It's Time for 'Summer Baking Championship' and We Are Salivating! Let's Meet the Judges

One of the best times of year to enjoy sweet treats is over the summer, so it’s only fitting that the newest entry to the Baking Championship franchise is the spinoff, Summer Baking Championship. Hosted by Jesse Palmer, the host of all hosts, ten new bakers are showing off their summer style in front of three judges: Duff Goldman, Carla Hall, and Damaris Phillips.

The bakers are competing for a $25,000 prize on the Food Network show while creating gelatin cakes, Barbie-themed pink desserts, and a July 4th special dessert to find the winner. It’s all decided by the Summer Baking Championship judges. Read on to learn more about them!

Jeffrey Adam “Duff” Goldman is a pastry chef known for participating in the Food Network’s Ace of Cakes and owning Charm City Cakes, which was featured in Duff Till Dawn and the “Cake Masters” series. But Duff has also appeared all over network television, from Iron Chef America to The Masked Singer.

This isn't Duff’s first time judging—he's judged most of the Baking Championship shows and even cohosted Kids Baking Championship. In 2018, Duff married Johanna Colbry, and in 2021, his daughter, Josephine Frances Goldman, was born. He’s spoken often about his Jewish faith and how it inspires him to give back through Tzedakah.

Known for her appearances on Seasons 5 and 8 of Top Chef, Carla Hall was also the cohost of The Chew, which premiered in 2011 on ABC. Before pursuing her culinary career, Carla was a model on the runways of Paris, Milan, and London despite being born and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She started her own company, Alchemy Caterers, in Wheaton, Md., and wrote the cookbook, Cooking with Love: Comfort Food that Hugs You.

Carla opened her own restaurant, Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen, in Brooklyn in 2016, but the restaurant only lasted until 2017. Even still, she’s made several television appearances, including as a judge on Halloween Baking Championship and Crazy Delicious. Now, Carla lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Matthew Lyons, and stepson Noah.

While Carla and Duff have had their fair share of television and baking experience, Damaris Phillips *literally* took the cake by winning Food Network Star Season 9. She then hosted Southern at Heart on the Food Network for five seasons and cohosted The Bobby and Damaris Show with Bobby Flay.

Since then, she’s also appeared as a judge on Guy’s Grocery Games and Kids BBQ Championship, so this is her first foray into the realm of judging a baking-specific contest. When she competes, Damaris often raises money for the story program in Louisville, Ky. Born in Louisville, she still lives there with her now-husband, Darrick Wood.

Now that we know the judges, let’s see what these contestants can do!

New episodes of Summer Baking Championship air Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on the Food Network.