QUARTER-FINALIST
Claire
Baking since age 10, therapist by day. I love to create exciting and fun bakes for family and friends. Zero pro training, mistakes made!
Currently 1st
VOTEClaire could win the 2025 Greatest Baker title, share their work in the pages of Bake from Scratch, and take home $10,000.
Voting in the Quarter-Finals ends on Wednesday, January 21st at 7PM PST
Want to know more about the Greatest Baker?
Learn MoreTell us about your signature bake and why it's your most popular treat.
This chocolate cake, with ganache frosting and 60% chocolate shards is a hit with everyone because the cake is light, yet moist and darkly chocolatey and the velvety ganache and shards provide textural counterpoints. Although the recipe does not call for buttermilk, I have substituted it for regular milk as it adds extra moistness to the cake which people seem to notice immediately! Friends and family alike request this for birthdays or other celebratory occasions.
Who is your favorite person to bake for and what do you make most for them?
My mom! She is a discerning fan and while she lovingly heaps on praise, she’s also not afraid to give notes or even straight up say when she doesn’t like a new recipe or variation on a standby. I love to bake sables for her because she adores the texture. I use my chocolate cake recipe for layer cakes and cupcakes, with vanilla icing and that might be her other top choice. When my dad was in the last stages of Parkinson’s, I would bring fancifully decorated cakes which made her briefly happy.
How would you use the $10,000?
I would upgrade my baking equipment, including getting a new KitchenAid and installing another oven, so I could bake more quantity at one time. Because I bake therapeutically for myself, I would love to be able to afford to buy enough ingredients to bake weekly for our local food pantry, which I’ve been doing and want to scale up! At work, I’ve baked with clients and want to do that more but the cost mounts quickly and so I would use the money to be able to stock more ingredients at my office!
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Help Claire become the Greatest Baker while supporting a great cause!
Cast your daily vote below, or make even more of an impact with Donation Votes, a tax-deductible donation supporting the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.
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