Top Cake Designers Battle for 'Best Cake Artist in America' Title and $100,000 Grand Prize on Food Network's Last Cake Standing

Top Cake Designers Battle for 'Best Cake Artist in America' Title and $100,000 Grand Prize on Food Network's Last Cake Standing

Special Six-Week Series Returns for Season Two on Sunday, April 3rd at 10pm ET/PT

NEW YORK, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the countdown to the Royal Wedding continues, Food Network puts the icing on the cake with the season two premiere of Last Cake Standing. Premiering after the finale of Chopped All-Stars on Sunday, April 3rd at 10pm ET/PT (with subsequent episodes premiering Sundays at 9pm ET/PT), the six-week series places eight of America's top pastry chefs in intense challenges with crazy twists as they vie for the title of "Best Cake Artist in America" and an incredible $100,000 grand prize. Justin Willman (Cupcake Wars) serves as host, with the judging panel led by notable faces of the ever-popular Food Network Challenge: renowned pastry chef and Denver-based owner of D Bar Desserts, Keegan Gerhard, along with celebrated cake designer and master sugar artist, Kerry Vincent.

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The Last Cake Standing competitors include: Jorg Amsler (Truly Jorg's in Saugus, Md.), Jason Ellis (Top Tiers in Glen Cove, N.Y.), Nikita "Nikki J" Jackson (Absolutely Edible Cakes & Catering in Rowlett, Texas), Kaysie Lackey (The People's Cake in Seattle), Richard Ruskell (Montage Resort in Los Angeles), Joshua John Russell (Highland Bakery in Atlanta), Orlando Serrano (Orlando Serrano Cakes in Chicago) and Marina Sousa (Just Cakes in Capitola, Calif.).

These competitors have no "sweet escape" as they face extreme and grueling challenges. From designing over-the-top monster cakes, to ones that "sing and dance" for a talent show, to those inspired by Marvel's classic comic book series, "The Fantastic Four," and Sin City-inspired illusion cakes, these competitors are pushed to their artistic limits. The competition heats up midway through the season as the competitors endure game-changing twists including a scavenger hunt around Las Vegas, a round of blackjack and additional surprise cake challenges. Each week, guest judges join the panel including reigning Last Cake Standing champion Mary Maher, Broadway actress Kate Shindle, comedic magician Nathan Burton and pastry chef Gale Gand to determine who will advance in this fierce competition. Just as the competitors think they have completed their final task, one more awaits: design a cake that tells the story of their $100,000 dream. At the end of this marathon competition, one cake designer wins the grand prize and the bragging rights of the Last Cake Standing.

Visit www.foodnetwork.com/lastcakestanding for more information, bios, and photo gallery.

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 99 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food NetworkMagazine hastripled its rate base and delivers a circulation of 1.25 million. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com) and Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com) is the manager and general partner.

SOURCE Food Network

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