Mauro Meets his Fear at the State Fair

The new season of Cake Boss churned along with two new episodes Monday. The first of the night took Buddy to visit the Meadowlands State Fair.

“I love the Ferris wheel,” Buddy says. “Some people are scared, I'm not gonna say who,” he says, looking at Mauro.

Big Mauro says he's been afraid of heights since he was a kid. “I've never been comfortable with looking down and seeing people this small,” he says. That's actually the same view he's got looking down at people while he's on the ground.

Buddy meets Al, his client who wants a cake to celebrate the fair's 25th anniversary. Al wants it to have a spinning Ferris wheel. Buddy starts to say no, but Mauro says yes. “You're going to figure it out, I ain't got time,” Buddy says.

At the bakery, Buddy checks again with Mauro about making the wheel spin. “What happens if you don't make it spin, I'm gonna take a rap for it then,” Buddy says. He always talks about trusting his guys, yet this time he won't trust Mauro?”

Buddy offers him a bet. If Mauro can't make the wheel spin, he has to face his fear and ride the Ferris wheel. Mauro is confident he won't have to.

Back at Carlo's, Joey wants to make a cake for his son Rob, who just got accepted to Syracuse. Joey talks to his son about how he's having trouble deciding whether to stay at the bakery or keep his other job with the fire department. “At the end of the day I gotta do what pays the bills,” Joey says.

The Syracuse cake will tell the story of Rob's life with family photos, a figurine of him on his high school wrestling team and the university's orange and blue colors.

Meanwhile, Lisa comes to the factory to see Buddy. She wants to know the secret he has planned for when they renew their wedding vows for their tenth anniversary. Lisa tries the old “I need to know what I have to wear” trick.

“Whatever dress you get it's gonna work,” Buddy says. That's the veteran move of a man who has survived ten years of marriage. He tells her the wedding will be simple with just the two of them and the kids.

The carnival cake is coming along. To celebrate Mauro and Frankie exchange an awkward high-five.

To make the wheel spin, Mauro calls Drew, Buddy's special effects guy. The chances of this cake now involving weapons grade fireworks have gone up significantly.

Rob's cake is done, but Buddy's sisters other than Grace are miffed that they're not in any of the photos. “I practically breastfed him,” Mary says (yikes). “I cooked more for him than for my own kids.” Buddy jokes to Joey that he hurt everybody's feelings. The censor covers some cuss words.

Mauro presents the spinning wheel to Buddy, who calls shenanigans. He knows Drew made the wheel spin. Mauro says that shouldn't matter. Buddy says he won the bet and that Mauro has to ride the Ferris wheel. Mauro says no way. They're about two seconds away from settling this with Judge Judy.

“You lost the bet, you're going on the Ferris wheel,” Buddy says. “How could you even be scared of a Ferris wheel anyway?” Of course Buddy is going to get his way on this.

Joey redecorates Rob's cake with more photos to appease the family. The family gathers for a party at Joey and Grace's house. Grace is wearing a solid orange dress in honor of Syracuse. She's going to be one of those moms. Rob appreciates his father's gesture.

The episode closes with Buddy and the crew delivering the cake to the fair. First, Mauro pays off the bet and rides the wheel with his son. He's nervous enough to mutter a couple of censored words during the ride, but he makes it out alive.

Everyone at the fair loves the cake. As the credits roll, Buddy, Lisa and the kids cheer seated in roller coaster car careening around its track.