Chehalis baker Megan Knudsvig first started baking in high school after she was inspired by Food Network cake decorating shows.
“I’ve always loved art in many mediums, and seeing it in a new light through baking got me hooked,” Knudsvig said.
Now an experienced baker and owner of The White Whisk in Chehalis, Knudsvig will appear on the network that inspired her to become a baker as one of 12 contestants on season 11 of The Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship.”
“It was truly incredible, very cool and surreal to be in the kitchen and in front of the judges I’ve watched on TV,” Knudsvig said. “I have so much gratitude for this experience and this opportunity.”
The season premiered on Monday, Nov. 4, with episodes airing every Monday at 8 p.m. through Dec. 16.
The season winner will earn the title of Holiday Baking Champion, a feature in Food Network Magazine and a grand prize of $25,000.
“I had somebody reach out to me, and initially I was honestly thinking, ‘Is this real?’” Knudsvig said of a Food Network representative inviting her to compete on the show. “I was very intimidated because of the high level of competition and skill of the bakers on this show, and the wide variety of desserts expected, but I know it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I knew I would kick myself forever if I didn’t at least try. So, I went for it.”
Knudsvig, 31, completed a bakery and arts program at South Puget Sound Community College and went on to work as a decorator at Frosted: The Cupcake Shop in Walla Walla.
She later moved to Lewis County and worked for several years as a decorator for Dawn’s Delectables in Centralia before deciding she wanted to stay home with her three young daughters.
“When my girls were born, I needed more flexibility in my schedule and wanted to work from home, and then made the shift to what I’m doing currently,” Knudsvig said.
Knudsvig started The White Whisk, a business that offers recipes, decorating tutorials, classes, dessert marketing content development and restaurant food photography, about three years ago.
“I was a couple years into being a stay-at-home mom and wasn’t wanting to find a job outside of the home quite yet, but I wanted to start building something to pursue my goals in baking and my career, so I kind of just started with baby steps. I started a food blog and started sharing things on social media, and it’s been crazy to just see where it’s gone,” Knudsvig said. “It’s been fun getting to connect with other bakers and be a part of their baking journeys and share just the joy of baking with people.”
Connecting with her fellow contestants on “Holiday Baking Championship” has been one of Knudsvig’s favorite parts of the experience, she said.
“I feel like we all just immediately clicked and had so much fun baking together and learning from each other, and I’m super grateful for the friendships built throughout the show,” she said.
With all three of her kids now in either school or child care, Knudsvig said she hopes to start expanding her business.
“For the first time since becoming a mom, I have more hours to be able to devote to this, so I’m hoping to continue doing what I’m doing, but hopefully just scale everything up,” she said.
Knudsvig aims to offer on-demand online macaron and sugar cookie classes and decorating tutorials in the near future, in addition to setting up resources for classes that people can take on their own time.
“I’m in a new season with it and I’m excited,” she said.
For information on classes, tutorials, ebooks and other services offered by The White Whisk, visit https://thewhitewhisk.com/ or @the.white.whisk on Instagram.
Knudsvig is the second Lewis County baker to appear on the Food Network in recent years.
Ashlee Shirer, 30, made headlines in 2018 to 2020 for her appearances on the Food Network show “Christmas Cookie Challenge,” where she twice won $10,000 for her expertly baked and decorated cookies. She ran the custom-order bakery through her website, selling by the dozens to people across the country for weddings, bridal showers, birthdays and other events, before opening the brick-and-mortar shop on Main Street in Centralia in 2022. She moved the business to a Chehalis storefront earlier this year.
