Abigail and Kenneth Wolf, of rural Geneseo, won the Food Network’s Next Gen Baking Championship on Monday, taking home the top prize of $25,000.

The final episode required the three remaining teams to create an animated dessert, using the earliest form of moving pictures called a Zoetrope. Introduced by the Milton Bradley toy company in 1866, it created an optical illusion, with the viewer thinking they were seeing consistent movement.

Both judges, Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown, told the teams that this last bake would include all the things they learned during the series. Both told the siblings how they saw them grow as people and how they learned to rely on each other as they moved through each level.

“You are all great bakers,” said Judge Kardea, describing the experience as a roller coaster. “Sometimes you were way up, and sometimes you were down.” All six of the remaining contestants nodded in agreement.

Abigail and Kenneth were selected to choose a design for each team’s animated centerpiece. They chose a heart, while the other two were assigned a star and a heart, respectively.

“Stars and flowers have points that break,” said Abigail.

The heart theme fit right in with their title of “Heart of the Land,” chosen to honor their Midwest farming family. Throughout the series, the Wolf siblings have made their farm and family the centerpiece of their creations.

The base featured chocolate cake, layered with blackberry cream and hazelnuts, and frosted with a soft, multi-colored buttercream. Fondant hearts, placed perfectly around the cake, showed off their rhythm when the cake was spun on the tiered cake plate, exactly like the Zoetropes popular over a century ago. Isomalt hearts adorned the top layer that was coated with a frosting that mirrored the sunsets the two bakers experienced back home in Illinois.

Both judges gave their cake high marks for its design, flavor and presentation.

“The texture and color are great,” said Judge Kardea. “The animation is smooth, and the whole cake is beautiful and delicious,” added Judge Duff.

During the episode, the two seemed to share a growing respect for each other and were a bit more at ease at sharing their appreciation for the time together.

“Did you find out that you were better than you think?” asked Abigail, to which Kenneth responded, “I think I surprised myself!”

It was clear that by the end of the contest, the two had formed a special bond. Abigail agreed that she was going to trust Kenneth more in the kitchen. Kenneth responded that they will probably still fight at home, as siblings do, but that they will see each other in a different light.

Overall, the brother and sister team proved to be great bakers, great siblings and great representatives of the Midwest.

Relying on their skills, their love of family and each other made them Next Gen Baking Champions 2026. The proof is in the pudding – or in this case, the cake!

Judge Duff noted that he’s watched Kenneth become more confident by stepping up to the task, while Judge Kardea commented, “and Abigail has let him!”