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Cranberry Orange Pound Cake with a Champagne Glaze & Final Four Trip for the BHG Ultimate Baking Challenge

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If you have been following along here, I have been participating in the Better Homes and Gardens Ultimate Baking Challenge. The initial sixteen bloggers were narrowed down to the final four through two rounds of online voting.

For the initial challenge, I made a Cranberry Orange Pull Apart Bread that was topped with sliced almonds and an orange cream cheese glaze. For the baking challenge, I made a new recipe but stuck with my cranberry-orange theme. My final recipe was a Cranberry Orange Pound Cake with a Champagne Glaze.

Update: This is the WINNING  recipe! That’s right! Thanks to your help, I have won the Ultimate Baking Challenge. Make sure to head to Better Homes and Gardens and get the recipe

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake with a Champagne Glaze
Photo courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Before I tell you all about my time in Iowa, I wanted to let you know that from today through Wednesday, the voting on the final four will be held on the Better Homes and Gardens website. After this final round, the winner will receive the grand prize and their recipe will be published in next December’s issue! It would be an incredible honor if I did win, but I have a confession to make…

I would be overjoyed for whoever wins, because each one of their recipes was outstanding. Every blogger that participated in this contest is extremely talented. I just happen to be in the final four with three of my good friends: Amanda of I am Baker, Jocelyn of Grandbaby Cakes and Aimee of Shugary Sweets.  Sharing this experience with them was nothing short of incredible. It was filled with laughter and a little bit of stress.

A group of four bloggers posing with aprons

If you would like to get the recipe directly, click here.  Better Homes and Gardens also put together this  fun video from our time in Iowa. I’m such a dork.

Now let’s talk drama. Last week, I headed to Iowa for the Bake Off Challenge in the Better Homes and Gardens test kitchens. It was the quickest day ever! I didn’t have an easy time getting there. I missed a connection in Dallas and got stuck for 8 hours! This is what it looks like to spend 8 hours in an airport: dessert and margaritas. I was relieved to finally arrive late Monday night.

A slice of chocolate cake with ice cream in front of a laptop

Tuesday morning we were up bright and early. We wasted no time getting started. Each baker was provided enough ingredients to make their recipe 3 times during the 4-hour baking period.

Author making a recipe in the test kitchen

I was prepared to bake my recipe twice. I had all my steps written out, and the ingredients lined up separately. I prepared each of my recipes simultaneously, loaded both pans and stuck them both in my preheated oven.

A woman preparing a cranberry bundt cake in the kitchen

What a big mistake that was! Although I had thought about it, I really didn’t plan this right. Baking two large cakes in the oven at the same time will drastically affect how evenly the cakes will bake. This was my drama of the day.

A woman preparing a cake while a videographer records her work

I could tell the cakes were baking differently than they had during my trial runs at home. I decided at the last minute to pre-heat another oven and move one of the cakes to a different oven. I allowed them to bake for another 15 minutes and I knew I needed to make a third cake just in case.

A woman piping frosting onto a layer cake

Let me tell you I was not planning on doing this! There was under two hours left in the competition. My ingredients needed to rest for at least 30 minutes, but I didn’t have time. I had to microwave my butter, eggs and milk to slightly cool them. I threw together a third cake and put it in a third oven. By the way, can I just say that Amanda and Aimee were so kind to let me use their ovens!

Two women posing and smiling together

By this time, my first two cakes were done. The one I moved to the second oven was destroyed. I could tell it had not baked all the way through, and it collapsed. I really wasn’t sure how cake #1 was going to be, but it seemed to bake ok. I was still counting on cake #3 to be the winner.

Author frowning and holding up a crumbling bundt cake in the pan

Well it wasn’t (see above photo). I used a different sized bundt pan, which was too small. My third cake bubbled up over the sides and baked too fast on top. UGH! I was so stressed at this point. I could tell cake #3 was going to be a failure as well. I had no other choice but to go with my first cake from the original oven. Are you getting lost with all my cakes and ovens yet?

Overhead view of a bundt cake in the pan

I had to take a deep breath and move forward. All the girls were super supportive during the whole thing. I couldn’t have imagined what I would have done without them! I prepared my glaze and threw my cake in the refrigerator to set with 10 minutes left on the clock. Amanda, Jocelyn and I shared a brief toast to end the contest.

Three friends sharing a toast at the end of the baking contest

There wasn’t much time to relax, we were on to the next step. Over the next couple of hours we had to rotate through the prop room, a photography session, hair and make up and video interviews all before the official taste panel at the end of the day.

Itinerary for the Ultimate Baking Challenge

Oh yea, did I mention we were being filmed the whole day? My filmer, Dave, was awesome and totally into the drama.

A film crew in the kitchen for the Ultimate Baking Challenge

 Check out the video HERE.

The last time I was in the BHG prop room during my previous visit for the BHG Cooking Experience, I had not imagined that I would be back, and actually able to comb through the prop room to style my own photo shoot! As soon as they said I could pick a backdrop, I just got so excited. I love this photo of Jocelyn and I picking out linens. Serious stuff here, folks!

Screen shot of the BHG post about eh Ultimate Baking Championship

We had 30 minutes to select and style out the shoot in our heads and only 30 minutes to get the shot. It was just about as stressful as having to prepare a cake in under 2 hours. I had trouble transferring my cake to the cake plate, and even worse, it was too warm to get a good slice.

A woman editing a picture of a bundt cake on a computer screen

Luckily Karla worked me through it; we got a couple of shots I thought were workable but my time quickly expired. I was whisked away to hair and make up. We had to do camera interviews, and I appreciated the pampering. It was the first time I sat down all day and the circles under my eyes were getting darker and darker!

Author taking a selfie from the hair and makeup chair

I thought the interviews would be harder than they were. Perhaps it was because I was used to be trailed by the camera crew all day by that point. It was still awkward, but you guys can be the judge.

Overhead view of a cranberry bundt cake with a few slices on plates

After the interviews, all we had to do was wait for the taste panel. I had to go first. UGH! Talk about nerve-racking. On the taste panel was Gayle Butler, Editor-in-Chief, Nancy Wall Hopkins, Senior Deputy Food and Entertaining Editor, Lynn, Test Kitchen Director and Colleen, Senior Test Kitchen Brand Manager. I walked in, told them about my cake and put my cake plate down on the table. The whole thing was filmed, and I was so nervous that I set my cake plate down SOOOO slowly that I literally had time to think in my head “what are you doing, put the dang plate down. Where is the table?”  #mortified.

Ultimate baking challenge competitors and judges posing together

After that, my job was done. I took a HUGE sigh of relief. That evening, we were treated to a delicious dinner at Exile Brewery, and I stuffed my face with a filet and a well deserved beer. The evening ended with a girls’ night in Jocelyn’s suite with a bottle of wine and some late night snacks.

Before I knew it, I was back on the plane headed to LA. But not without missing my connection (again). Thankfully there are far more flights from Chicago to LA than there are from Dallas to Des Moines, and I didn’t have to wait more than two hours. It was just enough time to stop by Frontera Grill for my FAVORITE Milanese torta. Seriously, this is the only reason I love the O’Hare airport!

Thanks for sticking through it with me.

Don’t forget to vote!

Click here for my recipe for Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake with a Champagne Glaze.

A special thank you to Kenzie, Sarah, Katie, Lynn and the entire Better Homes and Garden’s team for setting everything up and hosting us for the trip!

Leave a Comment

12 Responses
  1. Holly Houg

    This sounds like SO much fun!!!!! <3 I remember meeting you, Amanda & Jocelyn @ the BH&G cooking experience! 🙂 Congratulations!!!! Your no-bake cookbook will be amazing!!!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Anne, I am sorry, I am not sure what you are asking? 1 and 1/4 cups. Do you need a ml conversation?

  2. Kathleen Backhus

    I am new to the computer and to this site, love to cook I am a (little old) except in my heart and head !!!
    and disabled but am having fun teaching my new care giver to cook. I saw some wonderful recipes you or betty crocker sent me and that’s how I found you .
    I not only LOVE your recipes but can’t wait to make this cake. sounds yummy haven’t even read all the ing.yet.
    hope there is an alternative if you need champagne( don’t drink and don’t like the taste.
    But what made me sign up was this tour through your experience with the contest. This was so exciting. when you frowned I frowned too .I have been in your shoes and BOY WHAT A FEELING.. iT’S AWFUL . I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING THRU EVERY STEP WITH YOU HOPE YOU DO MORE OF THESE.GOD BLESS

  3. Chineka @ Savor The Baking

    Thanks for recapping your experience. It sounds like you had a great time and despite all of your obstacles you made it!

  4. D Dell

    I am just loving following this adventure! How amazing and the other bloggers look so nice and fun. Your cake rocks of course. The pic of your little sad face couldn’t be cuter, could it? I bet your mom just loved it. See ya soon….yea!

  5. Renee@Two in the Kitchen

    Julianne what an amazing experience!! I am so glad you posted the itinerary because those couple of days looked INSANE!! And even though you had some crazy mishaps your cake turned out amazing looking!! Seriously. It looks so buttery and flavorful. I can’t wait to try it. The best of luck to you!! 🙂

  6. Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes)

    I just adore you my friend! You are so wildly talented. I can’t wait to bake this cake myself, maybe for New Year’s since I didn’t get to taste it! Can’t wait!

  7. Patty

    Oh my gosh, what an exciting experience!!! I was thinking about you the whole time you were there hoping it would be everything you had hoped. It proved to be so much more!!!

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