The Winning Creations from Cake Wars, Season 4

Meet the bakers who won in the fourth season of Cake Wars, and see the next-level creations that earned each of them a $10,000 prize.

Seeing Blue

"I love the motion of this cake," judge Richard Ruskell told baker Wiley of the latter's whimsical take on a Smurfs-inspired offering. The competitor featured Smurfette and her pals in a colorful forest, and the piece wowed guest judge Kelly Asbury, who's the director of Smurf: The Lost Village. "It absolutely captures the spirit of the movie. I am proud that it inspired you to do this," he told Wiley.

Chocolate Decadence

Baker Wiley called his chocolate masterpiece "[his] version of a Smurf mud cake," which featured layers of decadent ganache. According to judge Walynn, the results were "delicious [and] light."

Get the Recipe: Bourbon Triple Chocolate Cake

The Power of Cake

Featuring all five Power Rangers at the base and the mine at the forefront, baker Pete's masterpiece earned rave reviews from guest judge Becky G., the actress who plays the Yellow Power Ranger in the movie Saban's Power Rangers, as she told him: "You see all of us together — so present. It's awesome."

A Key Consistency

The flavor in Pete's cake earned high marks as well, as both judges noted the impressive moisture in his layered chocolate offering. "It is dense, but it still is moist, and it has a really nice, rich flavor. You get this just great essence of coconut and peanut butter with the chocolate," Waylynn Lucas said.

Get the Recipe: Dark Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Peanut Butter Italian Buttercream

Book Lovers and Bakers Unite

Beloved author Roald Dahl would have turned 100 years old this year, and to celebrate, bakers faced off in a challenge to honor some of his masterpiece works. Baker Jeffrey earned the $10,000 prize from the judges with his towering design incorporating elements from such famed books as James and the Giant Peach as well as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

A Story for the Ages

"Looking at the design of your cake — it just draws me into this imaginative world that I want to live in," judge Waylynn Lucas told Jeffrey. Though judge Richard Ruskell noted the apparent bareness of the centerpiece tree, he said how apropos the overall concept is, given the author. "To me, your cake said Roald Dahl. It was a Roald Dahl story."

High Praise

Following her Season 2 win on Cake Wars, baker Meghan came back for more this week — and indeed she won again. She created a towering masterpiece with penguins galore in honor of the movie Happy Feet, and judge Waylynn Lucas told her, "I applaud you for being bold and adventurous with your structure."

Pretty Penguins

Judge Richard Ruskell complimented Meghan for the details in her piece, as he explained: "I really enjoy what your characters are doing. The character work itself looks just like the animated movie. They're actually interacting, so bravo."

Bringing the Intensity

Challenged to bring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to life, baker Monika delivered a towering structure, complete with the fearless foursome, and her design wowed the panel members. "The display — because there's so much action, I'm drawn into this piece," noted judge Richard Ruskell.

Flavor First

"This is what I call a perfectly balanced cake," judge Waylynn Lucas told Monika of what the competitor called her "turtle cake." The judge added, "I could eat this all day long — thank you."

Back for More

Baker Jenn was no stranger to the Cake Wars kitchen — she was there one time before, and she won. So her win this week was no case of beginner's luck. Her Rose Bowl-inspired cake, which boasted no shortage of bright-red roses, was a hit with the judges.

Familiar Feelings

"They are all really remarkable," judge Richard Ruskell said of the rose adornments surrounding Jenn's cake. Lawrence Jackson, the guest judge and a former footballer, was impressed with her work as well, as he said: "I love the cake. I can't stop looking at it. It makes me remember the last time I played in the Rose Bowl."

The World of Rugrats

After losing Cake Wars in the past, baker Stephen was vying for a win this time, and sure enough he earned it. In a Rugrats-themed challenge, he depicted the babies in the midst of adventure in what he called "treasure island." Judge Richard Ruskell offered Stephen mostly compliments, saying: "Your design is very clever. I love your character work. I love all the little scenes." However, both Richard and judge Waylynn Lucas said they wanted even more from Stephen.

Cookies-and-Cream Confections

Though Richard found Stephen's cookies-and-cream-style frosting to be "very, very sweet," Waylynn was seemingly pleased with it. "Stephen, this is rich, it's moist, it's chocolatey. Your light, fluffy buttercream really balances the dense richness of your cake," she said.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cake with Cookies-and-Milk Mousse Filling

The Familiar Feel of Victory

"Your cake tells a story on its own, and I love that," judge Waylynn Lucas told Mello, who's now a two-time Cake Wars champ following this latest win. The victor portrayed a scene from the carnival, and Waylynn added of Mello's piece, "It's fun; it's looney." However, like her competitors, Mello struggled with the design of her basketball, and the judges told her so.

Shoot and Miss

Judge Richard Ruskell praised Mello's choice to add a shiny gloss atop the exterior of her cake — kind of. "All the glossiness works, except when it comes to the basketball," he told her. "Basketballs aren't really glossy."

Get the Recipe: Lemon Cake with Blueberry Compote

A Transformative Competition

"The design of your cake, Devin, it's just a hot mess what you have going on in there," judge Waylynn Lucas told baker Devin, who earned top honors with his depiction of a Transformers showdown. "But in this weird sort of way, it works. It definitely gives the sense of an epic battle," she said. Devin portrayed a crumbling city after it had endured the wrath of evil Decepticons.

Chocolate Sensation

Devin's toffee-studded chocolate cake went a long way toward wowing the panel, as Waylynn deemed the offering "quite delicious." Judge Richard Ruskell was pleased, too, as he noted the addition of the toffee: "The toffee bits were a great surprise. When you came across the crunch, it was very nice."

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cake with Toffee Sauce, Chocolate Ganache and Vanilla Ice Cream Buttercream

Tales of the Trolls

Tasked with bringing the movie Trolls' too-cute characters Poppy and Branch to life with over-the-top cake designs, baker Joyce earned top honors from the judges with her display of what she called "the ultimate celebration." Though judge Richard Ruskell noted a few technical flaws in her piece, he told her: "Your cake is so colorful. Your characters are very, very nice, and ... I love it."

Flavor Finishes

"I love the nice chunks of strawberry in there," Waylynn Lucas told Joyce of her fruit-filled cake. She, too, noticed the missteps in Joyce's execution, but she admitted: "You surprised me in a good way. I definitely didn't think that you were going to pull off this fun, lively troll world. It makes me happy."

Get the Recipe: Banana and Strawberries Delight

The Magic of Cake Is in the Air

When a sweet spell was cast upon Cake Wars, the bakers were tasked with bringing magic to life in cake, and baker Ann did that best with her winning design featuring a character surrounded by knives. "Visually, it's stunning," judge Waylynn Lucas said. "The way the cake layers are all a different height, a different width — it just really draws your eye in," she said.

Focused on Flavor

"It's the right amount of raspberry flavor," Waylynn says of Ann's chocolate-raspberry combo. "Your ganache is perfect. It's thick but creamy." Judge Richard Ruskell was wowed, too, telling Ann: "Most cakes that I like, I like to eat with a big glass of milk. But your cake is so sophisticated; I want to drink it with a glass of red wine."

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Meringue Buttercream

A Face-Off Fit for The Addams Family

"It draws me in in this dark, mysterious, humorous way that is what [The] Addams Family is," judge Waylynn Lucas told baker Brooke of her masterpiece work, which featured the Addams family gathered together for a photo. Judge Richard Ruskell noted the technical achievement in her cake and told her, "Your wood graining on the crates is almost perfect."

A Sweet Creation

Not only was Brooke's execution of the exterior impressive, but the inside of the cake wowed the panel too. "The layers of flavors — from the rich chocolate cake to the liqueur, the caramel — each reveal themselves as you're eating it," noted judge Waylynn.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cake with Caramel Irish Cream Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache

A History-Making Cake

For the first time ever, a returning Cake Wars champ claimed the title for a second time. Baker Viki turned the contest upside down — literally — when she presented a showstopping upside-down creation in honor of Wonder Woman. "The design of your cake — it is, it's flawless," judge Waylynn Lucas told Viki. "And you're the first person to give us a hanging upside-down cake on Cake Wars."

A Strong Showing

Just like Waylynn, judge Richard Ruskell was wowed by Viki's offering, as he said simply, "The execution of your cake is almost without fault." He noted a minor problem in a piece of the decor, but ultimately that didn't stop Viki from being crowned a two-time winner.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream

Super-Powered Cooking

In Round 2, bakers were tasked with bringing The Powerpuff Girls to life in a no-holds-barred action adventure, and baker Linda did just that with a towering display featuring Buttercup at the helm. "It looks as if the color scheme came right out of the cartoon," said Amanda Leighton, one of the guest judges, who's the voice of Powerpuff Girl Blossom.

Judge's Praise

Though judge Richard Ruskell noted a few unrealistic details in Linda's piece, he was wowed by the work, saying: "The design of your cake is a judge's dream. The construction and the execution is excellent."

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

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Check out Food Network's Cake Wars headquarters for more insider coverage of the battles and behind-the-scenes antics with Jonathan Bennett and the judges.

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