Spring Baking Championship: Meet the Season 7 Bakers

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Lydia Hrycko

New season, new host and a slew of new delicious challenges! 11 bakers enter the kitchen to take on seasonal challenges celebrating spring, all judged by the talented panel of judges including Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown. Only one of these bakers will prove their talents are worthy of the $25,000 grand price and the title of Spring Baking Champion.

Watch Spring Baking Championship Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Watch and stream all your favourite Food Network Canada shows through STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels, or with the new Global TV app, live and on-demand when you sign-in with your cable subscription.

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Chiantae Campbell From Miami, FL

Chintae's love for baking started at an early age and she draws inspiration from growing up in Jamaica to create her <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/baking/photos/spring-cake-recipes/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">beautiful cakes</a>. Chintae opened her bakery, Chic Little Cakes in 2019 and focuses on gorgeous custom cakes, doughnuts, tartlets and sugar cookies.
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Laurent Carratie From Mendham, NJ

Originally hailing from France where he got his pastry training and <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/great-chocolate-showdown/photos/chocolate-techniques-to-master/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">chocolate-making skills</a>, baking is in Laurent's bones. Laurent is an executive chef of The Harvard Club, chocolatier and consultant.
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Madiha Chughtai From Richmond, TX

Originally from Pakiston, Madiha has recently discovered a new passion for baking. Her specialty is beautiful custom cakes and services the Richmond and Houston area with her specialty desserts as the founder of M's Cakes and Bakes.
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Derek Corsino From Saint Helena, CA

Derek Corsino AKA Professor Cake is a pastry chef and educator (currently teaching the art of <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/baking/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">baking </a>at Healdsburg High) with over two decades of culinary experience He's also no stranger to competition, having competed on three Food Network shows already.
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Jahmal Dailey From Brooklyn, NY

Michelin-trained and Brooklyn-based chef Jahmal is ready to make desserts accessible to any diet, be it <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/healthy-eating/photos/gluten-free-dessert-recipes/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">gluten-free</a>, nut-free or vegan. He's the owner of The Dailey Pastry, where he specializes in making macaron.
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Stephanie DeVoll From Norwalk, CA

Baking has always been in her blood, but Stephanie began to take baking seriously after she had her daughter and enrolled in culinary school. Now, Stephanie is the co-owner of Whisk'd Away where she specializes in beautiful handmade baked goods.
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Veruska Samanez From Cedar Grove, NJ

For pastry cook Veruska, food has been a lifelong passion dating back to her early memories in the kitchen with family. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Veruska currently works at the Park Hyatt in New York.
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Dayron Santamaria From Takoma Park, MD

Perfectionist Dayron is the executive pastry chef at Annare Italian Pastry in Washington. Dayron states that his "passion for baking is in his blood, the love for what I do is a feeling I can't hide".
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Natalie Soto From Capistrano Beach, CA

With 25 years of experience under her belt, Natalie is ready for the competition. After attending culinary school, she discovered a love for the sweet things in life and moved on to focus on <a href="https://www.foodnetwork.ca/entertaining/photos/puff-pastry-appetizers/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">pastry</a>. She is the owner of Sweet As Love in Orange County.
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LeeAnn Tolentino From Los Angeles, CA

LA-based LeeAnn was the executive pastry chef at Dominique Ansel LA Bakery (which has since closed due to COVID-19) and has now moved on to work in pastry research and development. While shy, she's ready to step into the spotlight to win Spring Baking Championship.
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Keya Wingfield From Richmond, VA

Food is Keya's love languages, and she uses her Indian-American background to inspire it (she was born in India and currently lives in Virginia). Keya is the owner of Keya & Co Baking in Richmond.
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