Story by Angela Reeves
Eleven-year-old Haylin Adams began baking in her Easy Bake Oven at three-years-old, and by the age of nine, made her own birthday cake, launching her interest in baking. She made a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, and also vanilla cupcakes with pineapple filling, coconut on top and a cherry, to make them “pin colada” themed, an idea she came up with herself.
Because of Haylin’s love for baking, her mom Amanda, a teacher at Barren County Middle School, applied in March 2020 for her to be a contestant on Food Network’s Season 9 of the National Kids Baking Championship. “I have always loved watching baking shows and thought
it would be so cool to be on one,” Haylin said. The next day someone called them wanting more information and pictures, which led to a series of zoom interviews and videos. “I just kept doing more interviews with different producers and the next thing I knew I was in California,” said Haylin.
Haylin and her mom flew to California in August, staying at a resort in Rancho Palos Verdes for three and a half weeks. Because of COVID, only the two of them could go and had to quarantine for 10 days before filming, which gave them plenty of time to visit the ocean, where Haylin enjoyed the big waves. It was her first time flying, which she says was pretty cool but nerve racking. “I liked to look out the window and feel like I was on the top of the world,” she said.
While on the show, her favorite part was making so many new friends and meeting Duff and Valerie. She still texts and FaceTimes with her friends from the show. “It was crazy to get to be on there – it was very cool,” Haylin said. Working under a time crunch was stressful to her, since she is used to having all day to make a cake, but learning how to bake under time limits and how to be a problem solver are lessons she learned that will stay with her for life. Haylin made it to the final four on the show and loved all the support from her friends, classmates and family. “My
older sister Hadley supported me so much and told me good job all the time and my Mom and Dad were so awesome,” said Haylin. “The best part of seeing Haylin compete was watching her dreams turn into reality.
She has watched every episode of every season of Kids Baking Championship and has dreamed of being on the show for years. I loved seeing her doing what she loves and doing it so well. I couldn’t be prouder of how she handled herself on the show,” said Amanda.
When Haylin returned she picked back up baking for friends and family immediately. Cakes are her favorite thing to make because she loves to decorate them. Her favorite cake so far was a two-tiered cake with a light pink bottom layer with drips and a pink top with hearts for valentine’s day. She practices all the time with making new things and using different techniques. With school she normally bakes on the weekends but sometimes she comes straight home from school and is in the kitchen!
When she is not baking, Haylin enjoys playing soccer, fishing, feeding the cows with her dad, playing with her new puppy, Pacey, and shopping with her mom, grandma and sister. When she grows up, she plans to either be a baker or in the medical field, because she likes helping people. You can follow Haylin’s baking and send her congratulations on her Instagram page @Haylins_sweet_spot.