Bragging Rights and a Sweet Prize Are Up for Grabs on Cupcake Championship

If you thought building over-the-top cakes was intense, let us be the first to tell you that the intricate, detailed work of cupcakes is a whole other level. Gone are the comforts of generous smears of frosting and layers upon layers of cake; with cupcakes, the dessert is so small that the flavors and decorations need to be considered at every bite. Add to cupcake making the stress of competition and you’ve got yourself a doozy of a showdown. Enter: Cupcake Championship.

This brand-new series, premiering Monday, July 1 at 10|9c, will bring together some of the country’s most-famed cupcake bakers in a series of weekly challenges designed to test not only their penchant for baking full-flavored cake, but also making next-level embellishments, including 3D components, to help them stand out. The key to claiming sweet victory — and a cool prize of $10,000 — will be executing on both fronts. Perfectly. On every single cupcake they make. Week after week. For every judge. Sounds tough, right? YES. IT. IS.

Kardea Brown will oversee this dessert face-off as the host, while judges you know and love (hello, Maureen McCormick!) will be on hand to evaluate the contestants’ offerings and ultimately decide who’s worthy of the sought-after prize.

Inspired to make your own cupcakes at home? These are our very best recipes, and this guide to frosting is essential for learning baking basics and beyond.

Tune in to the premiere of Cupcake Championship on Monday, July 1 at 10|9c.