Larissa secures spot in MasterChef Top 12

Dessert queen Larissa Takchi’s pear and ginger cake saw her secure a Top 12 spot in MasterChef Australia.

Dessert queen Larissa is looking forward to Sweet Week. Pictures: Ten

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Facing elimination at any point of MasterChef is stressful but when you are the queen of desserts and Sweet Week is around the corner, the idea of leaving the competition would be almost unbearable.

Dural’s Larissa Takchi was determined to make it through last night’s elimination and secure a spot in MasterChef Australia’s Top 12 — and having a week focused on desserts approaching was even more motivation.

“I’ve been waiting for Sweet Week ever since I entered the competition,” the 22-year-old said.

“And watching previous seasons, I knew Sweet Week was coming up soon so I had that in the back of my mind and cooking for Maggie (Beer) I knew that I had to make it.”

Last night’s episode saw Larissa cook twice for the well-known Australian for a place in the Top 12.

Larissa (top left) has made it through to the Top 12.

Larissa’s first round dish of pan-fried prawns, which she made after doing a complete rethink of her dish with only ten minutes left of the cook, sent her into round two of elimination.

“I didn’t have the greatest day in the kitchen and I think cooking in the first round so badly and having to cook again in round two was something that was really hard for me to do,” she said.

In the second round, Larissa focused on her strengths and produced a pear and ginger cake.

“The first round I was trying to push my boundaries a bit but it just got out of hand,” she said.

“ … In the second round I thought, ‘I’m going to stick to my strengths’.”

It was a decision that ultimately paid off, with Maggie Beer describing her cake as “lovely and moist”.

“It's amazing to make the top 12,” Larissa said.

“I never thought I’d make it this far into the competition.”

Larissa, who grew up in Dural and managed popular cafe Wild Pear before joining MasterChef, has had The Hills cheering her on throughout the competition.

Messages have poured in through social media and Larissa said the support “definitely gets you further in the competition”.

“It’s just really nice to have the support from the community I’ve been brought up in,” she said.

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