"Really unconventional" — Spring Baking Championship's Jamie Li details journey from cosmetics to food

From beauty products to buttercream, Jamie Li's path to becoming a baker took an unexpected turn. The stage 2 breast cancer survivor and owner of Cakes by Jami Li found her passion for baking during her cancer treatment, ultimately leading to her competing on Food Network's Spring Baking Championship.

"It was really something that I didn't actually stumble into, and I feel like my journey was really unconventional," Jamie Li said.

Elaborating:

"The stars aligned, and here we are."

Jamie Li, who had previously built her career in cosmetics by working across sales and beauty marketing, discovered baking as a therapeutic outlet during her health challenges. What started as a calming activity during treatment evolved into a full-fledged business run from her peninsula home. When Food Network reached out, inviting her to compete for $25,000 on their popular baking show, Li initially hesitated.

"I looked at that email for about a good month before I responded," she revealed.

The opportunity seemed both thrilling and intimidating:

"It was something I thought to myself, 'Am I actually going to do this? Am I going to put myself out there? Why the heck not?' With every second, it's once in a lifetime."

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Jamie Li’s journey through treatment to Spring Baking Championship

Jamie Li’s path to the kitchen wasn’t exactly what you’d call conventional in the sense that it started in the middle of cancer treatment. Looking for a way to stay calm and centered, she found herself baking a few cakes. That small act of self-care quickly turned into something more.

Curious to explore the spark, she signed up for a baking class to see if it might lead to a career pivot, and by the end of it, she was all in. Soon after, Li took a big step. She launched her own custom cake business. It didn’t take long for TV producers to take notice. They saw something special in her work.

It may seem like a large leap to go from makeup to cakes, but Li saw it as a natural progression. It served as a means of combining her passions for cuisine, art, and design.

Thanks to her unique upbringing, Jamie Li brought a new viewpoint to Season 11, which debuted on March 10, 2025. Thirteen bakers, including her, were prepared to compete and produce.

The first task was to create a dessert with a floral theme that required not just culinary competence but also personality.

The professional kitchen environment presented additional hurdles for Li, who was accustomed to working in her home space. Contestants navigated multiple cooking stations while racing against strict time limits, making split-second decisions about flavors and designs under hot studio lights.

Despite her inspiring backstory and determination, Jamie Li's time on the show proved short-lived. After narrowly avoiding elimination in the first episode due to a strawberry pie where the fruit flavor overwhelmed the honey, she faced challenges in the second episode's Minecraft-themed competition.

Working alongside Paul in a team challenge, Li encountered technical difficulties when her fondant failed during judging. The judges also described her cake's texture as "gummy," which, combined with visual execution problems, led to her elimination.

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Finding success

Jamie Li may not have competed all the way to the end, but her narrative is memorable nonetheless. What started as a way to stay calm during cancer treatment turned into something much bigger for Li. Baking helped her cope, but it also sparked a total career change. She traded cosmetics for cakes and ended up on national TV.

Landing on Food Network wasn’t the plan, but it became a powerful part of her story. And while she didn’t win the $25,000 prize, she gained something more meaningful: a fresh sense of purpose, a growing cake business, and a national spotlight for her creativity.

Jamie Li’s short run on the show is a reminder that success isn’t always about winning. Sometimes, it’s about saying yes to a new path even when life takes an unexpected turn. Meanwhile, the other bakers are still competing every week.

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You can watch Spring Baking Championship Season 11 every Monday at 8:00 pm ET/PT on Food Network, with streaming available the same day on Max and Discovery+.