A North East Intendent School District middle schooler came in first place on Monday night on season 12 of Food Network's Kids Baking Championship.
Lila Smethurst, a seventh-grader at Tex Hill Middle School, made her debut as one of 12 bakers in the competition back in January. She narrowly avoided elimination in the first episode.
During the season finale, she won the $25,000 prize with her science-themed chocolate volcano cake.
She will also earn a feature story in Food Network Magazine.
"I began baking at a very young age by helping my mom and Nana in the kitchen. I began trying new recipes and techniques, and baking quickly became my favorite hobby," Smethurst said on her website.
The San Antonio City Council honored Smethurst earlier this month for her accomplishments in the competition.
Smethurst also runs Lila's Butterbomb Bakery.
She said on the program that she would use the prize money for a family vacation to Hawaii and for her new cats.
"I am so grateful for the way my family, my friends, my school, and the entire city of San Antonio have rooted for me during my time on KBC," she said in an NEISD news release. "I hope that I made everyone proud and that I represented the city well."
