Jen Kwapinski, the owner of Jen's Cakes in downtown Willow Glen, escaped elimination on the first episode of the new season of "Cake Boss: Next Great Baker." The 32-year-old graduate of the California Culinary Academy was part of the losing team for the first Elimination Challenge of the third season, but she will continue on to the next round with eleven of the original thirteen contestants.
Kwapinski's entrant into the Baker's Challenge for the episode "Game On!" was a white chocolate brownie with raspberries and almonds, which judge Buddy Valastro deemed too "boring" to bother tasting. In comparison, the winner of the event was Chad Durkin's Chambord-and-chocolate ganache torte with a pistachio crust. Durkin's prize was to choose his team for the Elimination Challenge, and he decided to work with Emme Tyler, James Brown, and Kwapinski, believing them to be the strongest group. Their task was to design a groom's cake for Mario Lopez, who will wed Courtney Mazza on December 1. Lopez requested a cake which would embrace the Mexican culture, and teams had seven hours to create a three-foot-tall masterpiece.
Kwapinski, who is used to being the boss, was skeptical of Tyler's confidence throughout the competition, which was the leading factor in Tyler being eliminated by Valastro. Though Kwapinski initially suggested Brown to be the weakest link because a structure he created was not as supportive as it needed to be, Durkin and Brown believed Tyler's constant questioning of her responsibilities was a bigger problem, and Kwapinski changed her mind to agree.
With Kwapinski's brownie not impressing Valastro and her first team piece being deemed "amateur," she has her work cut out for her if she wants to win the $100,000 and the chance to be the next intern at Carlo's Bakery.
