Carrie White Cupcake:

Chef Sydney did not disappoint. She presented a pumpkin spice and everything nice cupcake with a cream cheese frosting. Aesthetically, the cupcakes had a balanced fluffy appearance and the presented desserts had near symmetrical concentric spirals of frosting and were dusted with a cinnamon sugar accent. After the first bite, my palette was treated to the moist and spongy cake with a strong pumpkin kick; however, the pumpkin was nicely accentuated by the creamy and delectable cream cheese frosting. I did have one critique, upon unwrapping the treat I noticed my hand was covered with a fine, gritty powder. I suspected it was simply excess cinnamon sugar but my mind could only imagine the worst. In essence, Chef Sydney demonstrated her superior skill in decorating, flavor, and cake texture.

Michael Myers Bundt Cake:

Chef Lucia exhibited a wonderful pumpkin bundt cake with a rich cinnamon glaze. The presentation was about as nice as any bundt cake could get, round, and a hole in the center. The lacking presentation was made up in the flavor department, her blend of organic pumpkin, deluxe spices, and herbs coalesced into a magnificent composition of savory goodness. The cinnamon glaze brought the pumpkin flavor to life and accentuated the cake nicely, but none of this came without a price. The texture of the bundt cake was good, but not great. It was — moist. Too moist. In the end, Chef Lucia did her best to bring us a damp, yet delectable piece of fall flavor.

Carrie White Cupcake:

Sydney cupcakes took a really adorable form and looked very autumnal with a sprinkle of cinnamon adorning each. However, the frosting beneath the cinnamon was minorly disappointing. As a big fan of cream cheese frosting, I hoped for a fluffy, light frosting that can be accomplished with a lot of practice, but this frosting was too dense and gritty for my taste. Luckily, the cupcake was saved by a really phenomenal cake, which although not quite as moist as the bundt cake, had a lot of flavors and different textures within it. These cupcakes are a recipe for fun and are great for any fall parties or events. And although the frosting’s texture was the dealbreaker for me, Sydney created a very pleasing and interesting take on a traditional pumpkin flavor.

Michael Myers Bundt Cake:

Lucia’s bundt cake was a refreshing take on pumpkin flavors that we see throughout autumn in lattes, pies, and even Pop-Tarts. The presentation was classic and seemed easy to recreate. Although the other judged seemed to frown upon the texture, the moistness of the cake was what separated it from a lot of bundt cakes which are dry and dense. In recreating the recipe, though, evenness of texture inside the cake would be a challenge to keep in mind. The glaze on top complimented the presence of some spice within the cake. Although there were some spices and herbs in the cake, the pumpkin shined through but didn’t feel unnatural or forced, like in many manufactured pumpkin-flavored products. Lucia overall pulled off a really nice twist on a timeless cake that is sure to please a wide variety of pallets and tastes.