Julie Voudrie

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?

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?

Teams will have to wow the judges as they must bake their best cakes and desserts for the Cake Boss Cafe in Time Square. And to throw an extra wrinkle into the mix, Buddy brings back a past eliminated group for redemption. Only the top three will move on.

Cakes will be getting the special treatment, as this week the teams are competing for a chance to be featured in People Magazine. The stakes are higher than ever, when the bakers learn that every cake needs a moving element.

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.