Timothy Chapman
03/20/2023
Season nine of the Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship premiered on March 6 with 12 bakers from all across the country getting to compete, with one being Michelle Henry from McAllen.
Spring Baking Championship consists of Host Jesse Palmer welcoming 12 bakers to the Spring Baking kitchen, where they are challenged to prove their passion by using their unique skills to recreate the dessert that sparked their initial love for baking, according to FoodNetwork.com.
Owner and pastry chef of Iris Street Bakery, Michelle Henry said her first memories of baking in the kitchen was with her mom. Along the way, she realized she was developing a passion for baking, which led to her first opportunity of baking a cake for her longtime friend’s wedding, even though she was also very apprehensive of the challenge.
“My friend asked me, ‘Oh can you make my wedding cake?’ Once I finished and I took a step back and I looked at the wedding cake, like now when I think about the cake, I’m just like, ‘Oh god,’ like, ‘Nobody look at it. Please nobody even think about it,’ but at the time, I was so happy, because I’m like, ‘I made a wedding cake,’ and after that, that’s when I decided that I wanted to go to culinary school,” Michelle said.
She said she has competed in baking competitions before, but there is nothing quite like being in the Spring Baking Championship, which has been a whole different experience.
“It was just a really intense competition, because what you see on TV how the time goes by and they’re just like, ‘OK, bakers, you have three hours to do something.’ It doesn’t feel like three hours. … “When you’re in such a high-pressure situation, you’re just like, ‘I know what I need to do but everything’s spiraling,’” Michelle said.
Registered nurse and Michelle Henry’s sister Renea Henry said her family noticed early on the skills Michelle had and encouraged her to pursue these baking competitions.
“She has always had that basic creativity and that basic knowledge of baking and things like that. My brother and I had been really pushing her to apply for some of these shows because we saw her talent early on and I mean she’s really good,” Renea said.
She said Michelle would sometimes get in her own head about the stress that comes in this competition, but herself, along with the rest of their family, would reassure Michelle of her talents.
“Regardless of how she does and how she has been doing, we tell her you are talented. There is a reason why you’re in this set specific place at this specific time. Just relax, take some deep breaths because it is pretty stressful. We would just remind her, ‘You’re really really good at what you do,’” Renea said.
Michelle said she saw this competition as an opportunity for herself to see how far she can achieve with her baking skills.
“I like to think that I’m not comfortable in my own situation because if I ever find myself becoming comfortable, or if I notice that I’m starting to make the same cakes over and over and over, I see that as just kinda plateauing and I always want to challenge myself. So, going into this competition, I’m like, ‘This is a big challenge and I want to see how I do,’” Michelle said.
To learn more on how to watch Michelle along with the other bakers on season nine of Spring Baking Championship, visit foodnetwork.com.
