Marcela Valladolid on The American Baking Competition

Marcela Valladolid, host of Food Network’s Mexican Made Easy, is used to being in the kitchen but this week, she’ll be on the other side of the table, judging sweet treats on CBS’ The American Baking Competition.

The show, which is based on the UK hit The Great British Bake Off, pits 10 amateur bakers against each other. The bakers were chosen after a nationwide search took producers to local bake offs, from California to Connecticut. Each week, these 10 bakers will face off, dishing out their best riff off of a theme like “Signature Bake” and “Showstopper Baker”. The best baker stays, the worst is eliminated. The final challenge will feature the three remaining contestants, baking it out for a $250,000 grand prize and a publishing contract from Simon & Schuster.

Valladolid, joined by fellow judges comedian Jeff Foxworthy and star baker Paul Hollywood, will be on hand to take a bite out of every creation and pick her fave.

Here, the seasoned chef talks about her favorite sweets, what it’s like to compete, and a view from the other side.

Catch the premiere of The American Baking Competition tonight, May 29th, at 8 PM EST on CBS.