Halloween Baking Championship, Season 2: Meet the Competitors

Get to know the seven bakers willing to take on some hair-raising challenges for a chance to win $25,000.

Damien Bagley

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.

Mega Meatball Pizza

Carne Asada

Cheddar and Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Healthy Dried Mushroom and Barley Soup

Halloween Crispy Rice Treats

On Tonight

Halloween Baking Championship

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Guy's Grocery Games

The Pioneer Woman

The Kitchen

Giada at Home

Kardea Brown

Ree Drummond

Ina Garten

Sunny Anderson

Bobby Flay

Valerie Bertinelli

Guy Fieri

Giada De Laurentiis

Molly Yeh

Step-by-Step Tutorials

Live Classes with Q&A

Salmon Pesto Pasta

Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

Maple Cinnamon Spider Web Fritters

Encore: Chicken Spinach Casserole with Mushrooms and Phyllo

Encore: Chickpea Burgers

Jambalaya Soup

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Chicken Thighs with Apples, Acorn Squash and Potatoes

Meal Prep Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Bloody Pizza "Hand" Pies