The new season of Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship began to air last month, and Colorado’s Asian American community has been thrilled to cheer on a familiar face.Thoa Nguyen, owner of Bánh & Butter Bakery Café in Aurora, participates as a contestant on the eight-episode show. In this competition, a group of bakers display their immense baking skills, including in a challenge inspired by chocolatier Wonka. Jesse Palmer hosts and, along with judges Carla Hall, Duff Goldman and Nancy Fuller, decides which baker wins the title of Holiday Baking Champion to take home the grand prize of $25,000. Follow the competition on social media using #HolidayBakingChampionship or learn more about at FoodNetwork.com/HolidayBakingChampionship.
Thoa Nguyen showcases her skills in holiday baking
In this season of Holiday Baking Championship, contestant Thoa Nguyen sprinkled aspects of her Vietnamese American culture and food into the baking challenges, in order to stay true to who she is. “For the rolls challenge, I made a milk bun instead of a cinnamon roll, which was my way of bringing in the same Asian fusion and culture I do at Bánh & Butter,” she said. Nguyen, owner of Bánh & Butter Bakery Café, said, “Asian Americans, we live with this double identity. And in baking, how do you put yourself into something and onto the plate? I had trouble distinguishing this growing up, but I have found a middle ground of being American enough and Asian enough through Bánh & Butter.” Since opening the cafe, which is located on East Colfax in Aurora, the Asian American community has packed her store and are now excited to cheer her on each week as new episodes air.
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December 2023 | Food
“I see a huge support from the Asian American community, so I do want to say thank you. Asian Americans love to support and uplift each other and I feel the love,” she said. “It meant a lot to me to represent Aurora on the show because it’s such a diverse area and I hope to help bring more people into our Aurora community to support the multicultural and Asian businesses.” Nguyen’s favorite part of the show was becoming friends with the other contestants, some of which she still talks to every day. “There was a lot of chemistry between the contestants. They are a huge part of my life now and will be my long time friends.” Her proudest moment was in episode four, when she leaned into her skills and found her confidence. “This episode was a huge turnaround as I went into it on the bottom two, but won the preheat and was top
two for the main heat,” she said. “It showed that I was in it to win it and I was able to redeem myself.” Activating her creative side, she felt comfortable executing the two desserts on this episode: a Mont Blanc French dessert and a whimsical Willy Wonka cake. Nguyen has already began presenting her desserts from the show at her bakery. During Thanksgiving, she offered her Thai tea opera cake, and plans to give her customers more sneak peeks of the desserts and flavors she made on the baking show. “For the holidays, we will offer our Christmas yule log and top selling crepe cake, made with matcha raspberry that gives it the green and red.” Tune in to Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network on Mondays 8pm ET/PT to see how far Thoa makes it in the competition! Follow her at @PlatedCulture and @banhbutterbakerycafe. Photo Credit: Food Network