Cupcake Wars: Wedding Woes

Show: Cupcake Wars

Cupcake Wars judge Candace Nelson is the founder and pastry chef of Sprinkles Cupcakes , the world's first cupcake bakery. She joins us on the FN Dish each week to recap all the sweet details of the competition from her seat at the judges' table. Here's what she had to say about last night's episode, Wedding Planner.

If I had a fledgling bakery, I would kill to get in front of someone like Mindy Weiss. She's planned every A-list wedding in Hollywood. On last night’s episode, Mindy came to help crown the next Cupcake Wars winner, so the stakes for these bakers were high.

In fact, the pressure for Melissa proved too much, and my heart went out to her when her caramel bottle exploded in round one and she was unable to complete the challenge. Florian and I applauded her for having the instinct to take a risk and work with an exotic and memorable ingredient like saffron, but when we received our cupcakes without frosting, we had no choice but to send her home.

Round two was similarly clear-cut. Sheila did not put her best foot forward, with decorations better suited for a casual shower than an elegant wedding. However, in round three, our jobs weren’t so easy. Both Jean and Andrea's displays were beautiful. Andrea's screamed outdoor wedding and rustic wine country elegance whereas Jean's possessed a contemporary zen, perfect for a high-end hotel ballroom.

Florian, Mindy and I had to deliberate for longer than normal, but in the end, the lush colors and personalized cupcakes as well as her consistent theme throughout the day meant Andrea was the winner!

Bake up a batch of Andrea’s winning Raspberry Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Frosting and check out FoodNetwork.com for more about Cupcake Wars, plus dozens of our best cupcake recipes .

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