Like a Cake Boss
Food Network taps top Austin talent for sweet new show
Later this month Food Network will premiere a sweet new series featuring a couple of Austin's top bakers. Jackie McGrath of Sweet Treets Bakery and Natalie Sideserf of Sideserf Cakes will put their skills to the test on Duff Till Dawn, hosted by confectionery master Duff Goldman.
During the show, Goldman's bakery turns into a battleground where two teams of cake decorators duke it out to create outstanding, over-the-top cakes in just one night. A rotating panel of celebrity judges — including Haylie Duff, Kevin Smith and Kelis Rogers — determine the winner of each episode, who takes home a coveted golden whisk.
It's simply coincidence that two Austin bakers are featured on the series, a press contact tells us. McGrath and Sideserf do not work together, nor do they compete against each other on the show.
Sweet Treets Bakery's McGrath, who has been making cakes professionally for four years, is known for pulling off seemingly impossible cakes that blend crazy ingredients and elements together. On the "Castle Clash!" episode, airing February 12, McGrath's "medieval manor" goes up against the whimsy of Reva Alexander-Hawk's "sugary stronghold."
Details and the premiere date for the episode featuring Sideserf (who is known for offbeat and extreme creations like severed head cakes) have not yet been released. Food Network's Duff Till Dawn premieres on Thursday, January 29 at 9:30 pm.