Danville 12-year-old competing on Food Network ‘Kids Baking Championship’

At-home bakers were popping up everywhere during the pandemic, but in one Danville home, a mom’s new hobby turned into a daughter’s obsession.

Neethi Karayil, a physician who needed something to do while stuck at home in 2020, noticed her then-7-year-old daughter, Aria, watching closely at the kitchen counter. Before long it was Aria who was doing the baking, and Neethi doing the dishes, as Aria began churning out cakes, macarons and cream puffs, among other tasty delights.

And when Aria found out about the Food Network show...