Episode six of Koekedoor Season 2 on Thursday evening was full of music, ranging from Chopsticks as an introduction, played by Koekedoor judge Tiaan Langenegger, to dramatic opera music.

Judge Elizabeth Cloete was nostalgic about music evenings linked to one’s school years, which were associated with music lessons, Eisteddfods, and school concerts. Judge Mari-Louis thought more of food, and the snacks served after school concerts.

 1.  Tuisgebak/Homebake

The contestants’ first musical challenge was to bake 12 cupcakes in black and white, representing the keys of the piano, and were given 2 hours to complete the challenge.

While they were preparing their cupcakes, the contestants spoke about their musical history, Tara recalling her piano lesson ‘trauma’. Wilandi also did piano lessons at school, while Kanya was recommended to take tennis and ballet lessons instead of music.

Sanet bakes cupcakes daily for her business, and she was clearly happy to make something she bakes so regularly. Anja made black velvet cupcakes, with cream cheese icing, topped with musical notes. She made a hole in her cupcakes, adding a cheesecake filling, and topped her cupcakes with musical keys and notes.

Corli made black and white cupcakes with Italian meringue icing and black fondant music notes; Kanya made dark chocolate cupcakes with amarula syrup and white chocolate mousse; Sanet made buttermilk cupcakes with cheesecake filling and cream cheese icing; while Wilandi made chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow frosting and black splashes.

The challenge was to get the icing as black as possible, to match the piano keys.  Corli used aniseed flavoring to achieve this, while Tara creatively added a musical touch to her cupcakes by adding the liqueur Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Wessels wanted to make ‘ystervarkies‘ (lamingtons) style cupcakes, using coconuts and rum for his cupcakes, and was praised by the judges for the surprise addition of coconut.

2.   Fyngebak/Advanced Technique Challenge

The challenge was to create the Opera Cake, created by judge Mari-Louis, with only a recipe and 4½ hours, without having seen it before. It is a six layer cake, using French butter cream made from egg yolks. The judges said that they were not looking for any opera flops. Each contestant had been allocated an opera for inspiration, for example  Wessels Madame Butterfly, Sanet The Magic Flute, Kanya Turandot, Corli La Boheme, Wilandi Tosca, and Anja Carmen. While the contestants battled to bake their Opera Cakes, excerpts of the operas were played, being dramatic background music.

Not all went well in the baking, Tara not having read her recipe correctly and her top layer having set too much, Anja saying that there was chaos in her opera house, Sanet’s meringue broke, Wessels’ top layer looked like Sta Soft he said of it himself, and Corli had too much jam.

3.   Pronkgebak/Flaunt It Challenge

The last challenge was to make a modern day Pavlova in honour of Anna Pavlova, the first traveling ballet dancer. The judges were looking for a ‘pronk‘ Pavlova.

Sanet said that a Pavlova meringue needs a soft centre, created with Maizena, and vinegar. She received praise for her fig topping of the Pavlova. Tara was hacking at a coconut to try to open it, but how exactly it was used in her creation was not clear.  Anja created a visual of a ballerina on a plate, the skirt made with meringue. While the judges liked it visually, they said that it was not on brief.  Wessels created the dying swan in his work, from meringue. Tara used sugar work to represent the lightness of a ballerina.

The judges selected Tara (very relieved), Kanya, and Sanet as the top three contestants, and Sanet as the winner of the episode and the prima ballerina, praising her for how well she plays with flavours and textures.

The bottom three were Wessels, receiving feedback that he does not always finish his work neatly; Wilandi; and Anja, who had to leave the reality TV show.

It was lovely seeing judge Mari-Louis Guy in action in the episode on Thursday evening, after having spent time with her and her brother Callie Maritz the day before.

Koekedoor, kykNET, channel 144 on DStv. Thursdays 20h30 – 21h30. www.kyknet.dstv.com Twitter: @Koekedoor

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whalecottage.com/blog  Tel 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein