The Corn Wagon
For our debut episode of British Bake Off: The Professionals, we were challenged to create a garden-inspired showpiece paired with a dessert that hid a vegetable element in disguise. Inspired by childhood nostalgia, we chose sweet corn as our star ingredient and crafted petit gâteaux that celebrated its unique versatility and unmistakable flavor. These petit gâteaux were presented on a fully edible, movable wagon made entirely of chocolate, carrying “freshly harvested” corn.
This playful blend of memory and technical precision came together successfully, and ultimately earned us first place
Chocolate Showpiece, 2024-2025
Duration: 2 months
Co-Designer: Kylie Yeh
Tools: Procreate, silicone modeling, acetate
Concept- Why Corn? Why Wagon?
Growing up, corn was one of the most common vegetables on our dining table—we added it to soups, cooked it with rice, and even incorporated it into desserts. I’ve always loved how transformative it is, taking on completely different flavor profiles and textures depending on how you approach it.
We wanted to celebrate that versatility, so we aimed to create a dessert made entirely from corn, yet showcasing the many distinct flavors it can offer.
Before starting production, we sketched out several ideas for presenting the petit gâteaux and eventually agreed on mimicking the look of an actual corn on the cob with its husk (left).
The design of the wagon went through multiple rounds of adjustments as we searched for the most stable, efficient structure and construction method. During this process, we also finalized exactly how we wanted to disguise the corn pastries within the showpiece (right).
Execution- Chocolate Structure
First, we created our own wheel-shaped mould by casting a real wooden wheel in silicone. We then used tempered chocolate to cast the various components of the wagon, including the base, carriage, axles, suspension, and handle. Each element had to be crafted with precision to ensure the structure was stable and fully movable. One major change we made during this stage was redesigning the wagon into a two-wheel structure to save time during the competition—a decision that ultimately proved to be the right one.
Execution- Dessert
To showcase as many textures and flavors of corn as possible, we created a corn and cream cheese mousse inspired by the creamy corn potage— a Japanese-style soup my grandma used to make. For the crunchy element, we made a corn streusel enriched with one of Kylie’s breakfast staples: cornflakes. We also baked an American cornbread-inspired sponge as the insert ,using cornmeal and roasted, caramelized corn kernels to deepen the aroma.
Our goal was to highlight a single ingredient while transforming it into multiple exciting, unexpected flavors.
Execution- Finalizing Details
Through multiple rounds of timed rehearsals, we systematically refined the wagon’s structure, improving its stability and streamlining the assembly process. These iterations allowed us to develop a building manual, ensuring consistency and reducing the likelihood of error during competition conditions.
To enhance the visual of the showpiece, we employed specialized texturing tools to imprint a wood-grain pattern onto the exterior of the wagon, achieving a more detailed and lifelike finish.
Watch Full Episode on Channel 4
Watch Full Episode on Channel 4
Special thanks to our head chef, Yago Doamo, and to all our amazing colleague for their continuous support and understanding. And of course, a big, big thank you to my teammate Kylie for making all of this possible, I will never forget the countless nights we spent practicing until 5 a.m.