The highly anticipated Spring Baking Championship Season 11 made its debut on March 10, 2025, airing on Food Network. This season brings together an impressive lineup of 13 talented pastry chefs from across the nation, all vying for a grand prize of $25,000, a feature in Food Network Magazine, and the coveted title of Spring Baking Champion.
In a special interview with MassLive on March 9, 2025, contestant Lisa Clark shared her heartfelt reflections on her journey to this momentous occasion.
Lisa Clark: From Passion to Performance
Lisa candidly recounted the moment she received the news about her selection for the show:
“I never thought I would get to this point. Even though I’ve done it all, it still seems like I didn’t do it, you know what I mean? It’s crazy. But now that we’ll be able to watch it, I think it’ll sink more in that I actually did it,”she shared.
Expressing her excitement, Lisa revealed that she had to pull over while driving to compose herself after receiving the call. Currently, she holds the position of executive pastry chef at Peppers Artful Events in Northborough, Massachusetts.
A Journey Rooted in Baking
Lisa’s passion for baking was ignited in her childhood in Redmond, Washington. She fondly remembers starting in the kitchen alongside her mother, using a Barbie Easy Bake Oven before transitioning to more advanced baking techniques. After pursuing a degree in fashion at a California college, she ultimately returned to her first love by attending Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland, Oregon.
Lisa has spent over a decade at Peppers Artful Events, where she has received accolades including the Best Celebration Cake award at the 2019 ICA Catie Awards and Best Dessert in both Fork It Over and the Taste of Nashoba competitions. She made her participation in the Spring Baking Championship public with an Instagram post on February 25, 2025, writing:
“Dreaming that one day I’d be on the big screen baking my heart away,” she wrote.
Despite her extensive background, Lisa admitted to feeling nervous during the filming process:
“The anxiety of letting my loved ones and myself down was ever present,” she said.
To manage her nerves, she focused on staying organized and tackling each challenge one step at a time.
Adapting to the Competition Atmosphere
Lisa was no stranger to working in a fully-equipped kitchen, but the competitive environment of the show posed unique challenges:
“Each bake, they changed what was in the kitchen too,” she explained. “So certain fondant, cookie cutters or certain materials that they would offer weren’t necessarily there the next bake.”
This dynamic environment required her to quickly adjust and creatively utilize available resources. As the competition progressed, Lisa honed her skills, particularly in cake decorating, emphasizing that the show helped her grow as a baker and tested her ability to perform under pressure. She noted that her experience on the show involved continually doing new things and tapping into her creativity.
With episodes now airing, she expressed that the reality of her accomplishment is beginning to sink in:
“Now that we’ll be able to watch it, I think it’ll sink more in that I actually did it,” she remarked.
Clark hopes that her newfound exposure will not only benefit Peppers Artful Events but also assist her in achieving her dream of launching her own bakery in the future. She concluded by reflecting on her journey, expressing pride in her progress and the personal growth she experienced throughout this adventure.
New episodes of Spring Baking Championship air every Monday on Food Network. Don’t miss the action!