Who Wins The Best Cake Baker On Buddy Versus Duff

"Buddy vs. Duff" is no slice of block.

The Nutrient Network series, which pits "Cake Dominate" Buddy Valastro confronting pastry chef and erstwhile "Ace of Cakes" star Duff Goldman, kicks off its third flavour Sunday (9 EDT/PDT, also streaming on Discovery+).

"It'due south definitely the almost grueling show I've e'er filmed," says Valastro, 44. "It's a six-twenty-four hours workweek, and it's probably 15-hour days, every day. Yous're just constantly going, and information technology's nonstop because you're really trying to practise the all-time work you do – the biggest, the cleanest, the nicest."

The pandemic kept the challengers on separate coasts this season. Valastro worked from his hometown of Hoboken, New Bailiwick of jersey, and Duff baked in Los Angeles. Fifty cake artists throughout the U.S. evaluate the chefs' creations virtually.

"Cake Boss" star Buddy Valastro returns to defend his title on Season 3 of the cake competition "Buddy vs. Duff."

Valastro, who creates confections at the family-run Carlo'due south Baker, was the champ in the contest'southward sophomore season. Every bit if the pressure level of defending his title wasn't enough, months before the throwdown was planned for last leap, the bakery's hand was repeatedly skewered by a metallic rod thank you to a malfunctioning pinsetter at his home bowling alley.

Today he feels "back to 90% to 95%," which he describes every bit "insane" given his injury. Valastro says he had his fifth surgery about six weeks before "Buddy vs. Duff" began taping. . (He might need a sixth adjacent twelvemonth.) "Only if this is equally practiced equally it'southward gonna become, I will take it," he says. "Comparatively, what happened, I am so blest and thankful."

After shooting the cake competition series, Valastro solidified his friendship with model Gigi Hadid, Harper'southward Bazaar'southward Baronial cover daughter. The two met when she played intern at his cake store in June for the magazine, but the sugar artist has made cakes for Hadid and her boyfriend, singer Zayn Malik. "I told her that she'southward got her bakery for life," Valastro says. "Then whenever she needs a cake, I'm just a telephone call away."

The cake maker reveals fears his hand injury could hold him back, the cake that made him weep this flavour and more about his budding friendship with Hadid. (Edited for length and clarity.)

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Question: Were yous worried that your hand injury would put you at a disadvantage for "Buddy vs. Duff?"

Buddy Valastro: Honestly, I was so worried, not merely about putting me at a disadvantage, but really baking is what I practice – it'due south part of my life. If I could not do it to the level I was able to do it, I don't know how I would've felt about information technology. It might have been, for me, the last season of cake competitions I would've ever did. I'grand not the kind of guy that would want to do it from the sidelines and be the coach.

Q: You're defending your crown from final yr. How much did you want to be the winner again this flavor?

Valastro: It was less well-nigh winning for me. It was more about beingness able to overcome my hand injury. I was mentally prepared going in to win or lose. Of course, you wanna do the best you tin, but Duff and his team did astonishing work last season. I accept a tremendous amount of respect for them and what they tin practise.

Q: Did you have a favorite challenge this season?

Valastro: The finale was by far my favorite block that we did, (information technology) ranked equally elevation three cakes we've ever made as a squad in the history of the bakery, ever, in my life...It was a perfect cake. So the looks, the special effects, it was clean, it was large. It was everything. Monsters was the theme, and we did a nuclear dinosaur. Information technology was like 21 (feet) long. It probably weighs, I would say, about one,500-ii,000 pounds, and you had all these spikes that were made out of blown sugar that we illuminated. There was merely two cakes in my lifetime that I've ever made that I cried. And I looked at that cake, and it was just then perfect, and I was so proud of my team, I got emotional. I got choked upwardly.

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Q: Speaking of tears, Gigi Hadid said she cried upon receiving ane of your cakes. What was it like to learn that she is such a big fan?

Valastro: She is the sweetest, nicest person. You know how they say people are cute on the inside? Every bit beautiful as she is on the outside, I think she's fifty-fifty more beautiful on the inside. She was and then gracious and so nice. Information technology was funny because she really fan-girled (over) me. She met me, and she cried. I was taken back considering I still don't e'er feel like a celebrity. But she grew up watching "Cake Boss" with her family. We made a cake together. She'south really amazingly talented in what she does, too. She's an artist, and she's very creative. Her cake came out really good. But nosotros merely spent the whole afternoon together, and she was so cool, so downwards to globe.

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