The Wrong Baker Goes Home

It's Christmas time on the Cake Boss spinoff Next Great Baker.

Danny enters the kitchen wearing a Santa outfit and a scowl. “Ho..ho...ho...,” he says with the energy of a slug crawling on sandpaper.

Then Buddy enters. “Christmas time at Carlo's Bakery is go time,” he tells the bakers. For their baker's challenge the contestants will have to make their best holiday desert.

Carmelo is making rice pudding, and Heather M. is making baklava. Wesley is making peach cobbler. “I want to give Buddy a little taste of the south,” he says. Good luck with that. Remember in episode one Wesley used a box cake mix.

Buddy enters to judge with Cousin Anthony. Anthony walks in with purpose. Seeing him in his baker's apron and in a position of authority is like those post-shark jump Happy Days episodes when Fonzie cleaned up and started teaching.

Buddy is disappointed in Nadine's parfait. It's a little burnt. Even Anthony knows not to burn the pecans.

He likes Wesley's peach cobbler, but not Heather M.'s baklava. But overall Buddy says this is the best baker's challenge ever. Heather G, Wesley and Chad are the top three, and Buddy gives the first prize to Chad.

Chad gets to pick his teammates for the elimination challenge, and he chooses Megan and Marissa. Wesley then takes Carmelo and Ryan, leaving Heather M. with the other Heather and Nadine.

Minerva is left over, and Buddy gives her the chance to pick a team and lead it. In a succession of cut-away shots several of the bakers say they don't like Minerva.

Minerva picks the team with the Heathers and Nadine. Heather G. says “come on over” with her most refined southern passive aggression.

Buddy's wife, sister Lisa and all their kids enter. After chit chat with the kids he announces that the contestants' elimination challenge is to bake a cake for his family's Christmas party. They'll have two days to work.

“One of you is definitely going home for Christmas,” Buddy jokes.

Ryan and Carmelo are worried that Wesley isn't experienced enough for their Santa cake. Chad's team is going to do a snowman, while Team Minerva is stacking gift boxes.

Heather G. asks a question, and Minerva snaps at her for asking. Should this article just end right now since its clear Minerva is going in the box truck at the end?

Minerva starts making a small snowman, but apparently she doesn't know what that is because hers has legs. Her team revolts. “Kids aren't going to like that,” Heather M. says.

Minerva starts to argue, and Heather M. walks away. Minerva grabs her arm and Heather M. yells not to touch her. Minerva says she's going to tell Buddy that she's not a team player.

The rest of the team starts yelling at Minerva and she starts yelling back. They eventually go to separate corners and continue working.

On the second day, the bakers return, except for Minerva. They all speculate on her whereabouts and guess she's embarrassed about the day before.

She enters and complains of dizziness, and says that she has to go to the emergency room. Her claim looks suspect. Her team is glad to see her go. “I just wish we hadn't had her at all,” Heather M. says.

Meanwhile, Ryan thinks Wesley's gifts for the cake look awful. The bow falls off on one of them. Carmelo agrees.

The time expires, and Buddy enters. He tells the bakers to deliver the cakes to his family's party.

The party is at an ice skating rink. Danny is waiting for them in his Santa suit. “Put your skates on and deliver your cakes to the center of the ice,” he says. So now the bakers have to be Buddy Valastro and Brian Boitano.

Buddy is there and explains he does crazy stuff like this all the time. He's wearing skates right then in fact.

Buddy, his wife Lisa and sister Lisa are going to judge. Buddy talks to Minerva's team, with Minerva, who has conveniently returned. Buddy seems skeptical of her need for going to the hospital. “I've slaved in this bakery since I was 11,” he says. “I don't go home because I'm weak or tired.”

Minerva's team gives her poor marks as a leader. Nadine calls her a dictator. They start hashing over the argument from the day before. Suddenly this is an episode of Judge Judy.

Buddy and the Lisas like their cake. “Job well done,” Buddy says. “But when I say that I'm looking at the three of you.” It looks like Buddy is going to eliminate Minerva, but because she was originally on the winning team Buddy spares her. His wife and sister disagree.

Buddy grills the other two teams. Both Ryan and Carmelo say Wesley's work was sub-par. Buddy asks him if he's in over his head.

In the end Buddy says all three of the cakes were good and that he's not going to name a losing cake.

But, someone needs to go home. It's Wesley. He enters the box truck as Santa Danny closes the door.