Holiday Baking Championship Season 11 gathers amazingly talented bakers alongside a veteran panel of judges, including Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall.
The brand-new season of the festive competition from the Food Network returns after a successful showcase of cast members from Holiday Baking Championship Season 10. This season, the competition's theme consists of various big ideas, such as creating desserts for simple holiday get-togethers to a gingerbread house party. The winner of Season 11 will receive $25,000 and the right to be called Holiday Baking Champion.
Holiday Baking Championship Season 11 premiered on the Food Network on November 4.
Every Host, Judge, & Contestant of Holiday Baking Championship Season 11
Host:
Jesse Palmer
Instagram: @jessepalmer
Jesse Palmer, who has been with the show since Season 4, is back as the host of Holiday Baking Championship Season 11.
Palmer is best known as the host of The Bachelor, a former NFL quarterback turned sports analyst for ESPN, and for his stints on Good Morning America and The Proposal on ABC.
Judges:
Nancy Fuller
Instagram: @fullerfarmer
Nancy Fuller returns to lead the pool of judges in Season 11. She has been a mainstay judge of several Food Network competition series, such as Clash of the Grandmas and Spring Baking Championship.
She also hosts Farmhouse Rules, a reality series about her cooking and life in the Hudson Valley.
Outside of Food Network, she is the co-owner of Grinsberg's Foods, a food distributor in Hudson, New York.
Duff Goldman
Instagram: @duffgoldman
Duff Goldman is a world-renowned pastry chef and superstar baker who uses his kitchen expertise to create custom-designed cakes. He is best known for appearing in his Food Network series, Ace of Cakes.
Goldman is also a businessman and the proud owner of Charm City Cakes, a cake shop in Baltimore.
Carla Hall
Instagram: @carlaphall
Top Chef alum and The Chew co-host Carla Hall is part of the pool of judges in Holiday Baking Championship Season 11.
Hall is known for reminding contestants and audiences to always cook with love, a mantra she has been using to propel her success in the kitchen over the years.
Contestants:
Megan Knudsvig
Instagram: @the.white.whisk
Megan Knudsvig is a home baker from Chehalis, Washington State. She first started baking when she was a junior in high school, inspired by watching cake decoration shows.
As a mom to three girls, she wants to make them proud by winning it all in the 2024 edition of Holiday Baking Championship.
Julian Coronado
Instagram: @juliantheechef
Julian Coronado, a pastry chef from Fowler, California, joins the fun in Season 11 of the Holiday Baking Championship.
He is known as a custom wine cake decorator and for creating delectable French pastries. Coronado's baking style includes a "clean and classic approach."
Natasha Aschoff
Instagram: @capebatter
Another home bakery owner joining the competition is Natasha Aschoff from Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Natasha's family is from Croatia, and she always includes some Croatian touch in everything she does (which, of course, includes baking).
Rafi Dekrmnjian
Instagram: @rafiscakes
Rafi Dekrmnjian is a proud bakery owner from Northridge, California. He owns Rafi's Cakes, a dessert shop from Glendale, California, that offers luscious cakes with elegant designs.
Rafi's baking style involves traditional flavors with modern designs.
Rolf Runkel
Instagram: @chefrolfbaking
Rolf Runkel, a pastry instructor from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is vying for the ultimate prize in the Holiday Baking Championship Season 11.
Rolf grew up in Switzerland, where he was trained by his father, who owns a family baking business. He then pursued a career as a young chef traveling the world.
Despite his grey hair and old age, Rolf wants to prove that he can still reach the top in the brand-new season of the Food Network series.
Courtney Reed
Instagram: @ladyflavorbakes
Courtney Reed joins the cast of contestants in Holiday Baking Championship Season 11. She is a pastry chef from Elizabeth, New Jersey, whose baking style is described as "super French."
Courtney wants to win the competition for her son, who has special needs.
Jonathan Cedrone
Instagram: @nutmegcakedesign & @pastryperfectionist
Working as a cake artist and head baker of a custom cake bakery proves that Jonathan Cedrone is not a stranger to high-pressure situations, so he is a strong contender in the pool of contestants in Holiday Baking Championship Season 11.
Jonathan reveals in his introduction that he was born with a heart defect, limiting his involvement in sports and other activities that can get his heart rate high.
This allowed him to embrace his creativity, leading him to a baking career.
Andre Ward
Instagram: @thepastrywarden
Andre Ward currently works as a culinary instructor from Jacksonville, Florida.
He served as a pastry chef in the U.S. Army for 24 years and worked for former President Barack Obama and four other Secretaries of Defense.
Andre believes that he can win the ultimate prize because of his competitive mentality and his extensive experience in a wide array of baking competitions.
Delna Patel
Instagram: @choc_oh_toronto
Delna Patel is a chocolatier and a bakery owner from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who considers herself a "Chocolate Queen."
Delna's late mother inspired her to pursue a career in baking, and she wants to make her proud by winning the 2024 edition of the competition.
Karen Belton
Riverside, California native Karen Belton owns a home bakery and has worked as a pastry sous chef for seven years.
Karen is leaving her comfort zone by joining Season 11 of the hit Food Network series.
She aims to not let her family down after pushing her to embrace the spontaneity of participating in a high-profile competition like the Holiday Baking Championship.
Luna Jer Barrios
Instagram: @lalalunaluu
Luna Jer Barrios works as a pastry sous chef from Carson City, Nevada, and she is out to prove that she can outbake the rest of the field in Season 11.
She has been baking since she was five years old, pointing out that baking has served as a safe haven and her escape whenever she gets bullied.
Steven Levitt
Instagram: @gratefulbaker243
Steven Levitt is a home baker and a business owner from Aurora, Ontario. He previously competed in The Great Canadian Baking Show Season 5 in 2022.
He is known for prioritizing flavors in his baking, and this strategy has helped him reach the finals in the aforementioned Canadian competition.
Season 11 episodes of The Holiday Baking Championship air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on Food Network and stream on Max.
For another taste of baking competition, check out the cast of the 2024 edition of Spring Baking Championship, which premiered in March 2024.
