An 11-year-old baking wiz from San Antonio has just whisked her way to victory on the Food Network's "Kids Baking Championship". Lila Smethurst, a student at Tex Hill Middle School in the North East Independent School District, emerged as a top young baker in the show’s 12th season, winning a sweet prize of $25,000 and a feature in Food Network Magazine, as reported by KENS5.

Lila baked her way through a series of creative challenges, culminating in a final showdown where she crafted a "Polar Volcano Cake," an arctic-themed dessert complete with chocolate penguins and a sugar glass effect to resemble fire. Despite her distaste for winter, the Texan native said on the show, “Polar is like ice. I don’t like the winter. I live in Texas,” according to a KSAT interview.

The young baker's winning concoction included a chocolate cake with caramel and chocolate hazelnut pastry cream fillings, topped with a salted caramel buttercream frosting. Her creative flair and culinary skills impressed the judging panel, as they faced a difficult decision among the final contenders. Lila competed against Oscar Stowell from Ross, California, and Tasi Savage from Kona, Hawaii, to snag the championship in the season finale.

San Antonio has proven to be something of a hotspot for baking talent, with Lila not being the only local to rise to Food Network fame. Back in December, Ashley Landerman, co-owner of 2Tarts Bakery in New Braunfels, earned the Holiday Baking Champion title for 2023. Lila expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming local support, “I am so grateful for the way that my family, my friends, my school, and the entire city of San Antonio have rooted for me during my time on KBC! I hope that I made everyone proud and that I represented the city well. This was definitely an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am so thankful for my time on KBC and every moment thereafter!” she told KENS5.