“Being neurotic” The Great American Baking Show 2025 winner Kim Goldfeder discusses her success on the show 

On The Great American Baking Show, Kim Goldfeder Clarke had just pulled off the baking performance of her life—but when her name was called as the winner, she still couldn’t quite believe it.

"It was like time stood still. I'd honestly thought I did have a good chance to win, but being neurotic," she confessed, trailing off with the kind of self-deprecating charm that clearly helped win hearts (and maybe a few soggy-bottom-free rounds).

The latest season of the sweet and stressful The Great American Baking Show, which dropped April 11 on the Roku Channel, featured eight talented home bakers navigating everything from tricky technicals to towering showstoppers, all under the scrutinizing gaze of Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. Hosted by comedians Casey Wilson and Zach Cherry, the American spinoff follows the classic format fans know and love—but with a Yankee twist.

For Kim, a former theater actor from Oceanside with generations of baking in her blood, the win wasn’t just about flour and finesse—it was the realization of a lifelong passion, baked to perfection.

Kim’s journey and winning moment on The Great American Baking Show

Before claiming her title as America's best amateur baker on The Great American Baking Show, Kim pursued a very different creative path. After graduating from Elmont Memorial High School in 1987, she earned a theater degree from Binghamton University and trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Manhattan.

Her early career included regional theater performances and background roles in productions like Party Girl and television shows including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. This performing background likely helped her stay composed under the hot studio lights and camera scrutiny.

"I used to watch my grandmother and my mom bake all the time. I love to cook but my first love is baking," Kim explained, tracing her passion back to childhood moments in the kitchen.

Kim vividly recalls the announcement that crowned her the champion, describing it in cinematic terms.

"I don't know if you noticed but Casey does this swoop thing with her head as if she's going to call somebody else, and then she swoops in my direction and says my name," Kim shared, noting how the The Great American Baking Show hosts' behavior had her second-guessing herself in those final tense moments.

The competition was filmed last summer at the famous Pinewood Studios outside London, where Kim celebrated her 55th birthday during the production. The intensive shooting schedule packed six episodes into less than a month, following six weeks of practice back home in the United States.

Her family’s legacy of cooking

Kim's journey to baking excellence began in a heartwarming way—playing with scraps of dough in the corner while watching her mother and grandmother work their magic in the kitchen.

These early experiences evolved into lessons on weaving pastry dough and crafting traditional treats like rugelach and apple pie. She fondly remembers bonding with her grandmother over PBS cooking shows, planting seeds for what would eventually bloom into championship-level baking skills.

Now, as the reigning champion of The Great American Baking Show, Kim joins an elite group of home bakers whose talent and determination earned them recognition on a national stage—neurotic moments and all.

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You can watch The Great American Baking Show Season 3, which premiered on April 11, 2025, for free (with ads) on The Roku Channel in the U.S. All six episodes are available to stream on demand.

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