Bake Squad: Release Date, Episodes, And More - What We Know So Far
Fans of genre-leading pastry chef and cooking competition judge Christina Tosi were no doubt disappointed by the news she would depart from "MasterChef" and "MasterChef Junior." But there is a silver lining in the form of Tosi's very own show, "Bake Squad," which is set to debut on Netflix next month. Tosi, of course, is the founder of the highly praised Milk Bar in New York, which opened in 2008 with an investment from David Chang's Momofuku Restaurant Group, according to Eater. The quirky dessert concept soon built a cult following and expanded with additional locations in NYC, as well as bakeries in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Boston, and Toronto (via the Milk Bar website).
As Tosi's business grew, her star began to rise. A pastry chef with plenty of likability and screen presence, Tosi began to make national TV appearances in 2011 (via her IMDb page), which led to her role as a judge on Food Network's "Chopped" and Fox's "MasterChef" and "MasterChef Junior."
Now, the dessert-disrupting, two-time James Beard Award-winning chef and cookbook author (per her Amazon page) has her own star vehicle in Netflix's "Bake Squad," and we can't wait to see what this creative mind does with her very own show. Here's what we know so far about "Bake Squad."
What is the release date of Bake Squad?
According to Netflix's YouTube Channel, where you can see the official "Bake Squad" trailer, the first episode of the series will debut on Wednesday, August 11.
In a 2018 interview with Variety, long before "Bake Squad" was a done deal, Tosi hinted that she had more she wanted to accomplish in television. Asked if she ever wanted to create a show of her very own, she said that after doing an episode of Netflix's Emmy-nominated "Chef's Table" she asked herself, "Am I putting enough of myself out there on a daily basis?"
Tosi told the magazine she wanted to "create a show that really embodies and celebrates the spirit of me that you get to know a piece of over that episode." She added, "I think food competition shows are amazing." We know "Bake Squad" ticks off at least one of the boxes: the cooking show is definitely a competition. As for whether it embodies and shares Tosi's essence and personality, we'll have to wait and see.
Who is in the Bake Squad cast?
Not surprisingly, Tosi, the inventor of "crack pie," cereal milk soft serve ice cream, and "compost" cookies (per Variety and Female Foodie) set her sights on outside-the-box bakers when it came time to cast her very own baking competition, "Bake Squad."
According to Delish, the competitors include cake expert Ashley Holt, a self-taught pastry chef and owner of Sugar Monsters Sweets in Brooklyn, NY. She's also a culinary producer and TV and print media food stylist. Holt is no stranger to front-of-the-camera roles, either, having won season 3 of TLC's "The Next Great Baker" (via Sugar Monsters Sweets) and appearing for two seasons on Cake Boss. French-born "pastry illusionist" Christophe Rull is also on the squad. According to his Instagram profile, Rull is a Food Network veteran and member of the winning Season 7 team on "Halloween Wars" (via Food Network Gossip) and "Holiday Wars" (via Facebook).
The founder of Chicago-based Justice of the Pies, Maya-Camille Broussard, is the "Bake Squad" resident pie expert. With pies that retail for nearly $70 on Goldbelly, Broussard has us eager to see what deliciousness she creates as part of Tosi's squad. Finally, there is chocolatier and "dessert wizard" Gonzo Jimenez. The co-owner of Miette et Chocolat in Colorado, Jimenez is known for his incredibly realistic and avant-garde chocolate art (via Instagram).
What will happen in episodes of Bake Squad?
The first season of "Bake Squad" consists of eight episodes (via Delish). According to Netflix, each episode of the Tosi-hosted "Bake Squad" pits the four bakers against each other as they "audition" to create a cake for someone's special day. Guests on the show are everyday people planning weddings, throwing birthday parties, or hosting other occasions, from a "My Daughter Kicked Cancer's Butt" party to celebrations of life. (As with every great food competition show, from the preview, it looks like we can expect some pretty emotionally cathartic moments.) Netflix says the bakers' mission is simple: "Make dessert dreams come true."
Based on the trailer, it seems like there are some pretty intense challenges, and viewers will also definitely be treated to some exciting "How did they do that?!" and "Mmmmm that is SO GOOD" moments. There are giant, physics-defying cakes, a humongous chocolate egg, a larger-than-life pastry tower, pastry "flower bouquets," a life-sized drum set cake, and more. In the video, Tosi promises that the desserts "will leave your party guests speechless."