Brand new "baker's dozen" compete to be TLC'S next great baker

CEBU, Philippines - Buddy "CAKE BOSS" Valastro is on a new search for the next rising talent in the baking world and he's mixing it up with 13 aspiring pastry chefs for the third season of TLC's hit competition show, CAKE BOSS: NEXT GREAT BAKER. These crafty cake artists are each after the sweet prize of US$100,000, a feature in Redbook Magazine, and more importantly, the chance to work side-by-side with Buddy and his team at Carlo's Bakery. The 10-episode season kicks off with a special 90-minute premiere every Wednesday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m on TLC. Encores every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. and Saturday at 10:00 p.m.

Having been fortunate enough to make great cakes for high-profile clients and run a successful bakeshop, Buddy is paying it forward by giving some promising, talented cake masters that same opportunity to launch their own careers.

"Each season brings out strong contestants and I think this is the best batch yet. The challenges are tougher, the judges more critical, and the reward as sweet as ever," said Buddy. "This show is as much about learning how to run a successful business as it is about learning the tricks and techniques to be a great cake artist".

In each episode, Buddy and his family put the contestants through the challenges they themselves face every day, which gives the lucky 13 and viewers the chance to learn even more about what it takes to be the best in the business. Buddy pushes the contestants' baking and decorating skills to the limit every week throughout the competition with increasingly difficult challenges, testing their business acumen and cake artistry. From building a life-sized cake to creating an original superhero character on a three-foot tall engineered cake, the bakers have to get through the baker's challenge set by Buddy (where the winner gets a reward) and a final elimination challenge where someone will be sent packing each week until the CAKE BOSS: NEXT GREAT BAKER is the last one standing.

This season, Buddy and his family welcome some special guests to judge the challenges with them, including Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney Mazza, Lou "The Incredible Hulk" Ferrigno, Peter Billingsley from A Christmas Story, Holly Madison, and *NSync's Joey Fatone among others.

Unlike previous seasons, this competition is set at the Carlo's Bake Shop supply facility at Lackawanna Center in Jersey City, New Jersey with the finale in Las Vegas, Nevada at The Venetian Las Vegas.

Making cakes on this series isn't going to be a piece of cake! Who's going to outsmart the competition and rise to the top? Catch these up and coming cake artists as they attempt to become the CAKE BOSS: NEXT GREAT BAKER. (FREEMAN)