Rider alumnus on Food Network's 'Spring Baking Championship'

Tom Smallwood '11 is running, throwing glitter, making the judges laugh and, most importantly, baking incredible confections on this season of Food Network's Spring Baking Championship.

As one of the show's judges, Duff Goldman, says in the first episode, "He’s gonna be fun to watch."

The show begins with 12 bakers. Each episode, they are challenged to create innovative baked goods under a time constraint in two distinct categories. One baker is eliminated until the winner is crowned. Hosted by Food Network personality Molly Yeh, the show awards the top baker $25,000 and the title of Spring Baking Champion. 

As the show premiered in March, Smallwood threw a watch party with 70 friends and family members in his Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in New York City. His guests enjoyed the pastry he made in the first challenge, a lime margarita tart with a strawberry-lime-tequila jam, a lime ganache and a vanilla ganache as an accent. Filmed last summer, the show still keeps Smallwood on his toes as a viewer.

"I remember every episode and what I was thinking and the challenges," he says. "Then you see how it’s edited, and I watch with as much anticipation as anyone else to see what they’re going to show."

Competing alongside talented bakers, while trying to impress the judges — Food Network stars Goldman, Kardea Brown and Nancy Fuller — certainly brings the heat to the competition. But, Smallwood says the time clock and the surprise elements to the challenges are the most difficult to balance.

"That time clock is really the equalizer and the twists that Molly gives us," he says. "Even with your best plan, you always have to compromise because you forget how long things take, how long things need to cool down."

His favorite creation was a cake he made in the shape of a Mardi Gras float. Named the "S.S. Mo' Beads," the cake's appearance and taste won the judges over, earning him his first main challenge win of the season. A performer at heart, Smallwood even stocked his apron with some festive glitter to throw while presenting his winning cake.

"I like a concept, and I like to sell an idea," he says. "I thought I killed the flavor and killed the concept. And, I got to throw glitter on national television so I was happy."

Smallwood is the head of culinary development and training at New York City's iconic Magnolia Bakery. He started his career at Johnson & Johnson, but after four years in the field, he wanted his work to incorporate his passion. He moved to Paris in 2015 to attend pastry school and has worked in the field ever since. At Rider, Smallwood earned his bachelor's in finance and was a diver. He credits his time as a student athlete for instilling the focus and determination needed to make a career change and compete on the show. The athleticism also gave him a competitive advantage. 

"If you see me running around, I’m usually the first one to any of the objects or ingredients so my athletic training certainly helped me in that respect," he says, laughing.

His passion for baking started as a child during the annual tradition of making Christmas cookies with his grandfather, who was a talented baker himself. Smallwood's grandfather always made his grandchildren's birthday cakes, a tradition Smallwood carried on by making his friends' birthday cakes as a child. To this day, Smallwood also continues to make his grandfather's crumb cake recipe and treats for loved ones.

While this season of the Spring Baking Championship is still unfolding — the finale airs May 2 — Smallwood says his fellow bakers have all become lifelong friends. 

"We talk everyday, and if I have a question about a recipe or anything I can ask any one in the cast," he says. "We're all pastry nerds so it’s kind of fun to make a new little family to geek out with."