Spring Baking Championship season 9 episode 8: Love around the world

Spring Baking Championship season 9 was back on Food Network this week with episode 8. And this week it was all about love and desserts from around the world. The remaining bakers had to add international flavors to their bakes.

It all started with the Pre-Heat! The bakers had to combine a classic American dessert with a dessert from another country. What were the combos? Josh got red velvet cake and eclairs, Molly got Boston Cream Pie and macaroons, Clement received churros and apple pie (I would happily die for this combo), Luke chose tiramisu and blondies, and Christian received bananas foster and cannolis.

Nothing too horrible occurred but Molly’s macaroon dessert did not bake right and she had to turn her Boston Cream Pie-inspired sweet treat t into a deconstructed creation. It still tasted good according to the judges but it didn’t look great.

But who won this round? That was Josh! This was his first win. His red velvet eclairs looked amazing!

Spring Baking Championship went international this week

On to the Main Heat! In this challenge, the bakers had to make cheesecakes with spices or flavors from different countries. Because Josh won the Pre-Heat, he got to pick his option while the rest of the bakers had to run to get the one they wanted. Josh picked Mexico which came with hibiscus and lime.

Molly got Japan with matcha and black sesame, Luke chose India with cardamom and turmeric, Christian picked up Italy with olive oil and blood orange, and Clement got Brazil with guava and pink peppercorn.

This was not a good challenge for the resident Frenchman, Clement. He didn’t have as much experience with cheesecake and he had to rely on other bakers to know when his cheesecake was done. It ended up tasting amazing but the texture was off.

While Josh seemed to do well, the judges thought he played it safe with how he incorporated his flavors. He also happened to use feuilletine flakes in his crust and that was not a good idea. It made the crust chewy and soggy.

But who won this round? It was Luke! His Holi-inspired Indian cheesecake was as colorful as it was flavorful! Molly and Christian were also safe which put Clement and Josh in the bottom two.

But which one of the guys went home? It was, unfortunately, Josh. His Pre-Heat win didn’t save him.

Next week is the semi-finals and the remaining bakers will have to create bouquets of (sweet) tulips as well as rose-infused desserts.

What did you think of this week’s episode? What was your favorite dessert? Let us know in the comments below!