Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
JASPER – A Jasper baker whose cakes are served at the Schnitzelbank, Retro Mexican Cuisine and Legacy Steakhouse is hoping to be named the winner of the 2023 Greatest Baker competition.
Tammy Bedolla loves baking and grew up with a mom, grandmother and great-grandmother who all loved to bake, but never saw herself as a professional baker. She started baking after closing a restaurant she owned.
“I had a restaurant in Ferdinand. I made it through COVID but after COVID, I couldn’t find help,” she said.
The 70-hour work weeks to keep it open were too much and she closed her bistro-style restaurant.
“People always liked my cakes, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ she said.
In addition to her restaurant clients, she also bakes cakes for individual customers.
Greatest Baker voting details
Online voting will determine the winner; the voting started Monday. The first elimination cutoff is Dec. 7. The competition is also a fundraising campaign for the B+ Foundation, which provides assistance to families affected by childhood cancer. The first vote is free; additional votes are tallied via a donation.
The Greatest Baker competition is presented by Buddy Valastro, host of “Cake Boss.”
The winner will receive $10,000 and will be featured in Bake From Scratch magazine.
Bedolla said she has a strong, loyal customer base and is counting on them to vote for her to be named the Greatest Baker.
Should she win the $10,000 prize, she said she would buy a commercial stand mixer to replace the two Kitchen Aid mixers she uses.
Baking has allowed Bedolla to tap into her creative side, especially for custom creations. She also makes sure her cakes taste as good as they look.
“I’ve learned so many techniques the last couple of years to make cakes that are richer and more decadent,” she said.
One of her specialties is a Mexican hot chocolate cake, which is served at Retro Mexican Cuisine.
“It’s very moist, it has notes of coffee and is a very unique cake,” she said.
You can vote for Bedolla and read more about the Greatest Baker contest here.