"Love what you do" - Cake Toppers host Buddy Valastro shares a nostalgic post comparing his early bakery days to his life today

 Cake Toppers host Buddy Valastro, known for his television series Cake Boss and ownership of Carlo’s Bakery, recently reflected on his early career and current work in a social media post.

Valastro shared a video on Instagram that included a black-and-white image of himself at 17 working at Carlo’s Bakery and a present-day photograph. The post on December 19, 2025, was captioned,

“Love what you do and do it with your whole heart.”

The post highlighted his journey from his early days in the family bakery to his current role as a host on Cake Toppers, inviting followers to consider the trajectory of his professional life.

Cake Toppers host Buddy Valastros' early career and rise to television fame

Valastro’s post on social media served as both a reflection on his career and a reminder of the trajectory from his early days at 17 to his current professional endeavors. Valastro included a text overlay quoting Margaux Paul:

“Suddenly it’s December, and you’re not 17 anymore. And you haven’t been 17 for a long time.”

Fans responded to his throwback images with remarks about the impact of his work and memories of Cake Boss.

Early Career at Carlo’s Bakery

Valastro began working at Carlo’s Bakery at the age of 11 alongside his father, Buddy Sr., and learned the family’s baking techniques.

Carlo’s Bakery had been acquired by Buddy Sr. from Carlo Guastaffero in 1963 and was relocated to Washington Street in Hoboken, New Jersey, as described on the official Carlo’s Bakery website.

The move expanded the customer base and established a foundation for future growth.

Valastro’s formative years involved observing dough preparation, cake decoration, and pastry creation under his father’s guidance, which shaped his understanding of baking and business management.

Transition to public recognition

In 2004, Buddy Valastro competed on Food Network Challenge and eventually won the “battle of the brides,” according to the Carlo’s Bakery official website.

Following this, two cameramen suggested he pursue a show focused on his bakery work, leading to the creation of Cake Boss on TLC.

The series documented the operations of Carlo’s Bakery and featured Valastro, his wife Lisa, his four sisters, and his mother, known as the “Boss Boss.”

Cake Boss ran from 2009 to 2017, showcasing both wedding cakes and other specialty creations.

During this period, Valastro expanded the bakery’s reach by opening locations across the United States and in Brazil, and launching Buddy V’s restaurants in Las Vegas, McAllen, Texas, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as detailed on the Carlo’s Bakery official website.

Challenges and Recovery

Valastro faced a significant career challenge in 2020 when a serious injury occurred at his New Jersey home with a bowling alley, as reported by PEOPLE Magazine.

While attempting to release a bowling pin from a cage mechanism, his right hand was severely compressed and impaled on a metal rod.

The injury required six surgeries to restore functionality to his dominant hand. Despite this setback, Valastro returned to his work in baking and television.

Where is Buddy Valastro now

According to the FYI network listings, in October 2025, Buddy Valastro is the host of Cake Toppers in the FYI network, where the episodes come out on Monday at 10 PM ET.

The bakers are the stars of the show as they will be working against each other to design and make up cakes in accordance with the customers' needs. In addition to this, the A&E series Cake Dynasty included Valastro and his family during the years 2023 and 2024.

In spite of being a television star, Valastro still busy managing the Carlo's Bakery business, the new products, the bakery's heritage that is kept through recipes and practices handed down from his father and grandfather are among his responsibilities, as per the information found on Carlo's Bakery's official website.

Stay tuned for more updates.