Candace Nelson

Candace Nelson (born May 8, 1974) is an Indonesian-born American pastry chef and judge on the television series Cupcake Wars and Sugar Rush. She grew up in Indonesia and comes from a family with a baking background, with her grandmother known for her desserts in San Francisco. Nelson is a graduate of Groton School and Wesleyan University, as well as Tante Marie's Professional Pastry Program. Prior to her career in baking, Nelson worked as an investment banker with her husband, Charles. After the dot-com bust, she shifted her focus to pastry making and opened a custom cake business from her home in San Francisco. Eventually, they opened Sprinkles Cupcakes in 2005, which became a popular destination for cupcake enthusiasts worldwide.