New Food Network culinary competition pits pros against passionate amateurs in 'Bakers vs. Fakers'

Series premieres Wednesday, Jan. 25

Four competitors battle it out each episode for ultimate bragging rights and a cash prize, as Buddy Valastro hosts new culinary competition series "Bakers vs. Fakers," premiering Wednesday, Jan. 25 (10 p.m. ET/PT), on Food Network.

Over two rounds of culinary challenges, a mix of home bakers and professional chefs must come up with delectable desserts that need to impress a rotating panel of guest judges, including Damiano Carrara, Nancy Fuller, Paulette Goto, Alex Guarnaschelli, Daphne Oz, Damaris Phillips, Lorraine Pascale, Natalie Sideserf and Zac Young.

With no higher standards for the professionals and no sympathy for the amateurs, a blind taste test will determine the best dessert. Only after the winner is selected will the true identities be revealed. If a professional is victorious, he or she will take home $10,000, but if an amateur can beat the odds and take down the pros, that person will walk away with $15,000!

"As we have seen with the success of 'Cooks vs. Cons,' not knowing who is the professional and who is the amateur makes the suspense that much greater for viewers at home, as they try to figure out, along with the host and judges, which competitors are bakers and which are fakers," said Didi O'Hearn, senior vice president of programming for Food Network and Cooking Channel.

In each one-hour episode, the four competitors are put to the test, showcasing they have what it takes to beat their fellow opponents, while proving to the judges why they should be victorious.

During one episode, things ignite as the four bakers are confronted with using hot peppers to create spicy cupcakes. Judges Pascale and Phillips join Valastro in sifting out the bakers from the fakers. After one baker is eliminated, the remaining three move on to round two, where they must use school snacks in their winning dish, with the winner walking away with a cash prize.

In another episode, judges Guarnaschelli and Goto challenge the professional and amateur bakers to cobble together a gooey treat by using cheese in fruit cobblers. The bakers who move on to round two find the challenge twice as nice when rice must be used to find the sweet spot in the winning dish. And see what happens when the bakers square off in an attempt to win over Valastro and judges Pascale and Young, as classic brownies must be combined with aromatic ginger to determine which competitors move one to round two.

Can you tell a professional baker from an amateur? Visit Food Network.com to relive the baking fails, see epic reveals and get tips to up your baking game. Join the conversation using #BakersvsFakers.