Two siblings from Geneseo have a “summer secret” that they promised not to share with family or friends. Fifteen-year-old Abigail and 10-year-old Kenneth Wolf, who live on a farm in rural Henry County, are participating in the Food Network’s Baking Championship: Next Gen.
During much of the summer of 2025, they, along with their mother Erica, spent time in Burbank, Calif., filming the nine-episode series. Ten pairs of siblings are given a baking challenge each week, and depending on the judges’ choice, one pair is sent home at the end of each episode.
The last team standing wins a $25,000 prize and is deemed the next generation of Baking Champions.
The secret? When asked, “Did you win?” the two must say, “Can’t tell you – it’s a secret.” They can speak about some of their experiences, however. Both shared that they really enjoyed the hosts and the other participants. Abigail was quick to compliment everyone involved, including those who filmed them and those who were on hand to help and support them while they baked.
“One of the best parts was that I didn’t have to clean up afterwards,” joked Abigail.
Kenneth, who appears to have never met a stranger, enjoyed getting to know the other participants and took part in activities with them outside of the program. When discussing how they divided responsibilities, he said, “My sister came up with the basic ideas, and I built upon that,” adding, “I knew she was either going to be right or she’d win the argument anyway.”
Coming up with recipe ideas was no challenge for either one. Both are active in the kitchen, with Abigail’s favorites being decorated sugar cookies and specialty cakes. Her favorite creations are macarons, made with a variety of fillings. “I plan on using Champagne in the ones I’m making for Valentine’s Day.”
Kenneth is a master of pâte à choux, used to make delicious cream puffs and éclairs. A natural comedian, he came up with their slogan, “We Wolfs don’t eat meat, we eat cake.” In real life, however, he’ll tell you his favorite food is steak.
Hosts and judges, Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown, are culinary experts who keep the momentum going each week, judging (and tasting) the competitors’ creations. According to the Food Network, the sibling teams will take on tricky challenges such as “breakfast dessert impostors,” “cream puff friendship bracelets” and “animated cakes.” Their first challenge was to make something that represented the families of the contestants. The Geneseo duo produced an elegant, fruit-filled cake, topped with cream cheese frosting and decorated with a tractor, corn, and fencing made from handmade ingredients. This success secured their participation in the next episode.
“The camera people were very careful to avoid showing mistakes,” said Abigail. “But we still wanted to make sure our entry was the best we could make.” She explained that one of the things she really enjoyed was not having to clean up the kitchen area once the baking was done. “I do enough of that at home!” She mentioned that the staging area was complete with any and all baking supplies. “Picking out your ingredients was a lot of fun.”
Separating the responsibilities helped to smooth out the process. While Abigail was the chief designer, Kenneth helped with many of the smaller tasks. “I had to sift all of the powdered sugar,” he groaned, adding that, all in all, they worked well together.
There is considerable pressure to do well, and the time frames involved can add to the stress of the baking process. Between filming, the teams spent time together and enjoyed meeting and making new friends. “We could work out at a gym,” noted Kenneth. “I really enjoyed meeting the other kids.”
The two young bakers, along with their 13-year-old sister, Lucy, are homeschooled by their mother, Erica Wolf. When asked if Lucy is also a baker, she was quick to say, “I don’t like to bake, but I like to eat!” A competitive gymnast, she spends many hours each week honing her craft at the gymnastic center in Geneseo.
All three children are actively involved in farming, with Abigail helping her dad, Dan, by driving some of the tractors and grain trucks. The younger two help with the family’s large garden, which provides lots of opportunities for canning and freezing fresh produce. When they are not involved in their schoolwork or farming chores, they spend time with pets Bo, a German Shorthair puppy and Wrigley, a dog with a very mixed heritage.
Abigail likes to spend her free time testing recipes, and Kenneth builds Battle Boxes, competing in contests and attending Battle Box camp each year.
Parents Dan and Erica are their biggest fans, along with numerous family members and friends who are familiar with the treats the two share at gatherings. According to Mom, Abigail inherited a lot of her skills from Dan’s mother and is thinking about the possibility of culinary school someday. As for Kenneth, everyone agrees that he would make a great cooking show host.
No matter what their futures hold, these two are on the road to success. It couldn’t be any sweeter (or as tasty).
Their story has been popular with the media. They were recently interviewed by WGN radio and NBC Chicago, as well as Quad City television stations. The Food Network Channel airs the program on Monday nights at 7 p.m., Central Time.
