FROM TOWERING CAKES TO TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION OF BAKERS, DUFF GOLDMAN SHOWS THAT SUCCESS IS BUILT IN LAYERS, WITH PATIENCE AND PLAYFULNESS AT THE CENTER.
Duff Goldman laughs easily, often mid-thought, and just as often while explaining something surprisingly philosophical about baking. That balance defined his career across television, pastry kitchens, and now even woodworking benches.
Goldman, best known for Ace of Cakes and a long run of Food Network competition shows, is back in Miami for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, where he has been a familiar presence for years. This time, he arrives fresh off the premiere of Baking Championship Next Gen, a show that places him in the role of mentor to sibling teams of young bakers.
“For me, it’s really personal,” Goldman says. “I have a brother who’s only 22 months apart from me. Seeing how these kids work together, how they bicker, how they solve problems — that’s just their language. That’s how siblings communicate.”
Mentorship, he explains, requires reframing competition. “Just because you don’t win doesn’t make it not fun,” he says. “You’re not doing it for the ribbon. You’re doing it for the journey. The journey is the good stuff.”
That philosophy extends to how Goldman views the next generation of bakers. He admits to being impressed, and occasionally intimidated. “Their culinary sophistication at such a young age is wild,” he says. “They’re doing things I didn’t learn until I was 30. And they’re baking with subtlety. They understand when a cookie is perfect.”
At SOBEWFF, Goldman says the appeal is as much personal as professional. “This is the only time we all get to see each other,” he says, referring to fellow chefs and longtime friends. “We don’t get to hang out much otherwise. This is where we catch up, show pictures of kids, talk about restaurants.”
He credits the festival with opening his eyes to Miami beyond its surface. “Miami actually reminds me a lot of Baltimore,” he says. “Strong local art, music, food. You just have to go find it.”
Away from television, Goldman’s creativity has taken increasingly tactile forms. He recently opened Duff’s Deli and Market in an airport, a decision he shrugs off with logic. “You sell more pastrami sandwiches in an airport than you do in the woods,” he says.
When he is not baking or filming, he is often in his wood shop, carving birds, building toys, or creating hand-cranked sculptures sold through his Etsy shop. “I just make stuff,” he says. “If I don’t, I lose my mind.”
That need to create, inherited from generations of artists in his family, remains constant. So does the joy. The part that still excites him most is the people. “Meeting the fans,” Goldman says. “They care. They’re invested. That humbles you. That’s the fun part.”
Duff Goldman laughs easily, often mid-thought, and just as often while explaining something surprisingly philosophical about baking. That balance defined his career across television, pastry kitchens, and now even woodworking benches.
Goldman, best known for Ace of Cakes and a long run of Food Network competition shows, is back in Miami for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, where he has been a familiar presence for years. This time, he arrives fresh off the premiere of Baking Championship Next Gen, a show that places him in the role of mentor to sibling teams of young bakers.
“For me, it’s really personal,” Goldman says. “I have a brother who’s only 22 months apart from me. Seeing how these kids work together, how they bicker, how they solve problems — that’s just their language. That’s how siblings communicate.”
Mentorship, he explains, requires reframing competition. “Just because you don’t win doesn’t make it not fun,” he says. “You’re not doing it for the ribbon. You’re doing it for the journey. The journey is the good stuff.”
That philosophy extends to how Goldman views the next generation of bakers. He admits to being impressed, and occasionally intimidated. “Their culinary sophistication at such a young age is wild,” he says. “They’re doing things I didn’t learn until I was 30. And they’re baking with subtlety. They understand when a cookie is perfect.”
At SOBEWFF, Goldman says the appeal is as much personal as professional. “This is the only time we all get to see each other,” he says, referring to fellow chefs and longtime friends. “We don’t get to hang out much otherwise. This is where we catch up, show pictures of kids, talk about restaurants.”
He credits the festival with opening his eyes to Miami beyond its surface. “Miami actually reminds me a lot of Baltimore,” he says. “Strong local art, music, food. You just have to go find it.”
Away from television, Goldman’s creativity has taken increasingly tactile forms. He recently opened Duff’s Deli and Market in an airport, a decision he shrugs off with logic. “You sell more pastrami sandwiches in an airport than you do in the woods,” he says.
When he is not baking or filming, he is often in his wood shop, carving birds, building toys, or creating hand-cranked sculptures sold through his Etsy shop. “I just make stuff,” he says. “If I don’t, I lose my mind.”
That need to create, inherited from generations of artists in his family, remains constant. So does the joy. The part that still excites him most is the people. “Meeting the fans,” Goldman says. “They care. They’re invested. That humbles you. That’s the fun part.”
