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New MN Cupcake Shop Wins Food Network Competition

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Before she even opened her Minnesota bakery, Abby Jimenez became the state's first pastry chef to win Food Network's "Cupcake Wars."

Jimenez, who will be opening Nadia Cakes in Maple Grove sometime in March, won the Food Network competition in part thanks to her cheesecake cupcake that wowed the judges.

Jimenez said she's a self-taught baker "who just really loves to create desserts that are as pleasing to the eye as they are on the taste buds."

And on "Cupcake Wars" she did just that.

Judge Florian Bellanger even bragged Jimenez made the best cheesecake cupcake that he's ever tasted on the show.

Cheesecake Cupcake
(credit: Megan Hayes Photography)

Jimenez said she and her husband Carlos visited 23 states in 2011 before deciding to build their bakery in Maple Grove.

She said Minnesota just seemed like the right place to raise a family and grow their business.

Nadia Cakes is currently under construction and is expected to open in March at the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes.

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