Did y’all watch City Grocery Group’s executive pastry chef Dwayne Ingraham win two challenges in the Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship premiere? If not, no worries because we got y’all! Here’s a quick recap.
Ingraham returns to Food Network again after his victory on Cutthroat Kitchen, a Valentine’s Day special where he endured Alton Brown’s antics like cooking halibut with chocolate and being tied at waist to another competitor. Last night he charmed judges Duff Goldman, Nancy Fuller and Lorraine Pascale with his hard-earned skills.
In the cupcake competition part of the Spring Baking Championship Ingraham reveals his secret ingredient: mayonnaise. “Fat makes everything better,” he told Goldman and Pascale praised his flower decoration as well as the hint of raspberry filling to bring it all together.
And with the cupcake Ingraham won the preliminary round thus earning an advantage in the next round: picking one fruit that will be only for his upside-down cake. As other ran for the table for their ingredients Ingraham chose pineapple. He said, “My strategy is to go for the fruit that everyone knows and loves.”
His pineapple upside down cake was such a hit with the judges that they placed him in the top three. Bobby Deen, the show’s host, said, “(T)he judges have singled out one baker that impressed them the most.” He then announced Ingraham as that impressive baker, surprising the humble pastry chef.
His winsome pineapple upside down cake recipe can be found on the Food Network website. Stay tuned to Food Network Sunday at 8 p.m. CST to follow Ingraham to victory!
Callie Daniels is a staff reporter/writer for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.
