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The star of Ace of Cakes was in New York the other day to promote his new line of cake decorating supplies. He said that in his five years of being on the network, this was one of the first times he had accepted an endorsement deal.
Two he had turned down: a line of Duff Dog Food and the opportunity to be the spokesman for a medicine to treat irritable bowel syndrome.
"The second I got my own show, people were saying 'hey will you be the spokesman for this? Hey can we put your name on that, hey will you endorse this?'" Duff told Slashfood. "I was like 'no, no, and no. I'm a cook. I make cakes. I decorate cakes.'"
The irritable bowel syndrome gig would have paid "a lot of money," he said. "Six figures. It was a four month run of stuff right he middle of football season so every time you'd turn on football, you'd see me."
Not for him, Duff said, although he did acknowledge that the way food TV stars make their real money is from endorsement deals. Nevertheless, the teenage rebel in him has driven his talent agent nuts saying no to deal after deal.
"I haven't really moved on past 17," he said. When he started getting the offers, "I was like 'I don't want to be part of the whole thing.'"
Duff also once received an offer from a competing network to launch their cake show. He would not name the network, but did recount his reaction: "'Are you kidding me? I don't want to be on your freak network. I'm with the chefs. Judge me by the company I keep.'"
Duff said he is excited about his line of decorating supplies, which includes edible spray-on cake graffiti, texture tiles, fondants, icing spatulas and sprinkles.
At the event in Manhattan at the Astor Center, he had invited a local girls charity and some members of the media to use the tools to decorate their own cakes.
I made a mishmash of a cake, using plaid "cake tattoos," blue and red fondant and ribbon-tipped tubes of yellow frosting -- a complicated and yet subtle "Love" cake. There was a lot of craziness on the surface but on the inside it was soft and delicious.
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6-09-2010 @6:57PM Melissa Danielle said... No pictures of your cake?
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6-10-2010 @4:08PM Christine said... Way to go Duff! I love the fact that you stuck to your guns & you're not a sell out! Love the show! Now I just have to find a way to get one of your cakes here to Florida for my daughter.
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6-10-2010 @4:20PM glenda said... my 11 year old granddaughter is doing cakes and we both love your show. Money is no everything. Thanks for being true to yourself and your fans.
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6-10-2010 @4:25PM Drew said... I can't stand this putz. The show is tedious and dare I say unwatchably boring to all but the most obese and food obsessed americans. That and last time I checked fondet, balsa wood, and rice crispy treats isn't cake.
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6-10-2010 @5:12PM scoot87501 said... Hey you Putz!!!!!!! Nice spelling and grammar! I can see you are highly educated and definitely the one to evaluate someone else.
6-10-2010 @7:16PM kat said... To the lunatic who calls fondant fondet, get a life. You call Duff a putz - yeah, a very rich putz - and what are u? A poor, uneducated, lackluster, talentless, piece of monkey doodoo living on a shoestring in a hovel someplace - JERK!!!!!!!!!!
6-10-2010 @4:43PM HELANE DAVID said... GREAT SHOW! BEEN A FAN SINCE I KNEW ABOUT IT. LOVE YOUR ATTITUDE, THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU AND, OF COURSE, THE FINISHED PRODUCTS! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND STICK TO YOUR GUNS ITS APPRECIATED>
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6-14-2010 @8:55PM Renee said... DREW**** You most be the most uncreative, stick up your butt person EVER!! You clearly have no artistic talent what so ever!! This is just another case of JEALOUSY rearing its ugly head!! If you don't like the show, then do watch. MORON!!!!!!!!
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6-10-2010 @5:50PM Arlene said... I watch a lot of the Food Nerwork Shows,...but I'M SORRY,,,,,,,,,,,I can't stand DUFF.
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7-09-2010 @8:24PM Lindsay said... You say that you can not stand Duff... yet, you clicked on this article to read about him.. hmmm.. what does that say?!
6-11-2010 @10:23AM sfmomof2 said... I was a big fan of the show for the first few seasons. The characters are quirky, artsy and the cakes are fun. I have REALLY been turned on recently by Carlo's Bakery and the "Cake Boss" Show on TLC since they are a real bakery - cranking out hundreds of beautiful cakes, pastries, etc. each week. The big cakes are amazing and they WORK for a living. It's a perspective thing, but I get a little tired of the "oh-my-God-we-have-twenty-cakes-this-week" routine on Ace of Cakes when you compare them with the crazy, loud, Italian staff of bakers at Carlo's. The latter are more "real" to me.
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6-10-2010 @6:25PM lindee said... Love Duff & his crew. The respect they have for one another is like nothing seen on any of the cake copy cat shows.
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6-10-2010 @7:09PM Diana said... Duff is fabulous and very down to earth!! He made my beautiful 5 tier cake for my wedding almost 2 years ago. He is talented and the cake tasted great. Good for him to do what he does and not sell out to these endorsements! He will be making my daughter's first birthday cake!
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6-10-2010 @7:09PM njmom said... Sorry Duff but Cake Boss is THE BEST!!!
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6-11-2010 @12:02AM His Favorite Fan! said... We have used Duff for many of our wedding over the years, They are the best, they deliver on time, they hold up, never ever had a issue with him, We are proud to say that we know that he wouldn't sell out on what he does.One of the best. He is true to his belives, and it shows, as for some of the other folks her with there remarks, I am sure I can name them, as maybe so called bakeries??
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6-10-2010 @10:16PM Charlotte Penny said... My daughter told me about your show and I have never missed it since. I know fondant isn't much on taste and is rather expensive in my area so I use butter cream and make my own gumpaste. I make a lot of the cakes for the family and for my church gatherings. They call me "The Cake Lady". I like the Cake Boss too but they shout too much and Duff and his group seem to get along very well in a close setting. I can't believe the way you girls do the fine piping and lettering.
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