Scutti: And anyone who is anyone
knows that a win at oklahoma
Is truly a lifetime
accomplishment.
Trianos: If you can do well
here, it really means
You've come
a long way in your career.
Perkins: To my knowledge, no one
has won the grand prize
Two years in a row,
and I want to be that guy.
Barry: Through the different
years that I've competed,
I've been a finalist,
but this year,
I would love to win.
I am so nervous about it.
So, now I need...
Bryson perkins
and susan trianos.
[ cheers and applause ]
Scutti: I would have liked to be
in the top five,
But I won the baking piece,
And I take it
as a tremendous honor.
Barry: I placed 11th.
Being recognized by all these
people that you admire,
That is just a prize in itself.
[ cheers and applause ]
So, now, it's time for me
to declare the winner
Of the grand national wedding
cake competition.
[ cheers and applause ]
Narrator: The judges thought
susan's cake was a standout
Due to the multiple
techniques she executed,
And her work was clean.
Bryson's intricate hand-piping
Is some of the best
in this competition.
So choosing a winner
between these two
Was extremely difficult
for the judges.
The winner of the grand national
in this 25th year is...
...Susan trianos.
[ cheers and applause ]
Taking it home to canada.
[ cheers and applause continue ]
Trianos: I've been doing this
for 32 years, and this is it.
This is -- I did it.
Vincent:
I think susan had probably
one of the cleanest cakes
I've seen in a long time.
Also, I like
the color combination.
It was really quite exquisite.
[ cheers and applause ]
Trianos: I'm numb.
I thought this year
I totally flaked.
And then it was
just bryson and I,
And when we were
standing up there,
I thought there was no way
that I could beat that cake.
My mom is the most
special person in the world,
And I'm taking her on a trip!
This year's show is one
of the best we've ever had.
And it's a wrap!
[ laughs ]