When the final clock stopped inside the “Next Level Baker” kitchen, local bakery owner Stefanie Embree barely registered the cheers before the weight of it hit.
Embree took the top prize in the inaugural season of Fox’s “Next Level Baker” with a performance that showcased both her talent and her composure under extreme conditions. The intense finale was a four-hour marathon, requiring contestants to bake one cake tier on each floor of the show’s vertical set and then assemble the three-tier cake in a 30-minute window.
The show’s format features three very different kitchens. A basement kitchen is “the worst of the worst,” as Embree put it. The middle kitchen is very nice, while the top kitchen is state-of-the-art, full of high-end equipment. In the first episode, teams of bakers had to rely on the luck of the draw to see which kitchen they got. Every subsequent challenge offered a chance to compete for the best kitchen, coupled with the risk of being sent home.
During the finale, cameras were everywhere, and mentors watched closely. And then, suddenly, a win that validated years of work done quietly, often under pressure, in a small Oklahoma City bakery. It was physically punishing and mentally relentless—the kind of challenge designed to expose cracks in both technique and temperament. But, instead, Embree delivered.
“When Gordon Ramsay called my name, it was just like this rush of emotions,” Embree said. “To win that entire competition really made it feel like: I am on the right path for my life and I am doing what I’ve been called to do.”
The win marked a turning point for OKC Sweets, the Oklahoma City bakery she owns and operates. Opened during the early months of the pandemic, the business survived a volatile stretch marked by both strong demand and punishing uncertainty. The show’s impact was immediate. Since the episodes aired, the bakery has experienced sustained sellouts, heavier daily foot traffic, and an influx of visitors traveling specifically because they saw the store on television.
Part of the appeal of “Next Level Baker” is its format. Judges don’t just critique, they mentor. Ramsay offered concise, technical feedback and modeled what Embree described as servant leadership.
“It just happened that for three out of the first four bakes, I was with Chef Ramsay,” she said. “I spent a lot of time with him. He’s brilliant, of course, but what was so amazing about working with him was seeing his work ethic firsthand. He was encouraging us, giving us suggestions, and we could ask questions. He worked alongside us the entire time, helping us be the best we could be.”
Candace Nelson, the founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes and a legend in cooking television, was another mentor. “I was so excited to meet Candace Nelson. I always watched ‘Cupcake Wars’ and imagined what it would be like to be one of the contestants. So, to meet her in real life was just amazing,” Embree said. “A lot of things in her life resonate with me and what I’ve experienced—opening a bakery and raising children at the same time. It was just awesome to get to work with her.”
Away from the cameras, Embree balances running the bakery and being a mom to four school-age children. “I want to be someone they can look up to as a role model,” she said. “For them to see me pursuing my dreams and working really hard while also staying kind and cheering everyone on, I think that they can be proud of me as their mom.”
The episodes aired multiple times during the holiday season, amplifying their reach. With each rerun, the bakery saw another surge, selling out daily. The momentum isn’t just about volume; it’s about options—new collaborations, expanded product lines, and the possibility of growth. It will also bring new opportunities, perhaps even future television appearances.
Embree is careful not to frame the win as a finish line. The competition, she says, sharpened her discipline and reinforced the importance of fundamentals when under conditions designed to destabilize them. It also underscored her belief that kindness and competitiveness are not mutually exclusive, even in high-pressure environments.
In an industry often defined by bravado and burnout, “Next Level Baker” offered a different template: excellence paired with encouragement. Embree’s performance fit that mold perfectly.
For Oklahoma City, the victory places a local bakery on a national stage. OKC Sweets didn’t become something else overnight; it simply became visible. And for Embree, the win stands as both validation and invitation, a signal that the work she’s been doing all along can carry her further than she once imagined.
The cake may have been assembled on the top floor, but the foundation was built long before the cameras rolled.
If you missed the finale, you can catch all three episodes of “Next Level Baker” now streaming on Hulu. Want to taste the treats that helped crown a champion? Visit OKCSweets.com.
This article appears in Let the Games Begin and February 2026.