The Challenge
So by now you’ve all seen the Food Network Challenge… I want to first say thank you to all that have sent emails, blog comments, text messages and phone calls…sharing your support! I truly appreciate knowing that you are out there enjoying what I and Pink Cake Box produce!
After living the real life 8 hour challenge, and then watching it on tv…my comments are below 
1) I do realize there is no crying in cake But sometimes there is…
2) At the time, I made the decision to do as the client wanted…even though in theory she wasn’t a client…and it was a challenge….but in real life I always try to make the bride happy!
3) In the end, I was upset because I didn’t stay true to my work (i.e. it wasn’t as clean as I would like, nor was the color scheme very cohesive, etc) and the result was that my cake looked terrible…and the judges called me on it.
So that’s it in a nutshell. It was a great learning experience..I do feel I did a lot better in the 2nd one…and I can promise I don’t normally cry when I make wedding cakes. : )
Thanks again to my family and friends for sharing your warm wishes with me!!!
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I missed the challenge. Hopefully I can catch it on repeat. Thanks for dropping by my blog.
Best Wishes,
Andria
We were so excited that the challenge finally came on! I think it was a terrible idea for a challenge, but I guess they have to keep trying new things to make the show, whatever. I still think your cake looked great and that your bride was a big horse’s rear end. I think your cakes are the best and we are looking forward to the next challenge!
You were great! It was fun seeing you in action. We all know your work is incredible and I know you will do great on the next challenge. Keep up the great work and keeping us inspired!
I found the show while flipping channels Sunday night. I first want to say that the bride was a “you know what!” I felt so bad for you. I agree with one of t he other posters that they should have offered the cake decorators the option to leave the bride.
I am lucky enough to get to see your awesome work all the time through your daily blog – and even luckier that I get to see some of it in person (while peeking in your window in town).
Can’t wait to see you rock the next challenge!
Anne,
I had been looking forward to seeing you on the Challenge since you announced your involvement a few months ago. (even set the DVR to record so I wouldn’t miss it!)
My family and I all cheered for you and applauded you for being the ONLY contestant to consider and provide the bride’s requests. You should be proud of yourself! We certainly are! And we look forward to seeing you competing in the next one! We’ll record it again and be cheering away!
Awesome Job! You have lots of fans!
-Jennifer (and family) in Utah
Anne… you rocked the challenge regardless! They should have given more points for the chef’s classiness and sophistication (you won hands down). Watched it with a few people from Ktown and we were boo-ing the judges and totally cheering for you out loud (there was a little wine involved… ok a lot of wine!). It was really entertaining and fun to see you in the spotlight… Can’t wait till the next one!
Anne… you rocked the challenge regardless! They should have given more points for the chef’s classiness and sophistication (you won hands down). Watched it with a few people from Ktown and we were boo-ing the judges and totally cheering for you out loud (there was a little wine involved… ok a lot of wine!). It was really entertaining and fun to see you in the spotlight… Can’t wait till the next one!
Anne,
I think you did a great job. What a challenge! It must have been hard to have the bride as your assistance. I can’t wait to see you again on Food Network Challenge.
You are so right. I have spent many nights in tears having to regroup and stick to my strengths. I am so happy that others have experienced this cake drama and lived to tell about it. Great job! Making cakes is my love, but not my life. I have to remember to put it into perspective sometimes! LOL. Steph
Anne,
I’ve been following your blog for a while now. I also saw you at the cake show this weekend. I loved the fairy sleeping on the mushroom! I felt awful for you when I watched this competition. You did just what the bride wanted, unlike any of the other competitors. She was awful and very mean. I hope this does not discourage you from future competitions. You are awesome and an inspiration to a new cake decorator such as myself.
Wow Anne you did awesome! If anything brides could see that you are a decorator who will listen and not a dictator.
I’ve seen you for a year or so on Flickr and i’m really happy 4 u you’ve come so far.
Keep it up, your fan from Jamaica
Hi Anne,
Being in Texas I was not familiar with your work when I saw you on the Challenge. I could tell that you are a very talented cake artist, although the bride’s ‘vision’ didn’t give you much to work with. I’ve been browsing through the gallery on your site and, just as I thought, you are one of the most talented cake and cookie designers I’ve ever seen. I am very much looking forward to seeing your work on future challenges that will allow you to work your own magic. I have no doubt we will soon see you holding the ‘big check’. I will be pulling for you!
Hi Anne,
I got to see the replay of your challenge yesterday – everyone has already said what I would have said, but I still just wanted to say YOU ROCK and I CANNOT WAIT to see you on another challenge! You are the only cake blog I subscribe to (well, other than Cake Wrecks, LOL) and I love EVERYTHING you share. It was so neat getting to actually put the face and personality of my favorite cake artist with all of these amazing cakes! You did not disappoint one bit!!
I am catching the show for the first time right now!! I am 15 mins in to the show and had to log on to comment!! No matter the outcome I am loving seeing you on the show!! When is the next one? Can’t wait!!
Hey Anne!
I just finished watching you on the food network challenge and I wanted to post a message for you here. I have been following you and your amazing creations on your blog for a long time now and I think you are realllly talented. If you had been given free creative reign you would have knocked all of those other bakers out of the park, seriously. Your style is amazing and that bride did not know what a gift she was given by getting you as her baker! I hope that you do the show again and get to showcase your extraordinary talent!
Kat
Hi Anne,
I have been an avid blog follower of yours since I started cake decorating last year, and I have to say I was very excited to see you on the Food Network’s Challenge! I felt so very sad for you, not because of the outcome, but because I thought you did an amazing job for your first time and no one got to see what you REALLY do! Both my husband and I agreed that that bride was crazy, and HE was the one who told me i just HAD to write you a comment to tell you how great you are! I absolutely love your work and you have been one of my inspirations since day 1. Just know that the people who do know your work are rooting for you all the way! (And I only WISH I was that bride!!) Keep up the awesome work and can’t wait to see the next Challenge!!
Aly Bonafede
Hi Anne,
You are truly someone that I look up to. I have never had a role model before, but I have found one in you.
And when I saw you on the Food Network Challange, I was so excited!
That was a really hard challange to do. They threw in soooo many road blocks!
I think you did a great job. You did exactly what the bride wanted. It’s too bad you got her as the bride. She really didn’t know what she wanted.
You would have blown the socks off everyone if you got a normal bride!!! : ) And it was nice to see a challenger who smiled and seemed truly excited to be there!
I can’t wait to see the next food challange that you are on… i have it marked on my calender! i wouldn’t miss it for the world!
Anne thank you for inspiring me and all of your fans.
Kelly
Anne, I was SO EXCITED to see you on TV. you are my favorite cake artist. I was so sad to see that you had a very difficult bride to work with. I understand how aggravating it must have been for you. I kept telling my boyfriend throughout the entire episode.. “she is so much better than this.. This girl (bride) is ruining the cake! Anne could do so much better.”
You really are wonderful and I can’t wait to see you on challenge again. I want you to take that big check home. You Rock!!!!
Question.. what do you do with the cakes that don’t win… can you eat them in the end? I’ve always wondered!!
Anne,
I love your work…and yes I saw the challenge…here’s the thing: YOU are the only one who took whatever pre conceived notion of what you were going to do and threw it out the window…I think that should have been a prerequisite for all of the participants. Honestly…your little “assistant”, I don’t think, painted herself in a very good light…she insisted on the cake…and then spent the next 60 min (condensed for tv of course) talking bad about it. Her design was bad,
your execution was lovely…Chin up ole girl!
Thanks to everyone for your comments of support…I really appreciate all of your kind words….it makes the whole experience that much better!
Hello Anne,
I so enjoyed seeing you on cake challenge…and thank you for the kindness you showed your client. You put her desires above your own success….which was evidence of your care and professionalism. You are my favorite cake designer!! I love your blog and website!!
i haven’t seen this yet!! i hope it airs soon in canada, or airs again if i missed it…!!!
Hi Anne,
I FINALLY got to see this Bride cake that you made on the Food Network Challenge. I watched it with my Husband & seriously was almost bought to tears seeing that you were on the show. I was so proud of you!!!! I was upset that you got so down on yourself, as you have made a cake for me (Poker Chips Grooms Cake) in the past & I KNOW your gorgeous work. I felt you got robbed & had such a difficult Bride to work with & it was her idea you decided to go with to make her happy!!! Uuugghhh, anyway, just wanted to let you know I was rootin’ for you & will have to YouTube the other challenge you were on. Good Luck to you in your future Food Network Challenges – you DEFINITELY deserve to win!!!!
Anne, I saw this last month and I thought you did a fantastic job. I loved that you listened to your bride and gave her exactly what she wanted, instead of forcing her to fit into your pre-conceived cake design. I’m sorry she changed her mind about it. You did an amazing job. I was very impressed by it. It just goes to show how amazing you are. I come here any time i need inspiration for a cake i’m going to bake. Love your work!
Staci
Hi. I am 14 years old and my dream is to do what you do. I love to bake cakes and decorate them also. I really like how you design your cakes. I want to work with you and your staff when I get older. My mom also wants me to work some were close to home. Great Job and keep doing what you are doing.
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for your comment and compliments! I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your dreams