Dates and times below are CDT (GMT-5).
This year’s keynote comes from someone whose resume reads like baking royalty. Gale Gand – yes, the one who worked alongside Julia Child – has built a career by saying yes to opportunities long before she had everything figured out.
Whether she was co-authoring cookbooks, hosting her own Food Network show, or making peach cobbler for Aretha Franklin, Gale leaned into the unknown and made it work.
In this keynote, she shares why embracing the unfamiliar can change everything – from your business to your life. If you’ve ever held back from trying something new until you felt more “ready,” Gale’s story will challenge you to take the leap anyway.
No matter what kind of business you run or what dream you’re building this talk is your reminder that bold moves don’t start with having a plan. They start with saying yes.
Gale Gand is a pastry chef and had the Michelin two-star restaurant, Tru, in Chicago. She hosted Food Network’s show “Sweet Dreams”, has written 8 cookbooks, and worked with Julia Child on her book and PBS series, “Baking with Julia”. Gale teaches cooking classes, has an artisanal root beer company, and has 2 James Beard Awards. She is a professional Pie and Food Competition Judge. In 2022 she cooked in Poland and Ukraine with Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen. She is the mother of 3, has a BFA from RIT in Metalsmithing, and plays the ukulele. Fun fact: She once made a Peach Cobbler for Aretha Franklin.
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From chewy cookies to tender cakes, every bake comes down to understanding your ingredients. In this session, you’ll explore the science and technique behind the ten core building blocks of baking – flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and more. Learn what each ingredient does, why methods like creaming and folding matter, and how to swap or make your own staples when needed. We’ll cover how to set up your kitchen for success, the secrets of mise en place, and how to approach any recipe with confidence. With live demos along the way, you’ll discover how mastering ingredients and technique turns following a recipe into truly understanding it.
Pastry diploma in hand and college degree secured, Chef Mel’s professional baking journey began in Paris, where she trained with some of the biggest pastry chef icons, including Pierre Hermé, François Payard, and Laurent Duchêne. She opened a bakery in Paris at the age of twenty-six and created mesmerizing events, bringing the rainbow cake to Paris for the first time with appearances on Top Chef France, M6, TF1, 100% Mag, and in hundreds of articles.
Chef Mel went on to create the first-ever edible cupcake dress for the Salon du Chocolat in both Paris and London. She won the Food Network’s Chopped twice. Chef Mel brings you fifteen years of pastry savoir faire, expert baking kit experiences, and the industry’s best-kept secrets. Her company, Bake it with Mel, teaches you elegant French baking as easy as box cake mix. In her baking club, members bake alongside their butter half, Chef Mel.
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
If you’ve ever dreamed of the smell of fresh-baked bread filling your kitchen as you pull a golden loaf of sourdough from your oven, this is the class for you! Join Maria Baradell, the baker behind Leaf & Loaf, as she guides you through the timeless art of sourdough baking. Together, you’ll learn how to create and care for a sourdough starter, master the rhythm of mixing and performing stretch-and-folds and coil folds, and gain the confidence to recognize when bulk fermentation is just right. You’ll also learn shaping and baking techniques that will set you up for bakery-quality results every time. And because Maria bakes dozens of loaves each week from her home kitchen, she’ll share practical tips for scaling up – in case you want to gift loaves to friends or sell them in your community.
Note: To fully participate in this hands-on class, you’ll need a sourdough starter. Maria recommends starting your own or purchasing one at least one week before class. Full instructions will be provided in the class materials.
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We’re all together here – back-to-back sessions you won’t mant to miss
You can’t sit in three classes at the same time – but you can catch all three instructors together right after. This live panel is your chance to ask anything on baking or decorating (not just about their classes), connect with the experts whose sessions you missed, and get unfiltered answers straight from the source.
Discover how effortless it can be to infuse oils, butters, honeys, and more with the LĒVO infusion machine. In this live demo, the LĒVO team will walk you through the simple process of creating custom infusions at home while sharing tips for unlocking flavor, consistency, and creativity in your baking. Whether you’re curious about boosting your favorite recipes or exploring new possibilities, this session will show you just how versatile infusing can be.
One lucky attendee will take home the LĒVO II+, the ultimate infusion machine.
Join chef instructor Kristin “Baker Bettie” Hoffman for a deep dive into the fascinating world of leavening. From light-as-air muffins to crusty artisan loaves, leavening is what gives baked goods their beautiful rise. In this session, you’ll explore the science behind how it all works, from yeast and baking powder to whipped egg whites. We’ll cover the three main types of leavening (biological, chemical, and physical), the science of how ingredients interact with various leavening agents to create lift, the role temperature, time, and moisture play in successful leavening, and common issues and how to troubleshoot flat or dense bakes. There will be multiple demos to see leavening in action.
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
We’re all together here – back-to-back sessions you won’t mant to miss
You can’t sit in three classes at the same time – but you can catch all three instructors together right after. This live panel is your chance to ask anything on baking or decorating (not just about their classes), connect with the experts whose sessions you missed, and get unfiltered answers straight from the source.
We’re all together here – back-to-back sessions you won’t mant to miss
Decorating Day kicks off now! Get the key instructions for the day and snag prizes before the decorating magic begins.
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Stephanie is a self-taught baker and the owner of PetiteCakesAndSweets, a home-based bakery in Central Florida known for custom cakes and treat boxes. She learned to bake from scratch alongside her grandmother and passed that passion on to her own family, eventually turning it into a business. After her cake clients began requesting chocolate treats, Stephanie focused on mastering cake pops and chocolate work, quickly making treat boxes a signature offering.
Now, more than eleven years later, treat boxes are the most requested item on her menu. She has also taught students from across the country who travel to Florida to learn her custom treat techniques. For Stephanie, a treat box is not just about the sweets inside. It is about the thoughtful design, the creative touches, and the joy it brings to the person receiving it.
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
We’re all together here – back-to-back sessions you won’t mant to miss
You can’t sit in three classes at the same time – but you can catch all three instructors together right after. This live panel is your chance to ask anything on baking or decorating (not just about their classes), connect with the experts whose sessions you missed, and get unfiltered answers straight from the source.
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
Step into the world of cake decorating with Kala Boulard in this beginner-friendly hands-on class. You’ll learn how to prepare and stack your cake, apply a smooth crumb coat, create clean edges, and practice piping techniques with versatile tips. Kala will also share the most frequent decorating mistakes and how to avoid them so you can finish class with a polished cake and the confidence to do it again at home. Along the way, you’ll explore LorAnn Oils’ new Organic Reserve Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste and Vanilla Extract.
Three live attendees will each win a LorAnn Oils giveaway bundle, including the Organic Reserve Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste and Vanilla Extract, a “Bake the World a Better Place” apron, and a 4-pack of food coloring gels.
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
We’re all together here – back-to-back sessions you won’t mant to miss
You can’t sit in three classes at the same time – but you can catch all three instructors together right after. This live panel is your chance to ask anything on baking or decorating (not just about their classes), connect with the experts whose sessions you missed, and get unfiltered answers straight from the source.
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
Ready to turn simple cakes into show-stoppers without the stress of freehand piping? In this class, you’ll learn how to create beautiful buttercream transfer designs that bring any image to life on a cake. You’ll walk away with the skills to source and prepare ideal images, gather the right tools and colors, trace and fill clean designs, transfer them smoothly onto a cake, and fix common issues with expert tricks. Whether you’re a hobby baker or growing your cake business, this method is a total game-changer that makes detailed decorating easy, repeatable, and fun.
Katelyn Allen known to her sweet online community as Sweet Kate Bake, is a joyful content creator, cake artist, and baking educator whose mission is to make beautiful baking as fun to do as it is to eat. Known for her bright energy, heartfelt teaching style, and irresistible cake designs, Katelyn brings both skill and spirit to every sweet creation.
She’s earned her stripes both online and on screen—most notably as a semifinalist on FOX’s hit baking competition Crime Scene Kitchen. With multiple viral moments and a growing digital platform, Katelyn has become a trusted voice in the baking community, known for sharing not just polished results, but the real, relatable journey behind them—flour spills and frosting flops included.
Her creative partnerships with beloved brands like Wilton, Owala, Meadow Gold, Satin Ice, 3Doodler, Kootek, and more allow her to develop joyful, accessible content that inspires bakers at every level. Through online classes, behind-the-scenes storytelling, and a whole lot of encouragement, Katelyn’s sweet superpower is helping others turn cake dreams into confidence—and reminding them that joy always has a place in the kitchen.
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
We’re all together here – back-to-back sessions you won’t mant to miss
You can’t sit in three classes at the same time – but you can catch all three instructors together right after. This live panel is your chance to ask anything on baking or decorating (not just about their classes), connect with the experts whose sessions you missed, and get unfiltered answers straight from the source.
Join Stefani Pollack, founder of The Bake Fest, to discover two time-sensitive programs designed to drive your baking business and skills to the next level. Baker Bosses helps you hit real goals faster with accountability, momentum, and strategies that get results – but its special deal ends shortly after Bake Fest. Baking Basics Bootcamp sharpens your decorating skills and positions you for certification with the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) in just 12 weeks, with enrollment capped at 25 people.
Refuel, relax, or pop into the networking rooms to mingle
We’re all together here – back-to-back sessions you won’t mant to miss
