Sugar Rush Season 2 challenges four families of bakers to fight the clock and win a grand prize. We review episode three—Family That Bakes Together.
It’s a family affair in the third episode of Netflix’s Sugar Rush Season 2. The four teams competing in this episode are all related to each other, but will that help them get the coveted grand prize of $10,000?
Especially when they first have to wow show judges Candace Nelson—owner of Sprinkles Cupcakes—and baker extraordinaire, Adriano Zumbo, along with guests judge, TV personality and author Carla Hall.
Round 1
The first round of this family-themed episode of Sugar Rush Season 2 sees the contestants baking their pets in cupcake form.
The first team to finish in this round were Christine and her son, Nick, who own a bakery together. Their yoghurt, cardamom, and pistachio cupcake was inspired by their pet dog, Leia. The judges loved the presentation but the flavour and texture weren’t quite up to scratch.
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The second team to finish were siblings Andrew and Sarah, who work together in a restaurant. Their dark chocolate cupcake was an homage to Sarah’s cat, Chloe. The judges adored the taste and the texture—they could barely stop eating their cupcakes.
Team three were married couple Brie and Mariston. Their puppy, Vegas, was the inspiration for their cookie butter cupcakes. Though they had trouble with their buttercream, the duo’s cupcake presentation and light crumb wowed the judges.
The final team to finish were mother-daughter duo, Valeria and Vicki, and they were also making a dark chocolate cupcake with fresh raspberry filling for their family’s late dog, Odin. The judges loved the flavours, but the presentation was a bit sloppy and the cookie base was too hard to eat.
The winners of this round were unsurprisingly Andrew and Sarah, whereas Vicki and Valeria ended up being eliminated.
Round 2
In the second round of this episode of Sugar Rush Season 2, the competitors were asked to create a brand new confection based on a family recipe that had been passed down over the generations.
Once again, Christine and Nick were the first to finish—not surprising, considering the head start they had from round one. They used Christine’s grandmother’s custard recipe as the base for their pastry confection. The judges loved the textures and the flavours, but Nelson found the crust a bit thick.
Brie and Mariston finished next. They had incorporated their families’ sweet potato pie and pecan pie into one flavourful pie. The judges loved the idea, but they found the nutmeg overpowering and the crust was underdone.
Andrew and Sarah were the last to finish. They had combined their family’s Christmas sandwich cookies and pecan pie into a purple French macaroon. But Zumbo, the king of macaroons, found their product too large, flat, and chewy. Hall thought it was fun and delicious, though.
Nick and Christine won this round with their well put together dessert. Unfortunately, Brie and Mariston’s technical issues saw them eliminated.
Round 3
For the deciding round of this episode of Sugar Rush Season 2, the judges asked the contestants to bake a cake that represented, and tasted, like a family vacation.
Andrew and Sarah had got to the third round by the skin of their teeth, and with the least amount of time to work with. But that didn’t stop these determined siblings from coming out all guns blazing for their beach house cake, inspired by their vacation in North Carolina. The vanilla and orange cake, with rum and coconut buttercream was delicious but the rum wasn’t strong enough for the judges, and they all agreed that the coconut should not have been toasted.
Christine and Nick made a raspberry cake with lemon custard cream for their Big Ben cake. Their fondant work wasn’t very clean but the judges applauded their ambition. They also loved the flavours but would have liked if the almonds had been toasted.
When it came time to judging, each team won a vote each, leaving Hall to make the deciding vote—Andrew and Sarah.
Final Thoughts
The third episode of Sugar Rush Season 2 was full of nostalgia and fun. The teams were competitive and creative, and even though it looked like one team were ahead for the most part, the competition was stiff. The final round was tense and exciting, which made for a great viewing experience.