Candace Nelson

Founder, Sprinkles Cupcakes
Los Angeles, California
Sprinkles.com

Celebration Weekend
June 4-5, 2011
IKEA® Cooking Stage

Candace Nelson is the founder and pastry chef of Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world’s first cupcake bakery. Started in Beverly Hills in 2005, Nelson’s sophisticated take on the classic American cupcake became an overnight sensation and launched a worldwide cupcake-bakery phenomenon. Her cupcakes, made from the best ingredients and baked fresh throughout the day, inspire long lines of devoted fans and earn accolades from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Blake Lively, Katie Holmes, Ryan Seacrest, and Barbra Streisand. Today, Sprinkles has eight U.S. locations and a traveling Sprinklesmobile; avid bakers will find their line of eponymous cupcake mixes at Williams-Sonoma stores.

Nelson is a judge on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. She has been a contributor to The Best Thing I Ever Ate, as well as a judge on Bobby Flay’s Cupcake Throwdown. Candace has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show and has been profiled on the Today show, Nightline, and in People magazine. Her cupcakes have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. Nelson is a graduate of Tante Marie’s Professional Pastry Program in San Francisco and Wesleyan University.