If the food network is looking for its next big star, network executives should visit Tampa.
Addison McSheffrey, 12, is a natural in front of the camera. She's even more comfortable in the kitchen — her baking skills rival seasoned pros.
McSheffrey started baking when she was young.
"I had a babysitter who used to bake with me, and that's how I started," she said. "My friends know I love to bake, and they told us about the competition, so I decided to enter it."
The competition she's referring to was a cupcake design competition sponsored by local baker Kristina Lavalle, better known as The Cake Girl.
Lavalle was blown away by McSheffrey's entry video.
"I thought she was already an expert from the way she did her video," Lavalle said. "She explained everything about how she took the cupcake and created what she did. I was like, oh my god! She needs a job here. To see it was awesome!"
For the competition, McSheffrey was charged with creating a unique cupcake using supplies given to her, all the baking basics plus some candies. It took a little "out of the box" thinking, but she was ready for the challenge.
"I was looking for inspiration on Pinterest, and I was trying to see how to use all the candies that came in The Cake Girl's kit, and then I saw the cupcake sliders, so I decided to do that."
McSheffrey's final creation was a cupcake that looked just like a hamburger. She used food coloring to create the lettuce and tomato garnishes and even made little fries to go along with it. The final vote tally was unanimous, and McSheffrey was crowned the winner.
"Part of the prize is you get a session with The Cake Girl in her bakery, so I'm super excited to learn some new tricks from her," McSheffrey said.
So what is she most excited to learn during her session?
"Fondant, like covering cakes with fondant because that's something that I'm not the best at, so I'm hoping to improve on that."
