Food Network's 'cupcake Wars' To Feature Una Alumnae, Florence Bakery Owners

Oct. 18, 2012

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - The Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" will feature two University of North Alabama alumnae and Shoals residents this Sunday: mother-daughter team Paula McGee and Harley Williams, of the Sugar on Top bakery in downtown Florence. Williams, owner of Sugar on Top, and her mother, McGee, will be one of four mother-daughter teams featured in this Sunday's episode, airing at 8 p.m, EST, 7 p.m. CST. The teams will compete through three time-limited elimination rounds and attempt to create the winning cupcake. Australian pop sensation Cody Simpson is a guest judge in this Australian-themed episode of "Cupcake Wars." The winner will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to showcase their cupcakes at a Cody Simpson fan party. Filming took place in Los Angeles this July, but not until Sunday did Food Network producers give Williams and McGee legal permission to reveal they were contestants in the show. Sugar on Top recently celebrated its two-year anniversary. Williams does all the decorating herself in the 300-square-foot shop on E. Tuscaloosa Street. She has designed treats for several local events, including the W.C. Handy Music Festival, the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival and the Renaissance Fair, and for celebrities such as Alabama native Michael Rooker, who plays Merle Dixon in the television series "The Walking Dead." While her reputation as a baker has earned her extensive regional exposure, national television was a new experience. "I knew it would be timed and hectic, but once you get there with the cameras pointed toward you, directors standing and giving you orders and judges watching what you do, the clock just runs so fast," Williams said. For more information, visit foodnetwork.com/cupcake-wars. IMAGES AVAILABLE: Downloadable photos of Williams and McGee are available from the UNA Photo Archives.