Another factor playing into Manthorne's appeal is his musicianship. He, his guitar and his trumpet have been part of area bands since he first moved to Baltimore to attend Goucher College. Preoccupied with music, he dropped out after a semester, then transferred to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he lasted longer but didn't graduate.
As the first Ace of Cakes season was wrapping, producers shot a scene of Manthorne in the dimly lit bakery at midnight, strumming his guitar and singing a quirky yet sweet song he wrote.
Though the impromptu concert never made the show, someone put the footage on YouTube, where about 75,000 people have viewed it. Or, perhaps, about 11 people have viewed it again and again and again and again.
"I love this guy," one commenter wrote. "Hot, sexy beard, excellent singing voice and he bakes!"
Someone else wrote: "I've made it a personal goal to meet and subsequently marry this man."
Mike Johnson feels almost that strongly about Manthorne - and his wife likes him, too.
Johnson, who runs the site TVFoodFan.com out of Lawrenceville, N.J., appreciates Manthorne's subtle humor and "laid-back coolness."
"Girls think he's cute, but guys want to hang out with him, too," Johnson says. "There's a genuine quality that makes you feel like he'd be your buddy if you worked in the same office as him or hung out at the same bars.
"Everyone has that one friend who is just a little bit cooler than anyone else you know. That's Geof."
geof manthorne
Occupation: Cake decorator at Charm City Cakes and co-star of Food Network's Ace of Cakes
Age: 34
Hometown: Pottsville, Pa.
Current stomping ground: Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood
In his downtime: Plays trumpet in his band, Baltimore Afrobeat Society. Also plays guitar and writes music
Pets: One dog, a border collie mix named Cotton, and a tuxedo kitty named Kira
Relationship status: Sorry, ladies, he has a longtime girlfriend
where he goes
Some of Manthorne's favorite area hangouts:
The Helmand, Mount Vernon
Akbar, Mount Vernon
Mughal Garden, Mount Vernon
The Dizz (formerly Dizzy Issie's), Hampden
One World Cafe, Homewood
Hamilton Tavern, Hamilton
Clementine, Hamilton
