Jeffrey Adam "Duff" Goldman is a

pastry chef A pastry chef or pâtissier (; the French female version of the word is pâtissière ), is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bi ...

television personality Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

, and cookbook author. He is the executive chef of the

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

-based Charm City Cakes shop, which was featured in the

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ( ...

reality television show '' Ace of Cakes'', and his second,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

-based, shop Charm City Cakes West, which is featured in Food Network's ''Duff Till Dawn'' and "Cake Masters" series.Julekha Dash.
Audacity brings chef sweet success
" ''Baltimore Business Journal.'' Accessed January 20, 2007. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. His work has also been featured on the ''

Food Network Challenge ''Food Network Challenge'' is a competitive cooking television series that aired on the Food Network. In each episode, professional chefs vie in a timed competition in their professional specialty. The winner receives a cheque for $10,000 and a gol ...

'', ''

Iron Chef America ''Iron Chef America'' is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's ''Iron Chef'', and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed ''Iron Chef USA'' that aired in 2001. The show is produced by Food Network, w ...

'', '' Oprah'', ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

'', '' Man v. Food'', '' Buddy vs. Duff'', ''Duff Takes the Cake'', and ''

Duff's Happy Fun Bake Time Duff's Happy Fun Bake Time is a TV series on Discovery+ that stars Duff Goldman. The show details Duff and his friends exploring the science of different foods. It debuted on Discovery+ on April 29, 2021. Plot In his kitchen/laboratory called Bak ...

''.

Early life

Goldman was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

, to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family. He moved shortly thereafter to

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. Goldman's nickname Duff came about when he was a baby. His toddler brother, Willie Goldman, was unable to pronounce Jeffrey and kept saying Duffy."710 Things You Didn't Know About... Duff "
,''

The Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...

'' Retrieved on August 3, 2010. When he was four, his mother caught him in her kitchen wielding a meat cleaver and watching food personality

Chef Tell Friedman Paul Erhardt (November 5, 1943 – October 26, 2007) was a German American pioneering early television chef. He was known as "Chef Tell" to his 40 million fans. He is widely regarded as one of the first chefs to enjoy widespread popular ...

.Staff Writer. Following an undergraduate education at the

University of Maryland, Baltimore County The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a public research university in Baltimore County, Maryland. It has a fall 2022 enrollment of 13,991 students, 61 undergraduate majors, over 92 graduate programs (38 master, 25 doctoral, ...

(UMBC)—where he graduated with a degree in East Asian History with a minor in ethics—he attended the Culinary Institute of America (Greystone) in Napa Valley, California,
About Duff the Baker
." ''Charm City Cakes – Official Website.'' Accessed January 20, 2007. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. After the divorce of his parents when he was ten, Goldman spent time living in both

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

and in the town of

Sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

Cape Cod, Massachusetts Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mon ...

. In 1992, Goldman attended

McLean High School McLean High School is a public school in McLean, Virginia known for its academic achievement, student publications, and award-winning band program. It is at 1633 Davidson Road and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools. In its 2021 report on th ...

McLean, Virginia McLean ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. McLean is home to many diplomats, military, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials partially due to its prox ...

where he played on the Highlanders ice hockey team. In 1993, he graduated from

Sandwich High School Sandwich High School is a public high school located in East Sandwich, Massachusetts, United States. The school serves the students of Sandwich, Massachusetts. Enrollment at the school is about 700 students in grades 9–12, and employs 85 facult ...

. From the age of fourteen, he began to work in kitchens; his first job was at a bagel store at a mall. Goldman also worked as a fry cook at McDonald's. Goldman has said that when he was a sophomore in college, he went to what he considered the finest restaurant in Baltimore, ''Charleston'', and was inspired to apply as a cook there. The head

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a ki ...

, Cindy Wolf, looked at his résumé and noted that it consisted of irrelevant experience. However, Cindy did offer him a job to make

cornbread Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are ...

and

biscuit A biscuit is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. In most countries biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be s ...

s only, and this is what Goldman cites as the turning point in his career.Julie Scelfo
Bake It Like a Man
." ''MSNBC Newsweek Entertainment.'' Accessed January 20, 2007. Retrieved on January 20, 2007. Shortly after college at the

, he attended schools such as Corcoran College of Art and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in

Napa Valley, California Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...

. After working under acclaimed chefs in California, including a stagiaire position at the French Laundry and as executive pastry chef of the Vail Cascade Hotel in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, he returned to Washington, D.C., to work at Todd English's ''Olives'' restaurant baking bread.

Charm City Cakes

In 2002, Goldman opened his own business called Charm City Cakes. Initially, his cake sales began as he worked out of his house in Charles Village in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore wa ...

with the help of two assistants he employed. As demand grew, he hired more employees, hiring painters, architects, and sculptors to work in the bakery. Charm City Cakes frequently uses blow torches, as well as power tools such as grinders and drills to help create the underlying supports of cakes. Goldman has made cakes for president

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

's second inaugural ball in 2013,

Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have b ...

, the cast of ''Lost'', the ''

30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live'', tak ...

'' cast (along with a cake prop), Sir Roger Moore, and for Katy Perry's "Birthday" video.

Cookbooks

Goldman has written three cookbooks: ''Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes'', ''Duff Bakes: Think and Bake Like a Pro at Home,'' and ''Super Good Baking for Kids.''

Other televised appearances

In 2022, Goldman competed in season seven of '' The Masked Singer'' as "McTerrier" of Team Good. After the performance of

Loverboy Loverboy is a Canadian rock band formed in 1979 in Calgary, Alberta. Loverboy's hit singles, particularly " Turn Me Loose" and " Working for the Weekend", have become arena rock staples and are still heard on many classic rock and classic hits ...

's "

Working for the Weekend "Working for the Weekend" is a song by Canadian rock band Loverboy, from their second studio album, '' Get Lucky'' (1981). It was written by guitarist Paul Dean, vocalist Mike Reno and drummer Matt Frenette; and produced by Bruce Fairbairn and D ...

", McTerrier's mask accidentally came off and he had to shield his head while the panelists shielded their eyes until a crew member had to run out and put the mask back on. He was the first to be eliminated. Goldman is a judge on several

cooking competitions, such as Holiday Baking Championship, Spring Baking Championship and Kids Baking Championship. He co-hosts the last show with Valerie Bertinelli.

Personal life

As of 2021, Goldman lives in Los Angeles, California. He played bass guitar in an indie-rock band called "...soihadto...". He later became the bass player in the band Foigrock (a play on

foie gras Foie gras (, ; ) is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage (force feeding). Foie gras is a popular and well-known delica ...

and rock and roll). He states his alternate dream job would be to perform as a bass player with the band

Clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...

. Goldman has made a wedding cake for Clutch's lead singer, Neil Fallon. In addition, Fallon's younger sister and Goldman's friend from college, Mary Alice Fallon-Yeskey, works at Charm City Cakes as the office manager.Alan H. Feiler, "Flour Power", ''Baltimore Jewish Times'', March 2, 2007 Goldman is Jewish. He is involved in

Tzedakah ''Tzedakah'' or ''Ṣedaqah'' ( he, צדקה ) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify '' charity''. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically u ...

. In an interview with Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, Goldman said "Tzedakah is very important to me. I’ve been so fortunate with everything that has happened to me, it would be a crime not to give back." In 2012, Goldman lost toes in a motorcycle accident. On April 2, 2018, Goldman proposed to Johnna Colbry, whom he later married. On September 25, 2019, Goldman spoke at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

, discussing the importance of

Jewish identity Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Under a broader definition, Jewish identity does not depend on whether a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an exte ...

and

tzedakah ''Tzedakah'' or ''Ṣedaqah'' ( he, צדקה ) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify '' charity''. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically u ...

in his life. On August 8, 2020, the couple announced they were expecting their first child, expected in January 2021. In January 2021, their daughter Josephine Frances Goldman was born.

Filmography

*'' Cake Masters'' (2016-) *'' Duff Till Dawn'' (2015) *'' Ace of Cakes'' (2006-2011) *'' Holiday Baking Championship'' (2014-) *''

'' (2005) *'' Kids Baking Championship'' (2014-) *'' Spring Baking Championship'' (2015-) *'' Worst Bakers in America'' (2016-) *''Dessert Games'' (2017-) *'' Buddy vs. Duff'' (2019-) *'' Duff Takes the Cake'' (2019-) * '' Double Dare'', 2019 * ''

Ryan's Mystery Playdate ''Ryan's Mystery Playdate'' is an American live-action children's television series created and produced by the company PocketWatch, Inc. The series is based on the Ryan's World YouTube channel, which signed an advertising deal with PocketWatch ...

'' (2019) * '' Unfiltered'' (2020) * ''

'' (2021) * '' The Masked Singer'' (2022)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goldman, Duff Chefs from Maryland American male chefs American television chefs University of Maryland, Baltimore County alumni 1974 births Living people Food Network chefs American bakers Pastry chefs George Washington University Corcoran School alumni Culinary Institute of America alumni 21st-century American bass guitarists Jewish American chefs