After losing in Nigella’s fete challenge, Matt, Brett, Con, Elise, Charlie and Mimi were the six contestants to face last night’s elimination.
The contestants entered the MasterChef Australia kitchen to see a beautiful display of cakes. Round one was to name that cake. The first three contestants to guess incorrectly would have to actually bake a cake in round two, the least impressive of which would send its maker sent home.
Charlie was first to falter on a simnel cake that he identified as a fruitcake. Matt stumbled on a dobos torte he believed was a chocolate truffle cake, while Con incorrectly identified the Icelandic vinaterta as a continental cake. Charlie, Matt and Con then had 90 minutes to create their cake.
Matt made good progress with his carrot cake. Con struggled with his pound cake, with Nigella questioning whether it could cook in time. The cake was dense when he turned it out, but Con hoped the syrup would deliver on moisture. Charlie risked overcooking his cake and had to make more cream after the first batch was over-whipped.
The judges loved everything about Matt’s carrot cake, Nigella commenting that it was everything a home-baked cake should be. Con’s pound cake looked beautiful, but the judges said it had baked unevenly and was too dense. Charlie’s chocolate and raspberry hazelnut cake impressed, but it was slightly dry and overcooked.
In the end, it was Con who departed the MasterChef Australia kitchen. He has since relocated to Tasmania, where he is busy preparing for the opening of his own café in Hobart, called Born in Brunswick.
