The Evolution of Buddy Valastro: From Cake Boss to Buddy vs. Duff

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Denette Wilford

Buddy Valastro has come a long way in a short time, from son of a baker to boss of all things baked. And while his personality has made for perfect television, Buddy still does what he does best: bakes elaborate and mouthwatering cakes that are treats for the mouth and the eyes. But while cakes may be his day job (thanks to Carlo’s Bakery), family is everything for the husband and father of four. His two cookbooks are all about famiglia and the fourth generation baker keeps those traditions going in his shops. Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we, and explore the evolution of Buddy Valastro.

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Jersey Boy

Buddy was born in Hoboken, N.J. in 1977. The baby of the Valastro clan (he has four older sisters) began working at his family's business, Carlo's Bakery, at age 11, alongside his father, Buddy Sr. He took baking courses in high school, but the baking gene was already in his blood. Nothing was going to stop him from creating cakes and other amazing confections.
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Shop Talk

Buddy’s dad passed away in 1994 when he was 17, and Buddy not only took over the shop but also succeeded him as the new cake boss — literally.
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Buddy's Television Debut

The shop has made a name for itself by producing some of the most extravagant and grandiose cakes. Buddy made his first appearance on the Food Network in 2007, when he guest-mentored the “Battle of the Brides” episode of Food Network Challenge. But with his personality, it wouldn’t be the last we saw of him on-screen. In fact, it was just a taste.
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Star Power

Carlo’s Bakery is known for creating cakes for any occasion that are devoured by celebrities (from Britney to Beyoncé to Big Bird) and ordinary Joes alike.
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The Big Time

In 2009, his series – the aptly named Cake Boss – premiered on TLC and ran for eight seasons. It spawned several spinoffs including Next Great Baker, Kitchen Boss, Bakers vs. Fakers and <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/buddys-family-vacation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Buddy's Family Vacation</a>, which featured Buddy, wife Lisa and their four kids — Sofia, Buddy Jr., Marco and Carlo — as they embarked on an RV road trip across America in search of delicious eats and fun-filled adventures.
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Sweet Street

Carlo's Bakery actually founded by Italian pastry chef Carlo Guastaferro in 1910 before he sold it to Buddy’s father in 1964. In 2010, in honour of the bakery’s 100th anniversary, Hoboken renamed the corner of where the shop sits (Washington and Newark Streets) to Carlo’s Bakery Way.
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A Rivalry Was Born

The brilliant idea of pitting Buddy against Ace of Cakes’ Duff Goldman was an epic baking battle that couldn’t be denied. They may be baking royalty but their styles are very different as Buddy's cakes tend to be huge and filled with all kinds of personality, while Duff’s are meticulously detailed. In any case, both are gorgeous and undoubtedly delicious.
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Host With the Most

The 43-year-old couldn’t be a more perfect host for the series Bake You Rich, which saw four bakers competing to become a household name. Each episode’s victor found their winning creation available to order at Carlo’s Bakery. Now that’s sweet.
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Ace of Cupcakes

Buddy broke his own Guinness World Record <a href="https://youtu.be/ObsxaMYfgBM" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in October 2019</a> when he appeared on Live! With Kelly and Ryan and iced even more cupcakes in one minute than he did earlier in the year.
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Buddy vs. Duff: Take Two

Duff may have taken Season 1 of <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/buddy-vs-duff/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Buddy vs. Duff</a> but Buddy’s got something to prove in the show’s current second season. We can’t wait to see if Duff will retain his title or if Buddy will be named the new king of cake.
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