Fred Isla

With two new experts by his side, Buddy the Cake Boss judges ten pairs of bakers in the first phase of the fourth season. Each team takes a bite of the Big Apple as they race to iconic city sites for inspiration in their inaugural cake challenge.

Playground antics take over as the bakers choose their own teams in an effort to please some very picky and demanding clients with an affinity for all things sugary. With 100 lbs. of candy, can the bakers sweet talk their way into the next round?

Competition sizzles when the teams have to make barbecue inspired cakes. As if making a six-foot long hot dog and a 4-foot wide hamburger was not stressful enough, the teams will have to present their cakes to Buddy's family!

The bakers use something borrowed to complete this cake challenge: someone else's partner! They are thrown into arranged marriages with new partners to construct a destination wedding cake. Helping Buddy judge are two famous players in the game of love.

It's down to the top three, but only two teams will move on to the Vegas showdown. Each team must create a culinary masterpiece revolving around each of the judges' specialties. Which teams will have Lady Luck on their side to move onto the Vegas Finale?