Fort Worth Baker Competes on New Dr. Seuss Cooking TV Show — Tareka Loton Embraces a Truly Creative Baking Challenge

Artist and baker Tareka Lofton opened her Fort Worth bakery Loft 22 back in 2017, quickly becoming one of the city’s favorite special occasions bakers. Her stunningly beautiful cakes taste as good as they look. Now, Lofton is making the TV leap.

The Fort Worth baker is one of 18 classically trained pastry chefs and self-taught cake artists competing on the Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge series on Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video. The bakeoff competition gets underway on December 13. 

“My life has surprised me, and all the places it has taken me,” Lofton tells PaperCity Fort Worth. “I’ve been through so many hills and valleys in my life, and I’ve always been a very determined person.”

That determination kicked into high gear during COVID when special occasions got canceled and Loft 22 had no orders to fill. Lofton’s remarkable sense of humor and creativity led her to design one of the pandemic’s more iconic food creations — the Toilet Paper Cake — which went viral and garnered national attention.

“It was a game changer,” Lofton says. “That one cake kept my business afloat from April through August of 2020. We were selling about 150 Toilet Paper Cakes per week.”

Inside the Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge

Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge is being hosted by actress Tamera Mowry-Housley. It has nine teams from across the country vying for the chance to win $50,000 as they bring to life the fantastical world of Dr. Seuss in the form of some extravagant confections, cookies and pasties.

The teams get judged by expert pastry chefs Clarice Lam and Joshua John Russell.

And yes, they will be rhyming excessively throughout the series. In true Dr. Seuss fashion, which is that clever and comforting rhythm of four-line tetrameter.

“From the Grinch to the Cat in the Hat, these teams of bakers will use their limitless imaginations to craft jaw-dropping creations inspired by beloved Dr. Seuss characters,” a show press release details. “In each episode, bakers will be given a challenge based on Seuss characters and stories, and their towering creations will be judged based on taste, creativity, accuracy and storytelling.”

As a trained visual artist who paints and sculpts, Lofton understands that beauty and whimsy are often found in the smallest details of her designs. But how do you translate a cartoon-inspired vision into an edible work of art?

“With my background in art, I focus special attention on color palettes and fine details,” Lofton says. “I like to really listen to my clients and incorporate their personalities into my creations.”

Lofton is teamed up on the new TV series with Lorenzo Delgado of Miami, Florida. They make up Team Yellow. Delgado is known for using bright, vibrant colors and unique textures, but he also realizes that he struggles with time management.

You’ll have to tune in to see if he can overcome this challenge, or if it will be Team Yellow’s undoing.

“I got very lucky with my partner,” Lofton tells PaperCity. “Lorenzo and I were in sync. We did the kitchen dance very well. But we found ourselves among the best of the best, so we had to up our game.

“The time constraints on the show were challenging, trying to figure out on the fly, how to execute my vision. It’s also difficult to maneuver in a foreign kitchen. But I relied on my skill set. I’ve had my share of cake disasters and you learn how to recover.”

There are eight episodes of Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge, featuring two challenges per episode. It was filmed on location in Los Angeles. A fun new twist allows viewers and home bakers to get into the act too.

“Following the episodes, viewers will be able to bake their own versions of the creations seen on the show,” a release details. “The winning Best Bite recipes will be available for free in Amazon’s Dr. Seuss Baking Challenge store. Ingredients will also be available for customers to purchase on Amazon Fresh.”

It’s all about crossover events these days. But getting to see one of Fort Worth’s most creative bakers in the national spotlight will be a reward of its own for local foodies.