'Silos Baking Competition' Crowns First Season's Winner Get the Winning Recipe Now Available at Joanna Gaines ... - PEOPLE

Warning: This article contains spoilers for season 1 of Silos Baking Competition

After a riveting first season, Joanna Gaines’ newest show Silos Baking Competition has crowned its first official winner. 

During the finale on Sunday, Lu Aussem became the first person to win an official season of Silos Baking Competition, receiving the golden whisk trophy, $100,000 and a chance to feature her winning pastry at Gaines’ bakery in Waco, TX. She competed against Jake Hagen, Jessica Juma, Danise Lee and Thomas Fooshee.

“It feels pretty surreal,” Aussem, an E.R. nurse from Ottawa, Illinois, tells PEOPLE. The home baker, who first appeared in the fifth episode of Silos Baking Competition before returning for her shot in the final round, says that “it’s all still kind of sinking in.” 

Magnolia Network

Aussem competed in the first full season of Gaines’ show on Magnolia Network (streaming on MAX and discovery+). The show originally aired as a one-hour special in June 2022, and then again during the holiday season when home bakers competed for a cash prize of $25,000 as well as a chance to feature their winning bake at Silos Baking Company in Waco, TX. 

After an initial round competing against four other talented home bakers, Aussem and her fellow finalists were tasked with baking up a winning creation for Gaines and the panel of judges. While her competitors decided to test out new bakes for this final round, Aussem was the lone baker who decided to return to the Devil Cakes she served in her qualifier. 

“I've baked this recipe a lot. I've practiced it at home. I've brought it to work. I mean, I've taken a lot of time to practice this recipe,” Aussem tells PEOPLE. 

The chocolate cake sandwiches with a vanilla bean filling conjure special memories for Aussem. She tells PEOPLE she took inspiration from a bakery she visited throughout her childhood.

“A lot of times we'd go there after church to get donuts, but they always had this cold case,” she explains. “They had these chocolate cakes with this whipped frosting center, and my sister and I would literally mow grass, get our money, ride our bikes down to the bakery, and have these cakes because they were just so good.”

Magnolia Network

Aussem is now excited for the chance for her spin on the nostalgic treat to feed visitors of Silos Baking Company for the summer months. Like her own childhood bakery, Silos is fitted with a display case showing off the shop’s offerings. “I want the kids to come in and go, 'Oh, I want that,'” an emotional Aussem tells PEOPLE, “And to know that you're going to do that is pretty special.”

While not everyone will be able to make it out to Waco to get a bite of Aussem’s Devil Cakes, the home baker provides tips for making the sugary sweet sandwiches at home.

She says to make sure to "read that recipe, to take your time to make sure the ingredients are at room temperature if they need to be” because “those are probably the most important things” for a cohesive batter or perfectly set frosting.

Try Aussem's winning recipe below for yourself at home.

Magnolia Network

Lu Aussem's Devil Cakes

For the cakes: 

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 ½  cups granulated sugar 

2 large eggs, at room temperature

½ tsp. vanilla extract 

1 ½ cups whole milk, at room temperature

3 cup all-purpose flour 

¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

¾ tsp. baking powder 

2 ¼ tsp. baking soda 

½ tsp. kosher salt 

For the filling: 

1 cup whole milk 

6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 cup granulated sugar 

Pinch of kosher salt 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

1. Make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula. Add vanilla and continue mixing on low until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each egg is fully incorporated. Slowly add the milk to the mixture, mixing until well incorporated. 
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined and there are no streaks of flour left in the batter. Spoon the batter by the heaping tablespoon, or use a two-tablespoon cookie scoop, onto the prepared baking sheets spaced 2-inches apart. 
4. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until they have roughly doubled in size. The tops should be springy while the edges remain firm. Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
5. Make the filling: In a small saucepan, heat the milk and flour over low heat, whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until the mixture thickens to a mashed-potato-like consistency. Set the mixture aside to cool completely. 
6. Meanwhile, in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-speed, beat the butter until light and fluffy. 
7. Add the cooled milk and flour mixture, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Continue mixing on medium-speed until the filling is light and fluffy, taking time to scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once. 
8. Match up the cakes in twos, taking care that each round is approximately the same size. Spread the filling onto the bottom, flat side of one cake, and place the other cake atop, making a little sandwich. 

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