Sarah Ono Jones has made cakes that look like chicken wings, an owl and a life-size Cirque du Soleil character. Now the Rice University sous pastry chef is putting that skill to work on “Sweet Deceit,” a new Food Network competition built around cakes disguised as everyday objects.
Ono Jones, who joined Rice in March 2025, worked with the show’s celebrity bakers to create realistic cakes for the challenges. Hosted by actor Josh Peck, who starred in Nickelodeon’s “Drake & Josh,” the series premieres Oct. 5. She previously appeared on Food Network’s “Halloween Wars” and“Super Mega Cakes” and Disney+’s “Foodtastic.”
“The attention to detail I bring to my work at Rice was just as important on ‘Sweet Deceit,’” Ono Jones said. “The show gave me a chance to make the kind of elaborate cakes I love.”
The art of deception
"Sweet Deceit" features contestants who play in teams of three, navigating through four rounds to identify which objects are actually cake. They are competing for a prize of up to $12,000.
The season begins Monday with Halloween-themed “Sweet Deceit: Trick or Treat” episodes. It continues Nov. 16 with “Sweet Deceit: Holiday,” featuring locations including an ice rink and Santa’s workshop.
“The hardest things to get right are things that you would think would be really simple,” Ono Jones said. “Things that are basic shapes, like a round shape, jar or vase, are very exact. If you are off on any dimensions whatsoever, it’s a dead giveaway.”
From a hobby to Rice
Ono Jones’ journey into cake artistry started as a hobby. In 2007, her husband gave her a cake-decorating class for Mother’s Day. She took more classes and began entering competitions.
In 2013, her team won the $50,000 grand prize on “Halloween Wars.” She later became the lead custom cake decorator at the award-winning Magpies Bakery in Knoxville, Tennessee.
After moving to Houston in 2018, she led the custom cake department at Common Bond bakery until 2022, when she started OnoJones Cakes from her home in Katy. She now makes cakes for her business on weekends.
During the week, she makes pastries at Rice for students to enjoy. Holidays and special events give her a chance to make more elaborate cakes, including one inspired by the Mad Hatter and another for a murder mystery-themed event.
“I hope people like the show and appreciate that the culinary world at Rice is full of exciting things,” Ono Jones said.