IT engineer, Raufikat Oyawoye-Salami, wins ‘The Great Canadian Baking Show’

Raufikat Oyawoye-Salami has won the fourth season of The Great Canadian Baking Show. The IT Support Engineer becomes the first and only Nigerian to win the show since its inception in 2017. In this interview by ENIOLA OYEMOLADE, she speaks on how her love for baking started, her journey throughout the eight weeks competition, among others.

How did the passion for baking come about?

My sister and I used to bake with my mum when we were growing up. The baking reduced over the years but I started exploring it again when I went to the UK for a Masters degree in 2008. I got a small hand mixer and a cake pan and made a lemon cake. It turned out really nicely and that encouraged me to make other things. I have been baking since then.

Why did you decide to go for The Great Canadian Baking Show?

My sisters and my husband were the major reasons I applied. My sisters and I used to watch the British version together and they were very excited to find out there was a Canadian one.

Did you think you were going to win?

I never imagined I would be selected for the show in the first place, let alone win. I was actually selected twice, for season 3 before season 4, but I was pregnant at the time so I could not participate. When I found out I was going to be on the show, my aim was to get to episode 2. Each week I got through was surprising but exciting and sometimes it still feels like a dream.

You are the first Nigerian to win this show and you defeated 9 other contestants, how does that make you feel? What was the grand prize?

I don’t like to use the word ‘defeated’, but it was an indescribable feeling to win. I made 9 lifelong friends who are as passionate about baking as I am and I learned a lot from the judges and my fellow bakers. I am also happy to have won because I had a folder with all the recipes I developed for the show and I got the chance to make them all. I won a trophy and bragging rights!

What would you say helped you win the competition?

I honestly can’t point to one thing, but it was very important in such a high-pressure and timed situation to always stay calm and recover quickly from any disasters. I think the judges also enjoyed my bakes, which is the most important thing!

What was the 8-week competition like? What were some of the high and low moments you faced during the period?

It was an intense period which wasn’t made any easier by the COVID-19 situation. In previous seasons, the contestants could go home for a bit and come back to film. We couldn’t do that this year; we were quarantined away from home for the whole duration. My husband and friends here certainly helped make it easier to be away from home for so long.

I had a few low points, like in Bread week, when my Tarte Tropizienne was too hot and melted the pastry cream filling and I came last place in the Technical challenge. But I definitely had high points too, like in Italian week where the judges loved everything about my showstopper Italian tower and Botanical week, where I won Star Baker for the first time.

What did you bake for the show’s finale?

For the finale showstopper, I made a Treat Trolley inspired by the colours of my wedding. I made a decorative strawberry mousse pie, Raspberry and gold chocolate-filled macarons, almond Jesuites and lemon and rose Battenberg cakes.

Was there a specific reason you moved to Canada?

My family and I moved to Canada to find better opportunities for ourselves.

What do you love most about baking and what inspires your baking?

I love the precision that baking requires but also the freedom to experiment you have when you understand the functions of all the ingredients. Baking is a meditative and creative outlet for me, and I enjoy sharing what I have made with family and friends.

You are an IT support engineer, do you think this helps your baking in any way or vice versa?

A support engineer is always in troubleshooting mode, that is a very good skill to have in baking. It helps you figure out what went wrong when your bake doesn’t turn out as expected.

How do you juggle being an engineer, a baker and a mother together?

It is a very busy life for sure, as I work full-time and I have recently changed careers. I usually bake with my older daughter at the weekend and I occasionally make cakes for friends and family here.

When you are not baking or ‘engineering’, what are you doing?

I am usually researching baking! I’m reading recipes of bakes I’ve never seen or made, filling fantasy shopping carts with dream ingredients and baking tools and planning what to bake next.

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