It’s time to dust off your apron and sprinkle some icing sugar – Dessert Masters is in full swing.
Hosted by fan-favourite MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong and professional pastry chef Amaury Guichon, the sweet spin-off is delivering a smorgasbord of show-stopping sweet treats.
WATCH: MasterChef Dessert Masters Promo. Article continues after video.
Joining the judges are 10 of Australia’s finest professional dessert makers, including MasterChef Australia alumni Jess Liemantara and Adriano Zumbo, with each ready to bake their way to the $100,000 Dessert Masters grand prize.
While some chefs may climb the Dessert Masters mountain and master their meringue peaks, some sadly were unable to handle the heat and departed the kitchen.
Scroll down to find out who has been eliminated from Dessert Masters 2023 so far.
Who has been eliminated from Dessert Masters 2023?
Rhiann Mead
In the first Dessert Masters challenge of 2023, the chefs were tasked with creating a show-stopping dessert that incorporated a smashable chocolate element.
To showcase her skill, Rhiann opted to craft her creation in the shape of a piggy bank, however, she was not the only contestant to create the super sweet treat, with dessert queen Kirsten adding another pig to the Dessert Masters farm.
Despite rising to the challenge, Rhiann sadly ran out of time to complete her ambitious vision to a high standard, eliminating her from the competition.
Morgan Hipworth
As part of the second Dessert Masters challenge, the top dessert chefs were tasked with creating an ice-cold dessert featuring a frozen iteration of one of the four mystery box ingredients.
After choosing berry liqueur as his star ingredient, Morgan began working on his peach melba with berry liqueur sorbet. Although he was confident that the dish’s flavour profile was strong enough to progress to the next round of the competition, his standout sorbet sadly did not set in time for the final presentation, sadly costing Morgan his place in the competition.
Adriano Zumbo
After being tasked with a unique film-inspired elimination challenge, celebrity pastry chef Adriano Zumbo began to craft his Grease-inspired milkshake-shaped dessert.
While Adriano placed a considerable emphasis on delivering an expertly crafted flavour experience, his overall presentation was sadly not up to his usual standard, with his milkshake cup elements becoming stuck in their moulds.
Although he delivered a great-tasting dessert, the judges felt that Adriano could have presented a more clean-looking dessert and he was sadly sent home.
Anna Polyviou
Known across social media for her colourful culinary creations, Anna Polyviou was determined to combine her Greek heritage with her signature unique presentation during the Dessert Masters Christmas challenge.
While most of her trifle elements may have come together, it was Anna’s olive oil sorbet and small portion size that stumped the judges, with Anna being sent home during the quarter-final.
Andrew Bowden
After dazzling the judges with his previous cake creations, cake connoisseur Andrew Bowden was ready to rise to the top of the leaderboard during the baker’s Christmas-themed challenge.
While his classic trifle may have been his go-to Christmas hit, his quarter-final dish sadly did not meet the judge’s expectations and he was eliminated from the competition.
“You’re in a room full of Australia’s top pastry chefs… There had to be a bad dish on the night and unfortunately, it was mine, so I’m okay with that,” Andrew told New Idea.
Kay-Lene Tan
Drawing inspiration from winter scenery during their forest-inspired challenge, Kaylene took on the ambitious task of crafting a dessert reminiscent of melting snow.
After perfecting her dessert presentation, Kay-Lene’s final plating received high praise from the judges, however, despite her exceptional craftsmanship, judge Amaury felt that the overall dish looked and tasted dry and therefore, she was eliminated from the competition.
“As I was walking up to them [the judges], I already kind of knew in my gut that the ratio of dry to wet ingredients was a little bit off,” Kay-Lene told us following her elimination. “But with the time crunch, there was no time to second guess yourself.”
Looking back at her time in the competition, Kay-Lene had some advice for future contestants; “Play to your strengths and always cook for yourself.”
“Don’t question what kind of chef you are because the fact of the matter is that the pastry world is so varied. We all come in with different strengths… and there will always be a variation [on a challenge] based on your experience and your skill. So always thinking of strengths and staying true to yourself is key. ”
With the competition now behind her, Kay-Lene is looking toward the new year which will bring the opening of a new restaurant Decca in Alphington, a project she and chef Adam D’Sylva have been working on together.
“It’s going to be a very exciting endeavour,” she explains. “I love openings because you get to see the fruits of your labour come to life, so it’s going to be a really exciting and busy time.”
Kirsten Tibballs
Chocolate queen Kirsten Tibballs was on track to create a show-stopping dessert, with her chocolate and passionfruit entremet and sculpted chocolate birdcage making her semi-final dish one of her most intricate in the competition.
After three hours of painstaking work, Kirsten’s birdcage sadly collapsed as she began to assemble her dessert during the final two minutes of the challenge. While the judges were impressed with her flavours, they felt that the dessert was incomplete without its standout centrepiece, with Melissa and Amaury voting to send Kirsten home.
Speaking to WHO shortly after her elimination, Kirsten shared that while she may not have taken home the Dessert Masters win, she gained a wealth of insight following her experience as a contestant.
“It was definitely an eye-opener, and I’ve traumatised people for years and years on the other side of the bench. It gave me a different perspective for sure,” she shared, adding that her time on Dessert Masters has driven her to become an even greater pastry chef.
Reflecting on her experience, Kirsten shared pride in her performance in the Dessert Masters kitchen, saying “I thrive under that sort of pressure. Maybe not those time restraints, but I love being given a theme to work towards. I really am very passionate about the creative aspect of patisserie so when I’m given a theme like nature or Christmas, that is 100% going to drive me to create something quite complex and spectacular.”
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