Questions regarding authenticity often arise when it comes to the creations of Vancouver baker Andrea Ortiz Fuentes. Yet while fakery can lead to downfall for certain creatives, for Ortiz Fuentes it is stellar imitation that has garnered her praise – and a mighty cash prize. Ortiz Fuentes has just been crowned winner of ‘Is It Cake? Halloween’, a spooky twist on the hit Netflix TV show where bakers battle it out for the top spot with hyper-realistic cakes. The Chilean baker, who moved to Vancouver in 2020, made it through to the nail-biting finale after impressing the judges in the third episode. Tasked with recreating a stack of plastic gummy bears in a Willy Wonka inspired series, Ortiz Fuentes convinced celebrity guest judges actor Harvey Guillén (What We Do In The Shadows), comedian and SNL alumni Kevin Nealon and actress Gillian Jacobs (The Bear), that her sweet creation was the real deal. “It was challenging,” says the professionally trained baker. Unlike the replication of organic subjects like animals or food, there isn’t much wiggle room when it comes to recreating rigid objects. “I was very nervous. I was like, ‘I don’t know what I am doing here, but let’s do our best’,” she says. The episode’s competitors had recreated their chosen objects so successfully the judges were fooled by all cakes, and ultimately Ortiz Fuentes was crowned winner after the competition was forced to come down to a matter of taste. “When they said my name, I was like, ‘What?!’ … What the heck?’” she says. The win carried Ortiz Fuentes to the grand finale, where she was tasked with recreating a large grim reaper headstone. “To bake the second cake, that was huge. It was humongous,” she says. The headstone was “challenging” to recreate due to its tall, thin build and intricate detailing, but with the help of a baking partner who kept her nerves steady and her mind focused, she was able to craft a cake so convincing the panel were bamboozled for a second time. “Together we managed to get the cake sculpted and somehow fool the judges,” she says. Ortiz Fuentes was in disbelief when show’s host announced she would be winning the inaugural special Halloween season and would be taking home a USD$51,000 cash prize. “I was like, ‘This is unreal.’ What are the chances of me, a Chilean girl that moved to Vancouver to see what’s there for her, to win this?” she says. “This October has been the craziest month of my life.” Ortiz Fuentes says she hopes to continue growing her business and participating in future baking shows, in the hopes she can inspire others who wish to carve out their own careers in cake making. “My message is for everyone to just follow your dreams and your passions, because (it) really pays off.”
