As the remaining contestants entered the Dessert Masters kitchen, they were thrilled to find Mystery Boxes full of bubbles, and their next challenge. Tasked with creating a dish that celebrated bubbles and creation in just two and a half hours, there was also the added pressure that two talented chefs would be sent home.

Immediately, Alisha thought of the pops of bubbles formed on the surface of a crumpet, and the queen of cakes decided to make a spiced crumpet soaked in brown butter, ginger gels, roasted pineapple and a goat’s milk ice cream and a Greek yoghurt espuma.

"At that point in the competition I was really proud of what I had achieved so far, and I felt more at ease," Alisha told 10 Play. "Of course, you never want to go at any point, you want to show what you can do every time you step into that kitchen, but I had a sense of peace in that cook.

"Sometimes I think my creativity was my biggest asset, but it was also my biggest weakness because I can go the wrong way with the creative. I can also go the right way, but that challenge I slightly took it in the wrong direction. Maybe a lot," she laughed.

Alisha added that she was pleased with her finished dish, but seeing it all come together as the challenge time ran out, she had a feeling that she may be at risk of going home.

"I knew it wasn't going to be strong enough to carry me through," she admitted. "It was definitely a dish that, as a concept, sounded way better in my head but, when it was executed, in a competition with the calibre that it had, it wasn't going to be enough.

"I wasn't surprised by the results of that one," she added, laughing.

When Alisha was 19, she began sharing her baking on social media. Amassing quite the audience, she began to lean into it full-time and has since built the Sweet Bakes empire.

"I think my passion is about performance, and I find the art of cake and desserts quite performative," Alisha explained. "There's something very theatrical and so non-essential about cake and desserts that I just love. It exists only for the joy, creativity and fun of it, so that's what pulled me into it."

Cake is one of the only foods often accompanied by a song, carrying one out to dinner forces the whole table to turn their attention to it. "I love it when my cakes are the centre of attention, like I'm sooo shy," Alisha joked.

As a self-taught pastry chef, standing alongside some of the best in the country and competing in this season of Dessert Masters, Alisha initially felt like a fish out of water.

"But I've always been someone who will absolutely say yes to something that will challenge me, and every time I have, I've always come out the other side as a better person and a better baker so this was a no-brainer in that sense.

"I'm always competing against myself, trying to perfect my art, making it better but I've never put myself up against other pastry chefs before," she added.

The experience also gave Alisha the opportunity to receive feedback from Amaury Guichon and Melissa Leong. "I didn't think I could hold my own in a competition like this, and that was the objective for me.

"I didn't need to always be the best, I just wanted to be able to stand proudly and look at what I executed. I really did surprise myself in that sense. And having it validated by the judges was absolutely so rewarding," she said.

Alisha's motivation for coming into the competition was to prove that cake decorators, who are often underestimated in the pastry industry, shouldn't be underestimated.

"We have so many skills up our sleeves, and I really do feel like I got to showcase that. I don't think I have any regrets," she said.

Dessert Masters continues Sundays at 7pm and Mondays at 7.30pm on 10 and 10 Play.