Buddy vs. Duff premiered on Food Network in 2019 and became the network's highest rated Food Network show that year. The show stars Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro and Ace of Cakes, Duff Goldman and their crew of decorators. The premise of the reality TV show is to have both pastry chefs compete in unique challenges culminating in crowing the "undisputed king of cake." Season 1 challenges took place all over the country, from New Jersey, to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between.
Each episode features two challenges where the bakers face off in a bake-off challenge and a cake-off challenge. The first challenge tests their baking skills. For one challenge, they had to make their version of donuts. In the second challenge their cake artist skills are put to the test. They're tasked with creating an over the top themed cake for a special event. Some standouts from the first season included an over the top wedding cake, and a cake representing Outer Space.
Criticism From Season 1
Fans of Buddy VS Duff also had some questions and critiques regarding the show. Many times the scoring felt inconsistent, the narration was confusing, and there was an addition of judges midway through the season. Sherry Yard from The Next Great Baker started as the sole host, then Keegan Gerhard joined randomly. Some fans felt that Buddy was being portrayed as the villain for ratings. Many fans also felt like neither chef was having fun or enjoying their time on the show.
Buddy vs. Duff Season 2
The second season premiered in March, 2020. Instead of relying on just Buddy, Duff, and their assistants, they were allowed to curate a team of friends and comrades. It went from Buddy vs Duff to Team Duff vs. The Cake Boss Team. The cakes and challenges were even more extreme. The show turned away from baking challenges to focus on the cake construction and decoration.
Some standouts were creating dinosaurs for the Natural History museum, and a cake representing the Big Apple. The most outrageous is likely the final cake of the season. Both teams were tasked with creating a cake to celebrate Star Wars Day. Teams traveled to Disneyland to ride Disney's new Galaxy's Edge for inspiration. The celebrity appearances were even bigger this season. Billy Dee Williams hosted the Star Wars event and was present for final score.
Can We Expect More?
Will there be a Buddy vs. Duff season 3? Discovery recently announced a new season, premiering on July 18, 2020. Since each baker has won one season, this one will be a tie breaker. Tune in to see which baker will reign supreme!
