Just in time for the holidays, Brian Valencia, a local cake decorator at the Peppermill in Reno is going to be on a Food Network show this Sunday. Valencia has already won a baking show in the past, HBO’s “Bake-Topia”, and now she’s hoping to take first in Food Networks “Holiday Wars”.
Valencia has been cake decorating since she was just 13-years-old. When he was younger, he was inspired by Food Network shows like “Cake Boss” and “Ace of Cakes”.
Although he told us that there’s also something to be said about helping grandma in the kitchen, but once he started baking that’s when his passion took off.
Valencia said he wanted to build his own baking empire just as his idol, Buddy Valastro from “Cake Boss” did. Valastro himself has made many appearances on the Food Network.
Valencia said it’s an honor to take the same steps as him.
“Now that I’m participating on ‘Holiday Wars’ I’m really excited how much I’ve come, how much I’ve grown and learned throughout the years,” Valencia said.
He also said the main reason he got into cake decorating in the first place was the little things.
“Seeing people smile whenever I would bake them a cake and just that instant gratification,” he said. “I’m making it with my own hands and people love it and that’s what got me into it really.”
He also said baking is a huge creative outlet in his life.
“Not only do I decorate cakes but I also love to cook, I love to draw and paint,” he said.
He also emphasized just how much patience it takes to bake well.
“If the cake doesn’t come out right, you have to do it all over again just to get it perfect,” Valencia says.
Valencia used to work in South Lake Tahoe as a cake decorator, but she has since moved to the Peppermill and has been there for a year.
He said the work environment at the Peppermill had taught him how to bake quicker while working in a production bakery.
Making five to 15 cakes per day is no easy task.
“I am making a lot of cakes, not just custom cakes but cakes also for all of the outlets and restaurants at the peppermill,” Valencia said.
Recently he made a three-dimensional Hocus Pocus themed cake that’s he’s most proud of. It’s complete with a witch’s hat, cauldron and spell book.
“We had it on display people would go in just to see the cake and I felt really proud of it,” he said.
Valencia said he was honored just to have the opportunity to participate on the “Holiday Wars” show.
But he didn’t go in alone, he had his two teammates Cory the cookie artist and Peggy the Sugar artist coming in together as The Frostbites.
Valencia said the most important part is “Working as a team, because that’s the most important part it doesn’t matter how good you are as an individual but working with two other people is the funnest and most difficult.”