Zac Young facts for kids

Zac Young (born in 1982) is a famous American pastry chef and a friendly face on TV! He is known for his amazing desserts and has been on many baking shows. You might have seen him on Food Network or the Cooking Channel. He was a contestant on Top Chef: Just Desserts and shared his sweet secrets on Unique Sweets. Zac has also been a guest judge on popular shows like Nailed It! on Netflix, Halloween Baking Championship, and Chopped.

Early Life and Baking Dreams

Zac Young was born in Portland, Maine in 1982. His parents are Jonathan and Susan Lebel Young. When he was a kid, Zac really wanted to learn how to bake. This was because his mom was vegan, and she didn't bake cookies for him.

Before becoming a chef, Zac was interested in theater. He acted in community plays from third to eighth grade. Later, he went to the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts. For a short time, Zac even worked as a costume designer! But soon, he realized that baking was his true passion. In 2003, he moved to New York City to study at the Institute of Culinary Education. He finished his studies there in 2006.

Zac's Sweet Career

After graduating, Zac started his journey as a pastry chef. He worked with famous chefs like Sebastien Rouxel and Richard Capizzi at Bouchon Bakery. Then, he became a pastry chef at a place called Butter. Zac also traveled to France to learn from top pastry experts, Philippe Givre and Philippe Parc.

In 2009, Zac became the head pastry chef at Flex Mussels. This restaurant is in the Upper East Side of New York City. While there, he even opened a special donut shop for a short time inside Grand Central Station.

The Amazing PieCaken

In 2012, Zac joined the David Burke Group, which later became Craveable Hospitality Group. He worked as an executive pastry chef. In 2015, Zac and another pastry chef, Gian Martinez, created a super unique dessert called the PieCaken.

The PieCaken was first made to be sold in restaurants. It's a fun, layered dessert that combines three yummy treats! It has a layer of pecan pie, a layer of pumpkin pie, and a layer of spice cake. All these layers are held together with delicious cinnamon buttercream. On top, it's finished with sweet apple pie filling. The Wall Street Journal newspaper even called it a mix of pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and an apple upside-down cake!

Zac on TV!

Zac Young has been a popular face on many television shows. He often appears as a judge, sharing his expert opinion on delicious desserts.