McLean Girl Turns Baking Into Business, Competes On Food Network

MCLEAN, VA — When the start of the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools in the spring of 2020, Churchill Road Elementary fourth grader and McLean resident Finley Sheers decided to take up baking. Little did she know, this hobby would become a talent that would land her a spot on the Food Network's Kids Baking Championship.

Sheers is one of 12 contestants on Season 10 of Kids Baking Championship. The first episode premieres at 8 p.m. on Dec. 27. According to the show's website, the group of contestants is the youngest ever on the show.

In the competition, kid bakers will prepare items as instructed by the hosts and judges, Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman. Her mother Kelly Sheers told Patch the challenge has a general theme and often includes a twist. Each episode features multiple bakes by the contestants. After each episode, one kid baker is eliminated from the competition.

Sheers, 10, decided to start baking one day when COVID-19 closed schools and her mother let her bake in the kitchen. She started looking up baking videos and cake recipes online. Now she regularly bakes cakes and related desserts like cupcakes and cookies.

"I enjoy decorating cakes because it's one of the [desserts] you can really decorate," Sheers told Patch.

Her skills improved over time as she made more and more desserts. She started off not knowing how to coat a cake. Now she can do techniques like a crumb coat, fondant, and elaborate decorating. Sheers learned to decorate cakes with designs from rosettes to more elaborate designs with character and holiday themes. Her baking has become a side business to make cakes and other desserts for friends and family. Earlier this year, she began documenting her creations on Instagram @FinleyBakes.

Some of the creations she's made include a Pokémon cake for a birthday party and a birthday cake with a detailed purse for her mother's friend. One of her favorite designs involves candy falling down the cake, such as M+M's pouring out of a character's mouth.

Another memorable cake was a Wonder Woman birthday cake for her little sister Reese, who has juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Sheers has also baked cookies as a fundraiser for arthritis research, according to Kelly Sheers.

One day, Sheers came across videos of Food Network's Kids Baking Championship. Her mother said she should enter, and that's exactly what she did. It was her first time trying out for the show, and after many interviews, she got to the final selection.

"It's a very big accomplishment just to get on the show. Hundreds of people apply and try again," Sheers said.

While Sheers cannot give away the results before the season premieres, she said it has been an "amazing experience."

"Seeing all these kid bakers just like me was really fun," she said.

"Finley has been baking for over a year, so it was an amazing opportunity," Kelly Sheers added.

As Sheers keeps herself busy with baking as a side business, her goal is to gain more baking experience and one day open a bakery.

Follow along with Sheers's baking creations and Kid Baking Championship journey on Instagram @FinleyBakes.