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CASTAIC - They call it the Iron Man for cupcake makers.
On the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars," the country's top cupcake bakers face off mano-a-rubber spatula in three elimination challenges until one individual or team wins the top prize of $10,000 and the chance to showcase their tasty treats at a major event.
This week's episode will feature Kimberly Aeck and Kimberly Thurman, a team from Castaic who have kept mum about the outcome of the contest, which will be revealed at 9 p.m. Tuesday on the Food Network.
On Tuesday, they'll have a special viewing party for friends in Valencia, where they soon plan to open their own bakery, "Bake You Happy," at 23626 Valencia Blvd.
"It was so much fun, so exciting," Thurman, 36, said.
The two women were discovered by a guest at a party, where their cupcakes were featured.
In the first round of the show, bakers must improvise with ingredients provided.
"Oh my God, time was the biggest challenge," Thurman said. "You have 45 minutes to create a cupcake with all the ingredients."
The two Kims met at kickboxing class about a year ago where they shared their love of baked goods over jabs and hooking knee strikes.
They became instant business partners.
"We really get along," Thurman said of Aeck. "We balance each other out."
And balance has become tres important in the world of grown-up cupcakes.
Cupcakes have come a long way in the last
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several years. The childhood party staple is now a much more sophisticated cake that goes beyond vanilla and chocolate flavors topped with a sugary glaze.Among the 20 or so varieties Thurman and Aeck have created is one that includes a marshmallow filling and chocolate ganache - a mixture of chocolate and cream used as a gloss.
"It's like a grown-up Hostess cupcake," Aeck said.
Aeck, 40, has two kids and Thurman has three. Needless to say, their children have tasted a lot of their creative cupcakes.
"I think our cupcakes are really good because they're moist," Thurman said. "I feel that even though there are a lot of other cupcake makers out here, there is room for us in the (Santa Clarita) Valley."