"It was my first time competing": Spring Baking Championship's Jon'nae reveals her experience from the show

Food Network's Spring Baking Championship Season 11 aired its latest episode on March 31, 2025. The fourth episode featured an elimination, Jon'nae "Jaye" Smith, from Atlanta, Georgia.

For the preheat, bakers were supposed to make chocolate eggs filled with yolk-like baked goods, whereas, for the main heat, participants had to recreate savory-dishes lookalike dessert dishes. After Jon'nae's dish didn't meet the judges' expectations, she was sent home.

March 25, 2025, the Family Meal issue by RoughDraft featured Jon'nae Smith's interview, in which she answered some exciting questions. When she was asked about the competition and how her experience has been so far, she responded:

"My experience on the show was amazing. I got to compete against the most talented bakers and pastry chefs. The days were long, but I had so much fun with my other castmates. I learned so many new things about myself as a person, chef, and an actress. At the end of the day, I am proud of how I showed up, being that it was my first time competing and being on national television."

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Spring Baking Championship Season 11: Jon'nae "Jaye" Smith reveals her experience from the competition show

Recently eliminated baker from Food Network's Spring Baking Championship Season 11, Jon'nae Smith, a pastry chef from Atlanta, Georgia revealed exciting details about her baking skills, journey, the competition show and more.

She has worked in restaurants including Canoe, the Loews Hotel, Four Seasons Atlanta, and Bread & Butterfly, to name a few. Jon'nae's baking journey dates back to her childhood days.

"I began baking as a young girl, maybe 5, with my easy bake oven. My nana and my mom bought it for me for Christmas, and I’ve been in the kitchen ever since then. I decided I wanted to be a pastry chef around 17 years old after I baked a dense cake, and I couldn’t figure out what had happened. Baking intrigued me because of the science that goes with it," she said.

In college, she started baking for her friends and called it Jaye's Creations. Since then, she has come a long way with everything she has learned and achieved. Arlety Estevez and Demetrius Brown from Bread & Butterfly are her baking mentors.

The female baker also revealed that her experience on The Spring Baking Championship Season 11 has been so far "amazing." She said she learned "so many new things" from her fellow participants. She meant that as a person, as an actress, and as a chef.

She also revealed that it was her "first time" competition, and she was on national television. For the fans who might be wondering, Jon'nae also revealed that her close friends from the baking championship were Rav Oberoi aka Ravioli, Stacy Flores, and Corey Jamison.

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Fans can stream The Spring Baking Championship Season 11 on Food Network every Monday.