Reece Hignell enters the Dessert Masters kitchen with the confidence of a veteran competitive cook. Placing sixth in his inaugural MasterChef Australia season (10), he returned to MasterChef Australia: Back To Win in season 12, finishing a very respectable fifth amongst an impressive array of MasterChef favourites.  

 Reece is back in 2024, and this time, he will be playing entirely within his specialty sweet comfort zone. He enters the Dessert Masters kitchen as the successful business owner of Newcastle’s Cakeboi, his bakery which launched in 2020. The popular local business has gone from strength to strength, attracting a loyal following of sweet tooths who love Reece’s traditional baked treats – think lemon tarts, carrot cakes and sponges, with whole cakes and cakes by the slice on offer, as well as high teas inspired by cherished family recipes.  

 In 2022 Reece published his first cookbook, Cakeboi: A Collection Of Classic Bakes, and recently, Reece proudly announced the upcoming release of a brand new cookbook, Cakeboi Goes Vegan, inspired by his own adoption of a plant-based diet four years ago. Adapting many of his favourite recipes, he proves that there is no reason for those on a plant-based diet to miss out on any of the cake-shaped fun.  

 Growing up, Reece was inspired and taught in the kitchen by his beloved late Nan, who could whip up beautiful baked treats at the drop of a hat. Though he worked in hospitality as a youth, he entered a career in recruitment, but soon realised it wasn’t his happy place. It was following his first MasterChef Australia appearance in 2018 that he had the courage to chase his true passion.  

 Alongside managing the success of Cakeboi, Reece has also found time for new endeavours, having recently launched Acacia Dining in Maitland and undertaking a 12-month residency at QT Hotel Newcastle, featuring high teas complete with a decked-out Cakeboi trolley.  

Reece will be looking to consolidate his experience as he now tackles the Dessert Masters challenge, matching up alongside some of the best in the business and backing himself all the way.