North Texan woos judges, fellow contestants on "Is It Cake?"

How it works: 10 bakers from all over the U.S. attempt realistic cakes to trick celebrity judges into thinking they are real objects.

• The creations are judged by their appearance and their taste, and contestants get to accumulate money from challenges along the way.
• The show is fun to watch because viewers can also guess which of the items displayed are really cake.

The intrigue: Carrollton’s Elizabeth Rowe had a few reasons for going on the show. She wanted to be able to offer paid maternity leave to a longtime employee, and repair her own home that was damaged in the 2021 winter storm.

• Rowe earned the nickname "The Stitch Witch" on the show for picking items with difficult stitching, including a Doc Martens boot.
• Her British vocabulary, including "gobsmacked" and "oh my giddy aunt," adds to the fun.

Flashback: Rowe started baking in her small town in Essex, England, just one year before moving to North Texas in 2008.

• She opened The London Baker’s Castle Hills location in 2018 and expanded to Lewisville in 2021.

State of play: Rowe is just as delightful in person as she is on "Is It Cake?"

• She says the show helped her cover her employee’s leave, repair her home and pay for her wedding in April.
• She still takes on wedding consultations, juggles deliveries for events, bakes impressively realistic cakes, and keeps in touch with the show's contestants.

What she's saying: "I just hope that people enjoy the show. I hope it brings them some joy and happiness … because that’s why I bake," she tells Axios.

Yes, but: We won't spoil the outcome for you. You'll have to see for yourself how Rowe did.