With over 20 years of baking experience, there isn't one baked good this Las Vegas chef hasn't mastered. Damien started making cakes at 13 and is now an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu. Why did Damien get into the baking business? Because, unlike a wedding cake, you can't sell a steak for $5,000.
Tamara Brown
This mother of three from Los Angeles bakes by day and works as a 9-1-1 operator by night. Tamara wants to take the cake in this competition and launch her own baking empire. That's quite a change from her past participating in live-action role-play duels.
Michelle Antonishek
A former chef in New York and Chicago, Michelle left the big city behind to raise her kids in the countryside. She's now the executive pastry chef at Los Cuernos Ranch in Cotulla, Texas, and she's here to prove she can still compete with big-city bakers.
Brad Rudd
Brad is a father of two and the general manager of a bakery in Los Angeles. Brad owned a bakery for nine years, and he hopes to win this competition so he can open his own place again and fulfill his dream of owning a mom-and-pop shop.
John Schopp
John might look like your average Southern dad, but inside he's all rock 'n' roll. He's worked in professional kitchens for over 34 years, and while Halloween used to be his time to party, now he enjoys it by watching cheesy horror movies with his wife.
Amy Strickland
A mom of two, with another one on the way, Amy is a self-taught bakery owner with a passion for motorcycles. Her family loves Halloween, and the grand-prize money would be a big help when their newest member arrives.
Veronica von Borstel
This custom cake designer from San Diego is also a graduate student with a double major in Latin American studies and business. Halloween is Veronica's favorite day of the year, and she loves making elaborate confections. "My weakness is, I'm not very modest," she says.
Want More Halloween Baking?
Check out Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship headquarters for more behind-the-scenes photos and top moments.
