#TLCFest17: Like A Boss with The Cake Boss

Celebrity baker, entrepreneur, artist...meet The Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro.

TLC brings their popular celebrities to Manila for the TLC Festival 2017 led by The Cake Boss himself, Buddy Valastro. The Cake Boss kicked off TLC Festival 2017 with an exclusive Master Class at Shangri-La at The Fort on cupcake decorating, sharing his expertise and a whole lot of good vibes with selected guests. Take a peek behind the TLC Master Class held last November 3, 2017 and experience The Cake Boss up close...

The Cake Boss, now on its ninth season with TLC, follows master baker Buddy Valastro and his family at Carlo's Bakery. Each episode in the long-running TLC series provides a glimpse of the intricate operations and details behind each elegant cake, raising the bar with each project and delivering on the promise of a memorable cake with that distinct Carlo's Bakery style. For Buddy Valastro, his journey to worldwide fame began at the tender young age of eleven when he began working at the bakery alongside his father in Hoboken, gaining both knowledge and experience matched with astute business sense and an insatiable drive for success. Since 1994, Buddy Valastro took the helm as The Cake Boss of the family business along with his four sisters, two brothers-in law and cousins transforming Carlo's Bakery into a baking empire that now includes branches in New Jersey, Nevada, Texas, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, California and even Brazil. And it all started at Hoboken. It's an amazing story, and that's probably why The Cake Boss continues to be a popular program in TLC, with its ninth season premiere airing on November 15. 

During the exclusive TLC Master Class at Shangri-La at The Fort, Buddy Valastro shined on stage in typical Cake Boss style, entertaining guests with his flair. And seeing Buddy Valastro up close was an experience in itself, this was, after all, The Cake Boss. 

Buddy Valastro then demonstrated his expertise in icing cupcakes. And The Cake Boss makes it look easy, creating intricate floral patterns with just a few strokes. A few more finishing touches, and he's done with the first cupcake, three more to go. And all the time, Buddy Valastro engages the audience in a casual conversation.
 

Four cupcakes done, just like that. And the Cake Boss masterfully transforms each cupcake into elegant, and edible, art. Just like the TLC TV series, Buddy Valastro's masterful icing techniques come to life with his floral-inspired cupcakes. It looks easy, but doing it on your own is a whole different thing altogether. 

Then, it was our turn. A plate of rich and moist cupcakes and a variety of colorful icing in piping bags were set at the table, and you're ready to go...

The Cake Boss then made the rounds, visiting each and every guest sharing his tips on icing cupcakes...

...adding to the excitement. Each guest was also assisted by a team of culinary chefs, so icing a cupcake should be easy. But the minute you squeeze the icing bag, you immediately discover this is serious business, and a lot harder than you think.

The Cake Boss patiently spends time with each of the guests in creating that cupcake masterpiece. And that's Buddy Valastro, The Cake Boss, up close.

And here's my attempt at icing cupcakes. I'll never look at cupcakes in the same way again. There's a whole lot of work that goes with each cupcake, and experiencing this first-hand makes me appreciate cupcakes even more. As he neared our table, I couldn't help but feel just a hint of pressure. Just what would The Cake Boss think of my measly attempt at icing cupcakes?

"Good job," said The Cake Boss with a smile. It may not be enough to land me a job at Hoboken, but it just made my day. Stoked, relieved, and suddenly hungry for cupcakes. Nothing like that nod of approval from The Cake Boss.

And good vibes all around. Buddy Valastro will also lead a cast of TLC's popular celebrities at TLC Festival 2017 on November 4, Saturday, at Bonifacio High Street starting at 10:00 am for a full day of good eats, games and fun activities.  Other TLC celebrities include chef Luke Nguyen, hosts Patty Lee and Sharon Huang, and comedian Eric Neeman. And you can watch the ninth season of The Cake Boss with its premiere telecast on TLC on November 15, Wednesday, at 9:00 pm. Like a boss with The Cake Boss, and it's all here at #TLCFest17...