Winner Bakes All by Sheryl Berk

Author:Sheryl Berk
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2013-01-07T05:00:00+00:00

As the cupcake club scrambled to figure out their recipe, the rest of the bakers in the battle were also struggling.

“I said I wanted fresh mozzarella,” Benny shouted, throwing shredded cheese at one of his assistants as the cameraman zoomed in for a close-up. “How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Is he making a pizza or a cupcake?” Jenna asked.

“And those sisters do nothing but fight!” Lexi pointed out.

Cece and Chloe were having a tug-of-war in the middle of their kitchen as Mr. Goldberg, the associate producer, instructed the sound technicians to make sure they were catching every word.

“I’m making the frosting,” Cece yelled, grabbing a pink bowl out of Chloe’s hands. “Mommy says I make the best frosting!”

“Mommy always likes your cupcakes better than mine!” whined Chloe. “But this time I’m doing the frosting!”

“OMG, did you say these people were professionals?” Delaney asked. “They sound more like little kids in the school yard!”

“It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing,” Kylie said, trying to focus her team. Then she spotted Dina whipping up her signature tofu frosting…and pouring in pickle juice! “Did you guys see that? What is she doing?”

Sadie stepped in and took charge. “Guys, Kylie’s right. We have to concentrate on our cupcake!”

“We want this dark chocolate cupcake to have some fire to it,” Jenna said. She carefully measured one-eighth of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and gently mixed it into the batter. “This should do it.”

“Are you sure?” Kylie asked. “I mean, are you positive it’s not going to set the judges mouths on fire?”

“Remember what Benny told me,” Sadie cautioned. “It has to have a little zip and zing…or was it zing and zip? I can’t remember!”

“I tasted it three times…it’s great,” Jenna insisted.

“But does it need to be hotter?” Lexi chimed in. “Sometimes the judges complain they can’t taste the heat.”

Jenna stepped back from the bowl. “A little faith, please?” she said. “I am the official PLC taster, sí?”

“Jenna’s right,” Kylie said. “We have to get these cupcakes into the oven. We can’t second-guess everything.”

“Maybe just a pinch more cinnamon?” Sadie pleaded. “My dad’s chili is really spicy.”

Jenna nodded, sprinkled in a pinch more cinnamon, a dash more cayenne, and took a final taste. “Vámanos!” she said. “To the oven!”

While they waited for the cupcakes to bake, Lexi and Delaney sculpted tiny fondant chili peppers, and Kylie and Sadie mixed the cinnamon cream-cheese frosting.

“Do we want creamy or whippy?” Kylie pondered, turning on the mixer.

“Definitely whippy,” Jenna called. “The lighter and airier, the more it will balance out the richness of the cake.”

“Fiero always likes it when frosting melts on his tongue,” Sadie recalled. “He said so in at least six episodes.”

“Whippy it is!” said Kylie, cranking the mixer to its highest setting.

•••

“Bakers…twenty minutes is all you’ve got! Will your cupcakes be cool or not so hot?” Jerry called.

“Okay, now that guy is getting on my nerves!” Jenna exclaimed. She stood at the oven door, watching the cupcakes rise. “They have to be the perfect, spongy, moist consistency.

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