Natchez pastry chef Molly Manning Robertson in bake off for last spot in Spring Baking Championship finale

Published 8:15 pm Monday, May 1, 2023

NATCHEZ — Loyal Molly Manning Robertson fans must wait until next Monday to see if Robertson moves on to the finale of the Food Network hit series Spring Baking Championship.

Robertson and contestant Luke Deardurff of Bronx, New York, will compete in a 60-minute bake off next Monday to see who competes with Christian Velez of Hollywood, Florida, and Clement Le Deore of San Diego, California, for the championship and $25,000 in prize money.

The theme of Monday’s contest was sending love to mothers in the form of tulips. Judges in the pre-heat loved Robertson’s delicate tulip-shaped lemon cakes, saying her sponge cake was perfect and the blueberry jam blueberry buttercream used between the layers brightened the dessert.

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However, in the elimination round, judges said Robertson’s verrine with layered rose cake, gin mousse and lemon curd, in essence, was too plain.

“We are seeing more elevated desserts at this point,” said Judge Kardea Brown. “We need more finesse.”

Judge Nancy Fuller said while Robertson’s sponge cake wowed in the pre-heat, her elimination dessert did not contain enough simply syrup and her sponge cake was dry.

“This is good, but is it good enough,” said Judge Duff Goldman.

Next week’s show will begin with the 60-minute bakeoff between Robertson and Deardurff to determine the third finalist.

“I was almost certain I was going home,” Robertson said after the competition. “Thank God I have another chance to prove I deserve to be in the finale.”

If she makes it that far, for the finale, contestants will be challenged to make wedding cakes for three real-life couples.