This Thanksgiving, Oscar Stowell plans to bake the pies for his family gathering. A lot of pies, somewhere along the lines of a baker’s dozen.
It will feel like a cinch for the 15-year-old from Ross, who has become a bit of an expert in the kitchen after competing in the most recent season — season 12 — of Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship. Stowell, who was 12 when the show was filmed in 2022, worked his way through 10 intense, school-themed baking challenges and made it all the way to the finale with two other contestants.
We recently caught up with Stowell to chat about his experience competing on a reality show and his love of creating in the kitchen.
How did you find out about the Kids Baking Championship in the first place?
It was during the pandemic. I watched the Great British Baking Show, and it led me to wonder if there were any kid baking competitions. When I found the Kids Baking Championship and watched a couple of episodes, I realized, “I want to do this!” That was in 2022.
How did you learn how to bake? Did you teach yourself?
I first started baking with my grandma, but I use the term ‘baking’ very loosely. We would make boxed cakes and things like that. During lockdown, with so much more free time, I felt like baking was a chance for me to learn something new and possibly inspire others. I thought “What about making a mix from scratch? What if I started experimenting and trying out new things?” And that was really when I started really getting into baking.
How did you get on the show?
During a weeklong school break, I filled out the show application, took photos of items I baked and made a video of myself in the kitchen. What I submitted was more about my character and the kind of person I am, versus what I liked to bake.
Do you have a favorite thing to bake? It’s kind of hard to pick one, right?
One of my favorite things I’ve ever made was a wedding cake I made for some of our friends. It was vanilla cake with fresh raspberries and white chocolate ganache. That same day, I also made a lemon meringue cheesecake for an 87-year-old friend’s birthday.
Wow, that’s quite ambitious! What’s your favorite item you made on the show?
During the school lunch challenge, I came up with a “fish stick” that was a spiced baked donut rolled in buttermilk batter, puffed rice, cinnamon and sugar and then fried. And then covered in another layer of cinnamon and sugar just to make it even more healthy (laughs). Ironically, I am a vegetarian who doesn’t eat fish sticks. But I won that particular challenge!
Speaking of challenges, did you have a favorite one?
I would say the final one, making a volcano cake, was definitely one of my favorites. I got to use a tool called a fondant sheeter in that one. In general, all the challenges were so fun because I was in an incredible kitchen with all of these resources and was so excited to use them. Besides, making a volcano cake is something that I would never even attempt to do at home.
Did you make any friends on the set that you still keep in touch with?
I am still friends with Elsie, who is two days older than my own younger sister. I thought of her as a substitute sister during filming.
