Harbour Grace woman competes on new CTV show

One Newfoundland woman is making bakers – and nans across the island – proud as she competes in season two of CTV’S new show, “Crosscountry Cake-off.”

Jessica Brennan is a mom of two and a social worker from Harbour Grace whose passion for baking started because of her kids.

“When I had my oldest, who is now almost five, I wanted to be the mom that made birthday cakes and could bake, so I started really trying to make cakes back then,” said Brennan.

What started as a neon blue layer cake five years ago has become a sweet opportunity to highlight her hobby on television.

While Brennan bakes exclusively for family and friends, she runs an Instagram account (@jessbrennanbakes) to showcase her creations that draw on natural and local ingredients inspired by her upbringing in rural Newfoundland.

Viewers of “Cross-country Bake-off” can expect Brennan to bring flavours and inspiration from Newfoundland, as she describes the style of her cakes as ethereal, woodsy, and natural.

“I love to use what’s local to me here in Newfoundland, so I use a lot of wildflowers, a lot of local berries. I grew up in rural Newfoundland, so everything is kind of inspired by greenery and outdoors, and I love to use local fresh ingredients versus ordering online,” said Brennan.

UNTRADITIONAL CARRY-ONS

You never know what you’ll come across online.

As a major fan of cooking and baking shows, scrolling on Instagram introduced Brennan to “Cross-country Cake-off” because of targetted ads and a casting call.

“I was just scrolling Instagram – and I guess targetted ads work – and I saw it, the casting call, and I just sent in a video on a whim.”

Brennan was visiting Pasadena when she had to fly to Halifax for “Cross-country Cake-off,” making for an eventful travel experience as her cake was her carry-on item.

“I actually had to fly my cake on an airplane and bring it through security in Deer Lake airport,” she said.

Brennan described the travel day as nerve-wracking due to her untraditional carry-on, as airport security told her they’d have to cut open her cake if the X-ray camera couldn’t see through it. On top of that, the weather was hot and the flight was turbulent.

“I had to put (the cake) in the overhead bin for takeoff and landing, so it couldn’t even sit on my lap,” said Brennan.

Luckily, her cake arrived in one piece.

“It was really fun, and once I got there, it kind of made all the stress worthwhile and it was truly a life-changing experience for me. I absolutely loved it,” she said.

SWEET REPRESENTATION

Brennan’s on-the-whim audition was a fantastic opportunity to represent Newfoundland and Labrador on the show and through her baking.

“Newfoundland is a small province, and I live in a small corner of this big province, so folks reaching out and being excited, my family and friends – who I’ve been lying to for a while – finally get to know where I’ve been. It’s really exciting, and I feel the love, for sure,” she says.

Brennan was especially excited to meet chef and host Mary Berg, who won the third season of “Masterchef Canada.”

“I never thought in my life I’d meet Mary Berg. That was really exciting,” Brennan says.

A PIECE OF ADVICE

Brennan’s greatest advice following her experience on “Cross-country Cake-off”? Saying yes to opportunities.

“In general, say yes to opportunities, say yes to things. It’s corny, but if you don’t try, you don’t get to experience something like this,” she says.

“When you’re a mom and you have a full-time job outside of your hobbies, it’s hard to prioritize yourself and what you want to do, but definitely say yes, is my overarching message. And definitely watch the show.”

HOW TO WATCH

“Cross-country Cake-off” airs Fridays at 10:30 p.m. NT on CTV, CTV.CA and the CTV app.

In each regional episode, eight bakers present their homemade creations to the judges (Mary Berg and Andrew Han) in hopes of securing a spot in the next round.

From there, the top four cake-makers from each qualifier advance to compete in a timed cake challenge. At the end of each episode, one baker will advance to the finale, where they will bake it out to claim the top prize.

The regional qualifying rounds represent Western Canada in Vancouver, B.C.; the Prairies in Edmonton, Alta.; mid-canada in Toronto, Ont.; Quebec in Montreal; and Eastern Canada in Halifax, N.S.