Jane Haviland knew that she loved baking from a very, very young age. “I started out by helping my mom in the kitchen when I was three or four. And then, I started baking on my own when I was seven, maybe eight,” said Jane. What was it about those early years that inspired Jane to continue baking into her tweens? Necessity gave rise to her baking invention. “My mom wasn’t as into baking as I was, so if I wanted to bake all of the time, I had to learn to do it myself,” Jane recalls.
And though her mother, Victoria Haviland, did not always have the enthusiasm for baking to match Jane’s, she has supported her daughter’s baking dreams. The family enjoyed watching baking and cooking shows together, shows like Chopped and Holiday Bake Off, which further fueled Jane’s interest.
Young baker in training, Jane Haviland
From home kitchen to television set
Jane decided to send in an audition video for her own baking show, received a call from Food Network producers and was on her way to Los Angeles to be a contestant on Kids’ Baking Championship. “It was really amazing being on the show because everybody who was working on it and all of the contestants were super nice. But it was also really stressful. I’m not used to baking in a certain amount of time. When we would go back to the hotel after filming, I thought, ‘Wow – did I actually do that?’”
Jane’s run on the show ended last February. Since then, she’s been invited to bake with one of her former fellow Kid’s Baking Championships contestants on the Valerie’s Home Cooking show – “We just got to chill and cook and have fun.” –and she may very well be back on the TV baking arena in the near future. (Hint, hint).
Classmates that learn to bake together, stay together.
Haviland’s advice for other tweens with a passion and a dream? “You should just follow your dreams. I know that it sounds cheesy, but if I hadn’t tried, I wouldn’t have had this experience. If you try hard enough, you may have an amazing experience – and fun!”
Her favorite baked treat to create and share? “German Roll cake – I make it all the time and it can either be with vanilla or chocolate, and you can add berries to it. It’s one of my favorites!”
Jane's German Bisquitrolle
Jane has made this cake many times in many variations! Sometimes she makes a chocolate version, and fills with with Nutella-whipped cream. She has also filled it with a mixture of lemon curd and mascarpone cheese! It is quick and easy to make, and so very pretty! Everyone loves it!
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 5 T sugar
- 2 T hot water
- 1 T lemon juice
- 4 T flour (for chocolate, use ½ flour, ½ cocoa)
- 1 t baking powder
- Powdered sugar for top
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 2T sugar
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Separate eggs.
- Beat whites until stiff and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat yolks, sugar, hot water, lemon juice, flour, and baking powder.
- Carefully fold yolks into whites. You should still be able to see some whites.
- Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and greased with butter.
- Bake 12-14 minutes.
- Put a generous and even layer of powdered sugar on a clean dish towel.
- Put baked cake on towel and GENTLY roll it up in the towel directly after baking until completely cool. You can let it sit for several hours until serving time at this point.
- Once cool, unroll and fill with freshly whipped cream (use 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped, with 2T sugar). Fill with an even layer of the sliced strawberries.
- Re-roll the cake carefully with the whipped cream and berries inside.
- Slice with a serrated knife and garnish with berries, powdered sugar, chocolate curls, etc . . .
- Serve within a few hours!
