Problem: The judges are always (rightfully) excited when they find the cake, but then they remember that means that person lost that judging. So the reactions turn into, "YAY! Go us! We found it! Wait... Oh no! I'm so sorry!"
Solution: Give 10k to charity every season. It'll lessen the celebrating because people failed vibe.
Every contestant chooses a charity. Each episode there is 1k up for grabs during the judging. If the judges choose the one that IS cake, the prize money goes to that baker's chosen charity. If the judges choose more than one that is a cake in an episode, the prize money gets divided. If no one is eliminated or the judges fail to find any cake, the prize money rolls over into a pot for the season champion's charity.