The Big Bake Halloween Season 4 — Meet the Bakers

Lead: Erin Erler

Hometown: Haverhill, Mass.

Occupation: Owner, Cakes by Erin

Team Members: Christine Barton and Cindy Ngar

Erin is a self-taught cake artist who began baking to create nut-free birthday cakes for her allergic son. She now has an extensive list of celebrity clients and specializes in custom designs. Erin’s teammates are Cindy and Christine, who each own their own bake shop. Erin previously won the Which Witch is Which episode in Season 1 of The Big Bake.

Lead: Timmy Norman

Hometown: Johnson City, Tenn.

Occupation: Owner and Operator, Cakebuds

Team Members: David Norman and Angela Bowes

Timmy is a former graphic designer with 13 years of baking experience. He specializes in realistic and extraordinary cake architecture. Timmy’s teammates are his dad David, a retired coal miner who’s highly skilled in structure and mechanics, and Angela, a self-taught baker proficient in icing, stacking, carving and molding. Timmy previously won the Elves on the Loose episode in Season 3 of The Big Bake.

Lead: Cassandra Curtis

Hometown: Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Occupation: Owner, Cassandra Cake Co.

Team Members: Emily Skazlic and Dalana Fleming

Cassandra is a self-taught cake artist with more than 15 years of experience. She began working in a bakery at 11, and at 14, her custom design won second place in a wedding cake competition. Cassandra’s teammates are Emily, a graduate of the LaSalle College Baking and Pastry Arts program, and Dalana, who specializes in custom cakes. Cassandra previously won the 12 Days of Cakemas episode in Season 2 of The Big Bake.

Lead: Elaine Li

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Occupation: Owner, Sweet and Shiny Bakery

Team Members: Miso Michaels and Risa Puno

A former at-home baker, Elaine is known for her 3D sculpted cakes with dynamic elements. Her teammates are Miso, a graduate of the Amaury Guichon Pastry Academy who specializes in flavour and texture, and Risa, who has been baking since high school and is an award-winning interactive installation artist.

Lead: David Waldren

Hometown: Bradford On Avon, U.K.

Occupation: Owner, The Cake Architect

Team Members: Ali Brown and Alex Warren

David is a talented baker who specializes in creating unique and highly sculpted cakes. His teammates are his mom Ali, who is known for her attention to detail, and his best friend Alex, who has been baking professionally for four years.

Lead: Myriam Lafond

Hometown: St. Jerome, Que.

Occupation: Owner, Imaginacake

Team Members: Anne-Marie Pennino and Gen Fiola

Myriam is known for making the impossible possible. She specializes in 3D and gravity-defying cakes. Her teammates are Anne-Marie, a cake shop owner who loves adding a Wow factor to her creations, and Gen, who is highly skilled in sculpting and modelling, and is known for being meticulous in the kitchen.

Lead: Frank La Mendola

Hometown: Wayne, NJ

Occupation: Culinary Arts Instructor

Team Members: Anthony Bruno and Cristian Rojas Hidalgo

Frank is a culinary arts instructor specializing in sculpting and building unusually shaped cakes. His teammates are Anthony, who excels at creating hyper-realistic cakes and hand-painting, and Cristian, who has been baking professionally for 10 years.

Lead: Amy Strickland

Hometown: Lake City, Fla.

Occupation: Owner, Brown Box Goods

Team Members: Keesha Fundora and Letricia Ervin

Amy has been baking for more than 15 years and is known for her unique cakes as well as her sculpting and carving capabilities. Her teammates are Keesha, who has been baking for 10 years and is extremely detail-oriented, and Letricia, whose experience with recipes and flavours is unmatched!

Lead: Marilou “Lou” Credo

Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.

Occupation: Owner of Cloud Cakes by Auntie Lou

Team Members: Aura Morrison and Raymond Cortez

Marilou is a professional baker best known for her delicious fusion of Asian and Western flavours. Her teammates are Aura, who specializes in cake decorating and working with modelling chocolate, and Raymond, who once worked as a head cake decorator for the Royal family in Saudi Arabia.

Lead: Indira Cristin

Hometown: Miami, Fla.

Occupation: Owner, Better Sweet Vegan Bakery

Team Members: Ramon Camacho Rodriguez and Megan Savely

Originally from Venezuela, Indira is the owner of a popular vegan bakery. Her specialties include fondant and sugar work. Indira’s teammates are Ramon, who loves working with buttercream and fondant, and Megan, who has been a professional baker for 15 years.

Lead: Kristen Budzynski

Hometown: Park Ridge, Ill.

Occupation: Owner, The Purple Tulip Bakery

Team Members: Barry Budzynski and Sara Baumer

Kristen has been baking for 15 years and is known for her detailed, customized cakes. She is highly skilled in sculpting and loves adding dynamic elements to her creations. Kristen’s teammates are her husband Barry, who specializes in the engineering and structure of cakes, and Sara, whose talents include fondant and sculpting.

Lead: Syeda Munawar Jabeen Jafri

Hometown: Milton, Ont.

Occupation: Baker, Bake Bazaar

Team Members: Rossana Jaouhari and Mathi Rohan

Syeda recently moved to Canada from Pakistan and has eight years of baking experience. Her teammates are Rossana, a custom cake decorator, and Mathi, who specializes in sculpting and enjoys combining art and cake.

Lead: Shannon Davie

Hometown: Surprise, Arizona

Occupation: Owner, The Happy Caker

Team Members: Holly Naylor and Katie Heppner

Shannon has been baking for 10 years and specializes in custom, sculpted cakes. Her teammates are Holly, who loves working with fondant and exploring different textures, and Katie, who is known for her unique flavour combinations and modelling chocolate work.

Lead: Heather Salmon-Caines

Hometown: Florenceville-Bristol, N.B.

Occupation: Owner, Carlow Cake

Team Members: Brooke Taylor and Tammy Varela

With a background in graphic design, Heather is now an accomplished cake artist known for her painting skills and 3D sculpted creations. Her teammates are Brooke, who enjoys working with modelling chocolate and sugar, and Tammy, an expert in isomalt and large cake design.

Lead: Alex Joseph Martin

Hometown: Mason, Ohio

Occupation: Owner, A Spoon Fulla Sugar

Team Members: Liz Chastain and Sam Glass

Alex has been baking professionally for 13 years. He is known for his gravity-defying cakes and dynamic elements. Alex’s teammates are Liz, who specializes in detailed fondant work, and Sam, who is known for her hand-painting skills.

Lead: Justin McCarty

Hometown: Blue Anchor, NJ

Occupation: Owner, Cakes by Justin

Team Members: Daylyn Graff and Jillian Hopke

A graduate of the culinary program at Atlantic Cape College, Justin has been baking since he was 11. He is known for his gravity-defying cakes and intricate builds. Justin’s teammates are Daylyn, who loves working with sugar and creating unique flavour combinations, and Jillian, who specializes in large, sculpted cakes.

Lead: Rebekah Ontiveros

Hometown: Brunswick, Md.

Occupation: Owner, Hive Cake Shop

Team Members: Sally Ontiveros and Marianne Daquino

Rebekah is an award-winning cake and cookie artist who has been baking since childhood. She owns her own custom cake shop, which is known for its unique flavors and creative designs. Growing up, she and her younger sister Sally battled each other in their own Iron Chef-style challenges, which fostered a love for food competition and culinary creation. Rebekah’s teammates are her sister Sally, who has been baking professionally for more than a decade, and Marianne, a pastry instructor specializing in sugar and chocolate.

Lead: Jaaelon “Jaa” Washington

Hometown: Chicagoland, Ind.

Occupation: Owner, JaaCakes

Team Members: Becky Hines and Alex Strassmann

Jaaelon developed an early interest in baking and got her first mixer at age eight. She went on to study at the prestigious French Pastry School and now specializes in fondant work and sculpting. Her teammates are Becky, who is known for her extravagant cakes, and Alex, who loves to tell a story and be innovative in the kitchen.

Lead: Ebonie Carzo

Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.

Occupation: Owner, Virginia Marie Cake Boutique

Team Members: Michele Holmes and Aleatra Dimitrijevski

A lifelong baker, Ebonie has been operating her home-based bakery for eight years. Her biggest bake to date was a 10-tier cake for a mass wedding event. Ebonie’s teammates are Michele, who is a skilled sculptor and has been decorating cakes for 11 years, and Aleatra, a trained chef whose work is detailed and precise. Ebonie previously appeared on the Haunted Pirate Ship episode in Season 3 of The Big Bake.

Lead: Baindu Squire

Hometown: New Orleans, La.

Occupation: Owner and Operator, LadyB’s

Team Members: Daena Cunningham-Hunte and Jessica Tatham

Baindu is a classically trained chef who specializes in custom cakes and 3D structures. Her teammates are Daena, a passionate self-taught baker who loves creating beautiful, flavour-packed desserts, and Jessica, who is known for her gravity-defying structures and special effects. Baindu previously appeared on the Elves on the Loose episode in Season 3 of The Big Bake.

Lead: Korey Wells

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.

Occupation: Owner and Operator, Whiskful Thinking Cakes

Team Members: Christy Horner and Kristen Hutton

Korey holds a degree in illustration and fine arts, which she uses in her baking. She specializes in hand-painted and illustrated cakes and is also skilled in creating tall cakes and dynamic cakes with working lights. Her teammates are Christy, who has an associate degree in baking and pastry arts, and Kristen, who has an impeccable eye for design and balance. Korey previously speared on the Creepy Carnival episode in Season 3 of The Big Bake.