Hi, I'm Nicole Aufderhar! I'm the proud lifelong Minnesotan behind Ten Thousand Bakes. I have lived all over Minnesota but currently hail from the northwoods in Walker, MN where I'm a professional artist by day and a passionate home baker every other waking minute. When I am not running my business or making a disaster in the kitchen, you can find me wandering the woods with an industrial sized can of bear spray in search of things to use in my bakes or tending to my tiny garden or hoard of house plants. ​My love for baking began like many others, growing up helping my mom in the kitchen, even if sometimes that help came only in the form of licking the bowl! In college, I studied commercial photography with a focus on food photography and while I am not currently a professional photographer, one of my favorite aspects of baking is taking photos of my creations.​ In 2014, I took my baking life in a direction that went beyond helping my mom with cookies at Christmas when I decided to enter my baked goods into the Minnesota State Fair baking competition. It was something I always dreamed of but what I never dreamed of what actually being good at it. When all of my entries ribboned my very first year, I was officially hooked. Over the years I have won ribbons for everything from cookies to breads to pastries. I love sharing tips and tricks and encouraging other bakers thinking of taking the deep dive into competitive baking. ​Speaking of competitive baking, in 2023 I got to experience THE DREAM of many home bakers far and wide when I was cast to compete in season 7 of The Great American Baking Show. Its been almost a year since I last set eyes on that glorious white tent and I still tear up typing that sentence. The experience was filled with everything you would expect a good reality cooking competition to have. In that tent, I experienced some of the best and worst baking moments of my life, but I would never trade it for anything in the world. It pushed me to grow as a baker and even learn to have some confidence in my abilities.​Its my hope that through my site you will find delicious recipes to try, learn about foraging and how to bring it into your kitchen in an easy and practical way, and maybe try your hand at entering some of your own baked goods into a local fair or competition.