NEW YORK—Leading luxury hospitality brand Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is continuing its global partnership with Make-A-Wish, collaborating to host the first-ever Bake-A-Wish challenge. The event brought together young Make-A-Wish alumni, former wish recipients with a passion for food and cooking, with three of Fairmont’s top chefs for a friendly culinary showdown at Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle.
The bake-off, hosted by content creator and on-camera personality, Melanie Sutrathada, challenged both Make-A-Wish alumni—Roux (18), Theo (9), and Jacqueline (16)—and Fairmont chefs—Chef Nancy Guerrero from Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, Chef Isabel Chung from Fairmont Empress in Victoria, and Chef Eraj Jayawickreme from Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle—to create the world’s most “wish worthy” dessert. Each “wish alum” was paired with a chef to collaborate and share ideas for their dream dessert. From there, the chefs were tasked to create an ultimate sweet treat inspired by their partner, and based off their preferred flavors, textures, colors and toppings. The final three creations will be added to select menus across the global network of 92 Fairmont hotels, giving guests a taste of the dreamy desserts and benefiting Make-A-Wish.
“For more than 115 years, we have been turning moments into special memories for our guests, celebrating their most significant occasions, both big and small. It is incredibly meaningful to us to carry this forward and help make dreams a reality for children facing critical illnesses around the globe, through our partnership with Make-A-Wish,” said Omer Acar, CEO of Fairmont. “Now we are excited to bring a little bit of that magic to Fairmont hotels worldwide. This is just one small way we are honoring the amazing things Make-A-Wish does, and the inspiring legacy of World Wish Day. We hope you love these dream-inspired desserts as much as we do!”
The three Make-A-Wish alumni were given a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity and passion for food alongside three of the brand’s most talented chefs. The chefs participating in this special event brought their wealth of knowledge and diverse culinary backgrounds to add a rich flavor and depth to the experience. Each pairing was encouraged to dream big to inspire a truly one-of-a-kind dessert.
S’mores Cake
Roux’s love for cooking, special fondness for chocolate and marshmallows, and recent wish trip to New York City inspired Chef Eraj’s special dessert. This creation was about more than just flavor—it was about connection. The graham cracker cake featured decadent, rich chocolate, complemented by a graham cracker-infused crème anglaise and topped with fresh marshmallows made from scratch that were delicately piped and torched tableside, filling the air with a smoky aroma, evoking the treasured moments of sharing s’mores with loved ones under the stars. Chef Eraj crafted this dessert to celebrate both the joy of the moment with Roux and the cherished memories they will carry from the experience.
Coconut Tres Leches with Caramelized Pineapple
Theo found inspiration for his dessert from a cherished family tradition of baking a pineapple upside-down cake with his grandfather, combined with his love for piña colada mocktails, which he enjoyed during a recent trip to Hawaii—part of his wish granted by Make-A-Wish. Chef Nancy crafted a Coconut Tres Leches with Caramelized Pineapple, blending those beloved flavors to create a dessert that would transport Theo back to those joyful memories.
Passionfruit Strawberry Yogurt Cake
Jacqueline’s deep love for strawberries became the heart of Chef Isabel’s creation—a dessert that intertwines flavors inspired by Jacqueline’s Guatemalan heritage. Infused with passionfruit, lychee, and the rich essence of her family’s chocolate production in Guatemala, the result is a Passionfruit Strawberry Yogurt Cake. To add a personal touch, delicate pink and white edible flower petals adorn the cake, a tribute to the colors Jacqueline chose for her Quinceañera, her wish granted by Make-A-Wish. As a heartfelt finishing detail, the dessert is plated on a black dish, symbolizing Jacqueline’s six-month-old Labradoodle.
During the Bake-A-Wish event, Chef Isabel’s Strawberry Yogurt Cake received the highest marks from the host and judges, earning her the winning title of the competition. Though the original intent was to feature only the winning dessert, Fairmont was so wowed by all three creations, and the wish alumni and the stories that inspired them, that the hotels will have the option of featuring any of the three desserts. Launching on World Wish Day, April 29, Fairmont hotels selected one of the three Bake-A-Wish creations to be offered for a limited time with proceeds donated back to Make-A-Wish. World Wish Day is the anniversary of the wish that inspired the founding of Make-A-Wish, a day focused on raising awareness and support for granting wishes to children with critical illnesses.
“We are excited to announce our latest partnership with Fairmont, a brand that shares our dedication to creating unforgettable experiences for families,” said Leslie Motter, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “It takes an entire community of WishMakers to grant wishes that can be life-changing for everyone involved, and we’re extremely grateful for Fairmont’s support of our mission.”
“Wishes have the power to transform lives, bringing much-needed hope and joy to children facing critical illnesses and their families,” said Luciano Manzo, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish International. “Our partnership with Fairmont enables us to reach more children worldwide, allowing them to experience the lasting impact of a wish.”
Fairmont’s World Wish Day programming is a continuation of the “Wishes Start Here” program, a global partnership between Fairmont and Make-A-Wish, which made its debut in 2022. The legacy of the partnership extends much longer, however, with more than 20 years of bringing hope, strength, and joy to children around the world by granting wishes together.
