People who love to bake, often find themselves engrossed in confectionery competitions and enthralled by the fast-forward 60-second baking tutorials and beautiful images of towering cakes while scrolling on social media. There are those who say – “Hey, I could do that!” or others who wonder “How can I create such wondrous and perfect desserts?” Those beautifully curated images only catch a glimpse of the meticulously planned process that goes into creating delectable desserts. 

Arizona-born-and-raised professional pastry chef, food photographer and recipe creator and recent winner of Hulu’s “Baker’s Dozen,” Tess Levin’s goal is to share the trials and triumphs of her baking journey through social media. 

Levin grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona and attended Arcadia High School. After graduation she found herself in Los Angeles attending college at the University of Southern California and completing a degree in Marketing. “I found myself in an advertising job and I was like, ‘What am I doing with my life… this can’t be it. This can’t be what the rest of my life looks like.’” 

Baking is Levin’s passion. She says that baking would keep her self-described sweet-tooth in check and also became a form of therapy for her. “I love baking. I grew up baking with my mom making banana bread and that type of stuff.” 

In May, 2018, Levin created Fluff Cups Specialty Desserts, a gourmet dessert company in SoCal. She started selling her baked goods around the Los Angeles area and quickly found herself fulfilling custom orders, not just for friends and family but also celebrities, studios and musicians. With her marketing background, Levin created a social media presence that has developed into more than just pretty pictures of treats that you can order. With 39.3K followers on Instagram, Levin shares the trials and tribulations of confections.

“Over the years, I have morphed my business more into myself and my personality –  it’s a behind-the-scenes look of someone who has a side business in the baking industry, or someone that just has anxiety,” she said. Levin strives to be open and vulnerable about her baking “fails,” such as creating a flower out of frosting and then dropping it on the counter. She believes that it is extremely important to be open and honest, especially in an industry where everything is held to a standard of perfection.

Before the pandemic, a casting agency reached out to Levin in their quest to find bakers to compete in a competition show. That show, Hulu’s “Baker’s Dozen”  brings home-trained bakers and professional bakers together to see who can make the most delectable and eye-catching desserts. It is hosted by Tamera Mowry-Housley and former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses, and premiered in October, 2021.

Levin was among the top five contestants creating mouthwatering, eye-catching desserts that began with an edible art piece and ending with an under-the-sea mermaid-themed macaron tower, taking home the grand prize of the Golden Rolling Pin. 

When asked what was next, Levin says that she would like to become a judge for future baking competition hopefuls and help teach them new skills, just as she did on Baker’s Dozen.  

Levin hopes that her love of baking and the way that it has helped her with her own anxieties and stresses continues to reach people. She is planning on working to ensure that everyone has access to desserts the way we remember them as a child and that everyone feels welcome on her platform. Catch her and her delightful desserts on Hulu’s “Baker’s Dozen,” Instagram @fluffcups and TikTok. 

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