Anyone who has some experience entering local cake contests... I need your help!

A few of us Ontario cake decorators have talked ourselves / each other into entering a contest in Toronto at the end of March.... but I've never even BEEN to one before, much less entered one!

Are there any tips or recommendations? Should I be trying to decorate the table around my cake too? Set the stage, so to speak?

The rules call for a stacked 3-tier, fondant-covered wedding cake (real or dummy) that fits into a 24" square space including all accessories (no height restiction.) Decorations are to be any edible medium or combination thereof. No commercial decorations, ribbons or real flowers (however, wires, stamens, florist tape, cake boards & ribbons on the edges of the boards are permitted)

ANY tips or hints would be appreciated!!

TIA!
Mel

**edited for clarity

bump

If the table needs to be decorated it should state it in the rules. If you're not sure - as someone there. Sounds like you need to start looking at pictures of some of the other wedding cake contests for ideas!

Debbie

Thanks!

I already have 2 different ideas for cakes themselves... I'm just looking for general contest tips... what people have found helpful, what can really hurt your display, that sort of thing. Cake photos will show me what people did, but won't necessarily tell me what impact was seen from different features.

I'm off to google cake contest photos... any other suggestions?

Check this link out. Earlene has a section called "cakeshow hints" and also has pictures of show cakes to give you ideas!

http://www.earlenescakes.com/cakeshwindex.htm

Good Luck!
Debbie

Thanks again!

You can't have ribbon on the edge of the cake board????????? That's an odd rule!!!!!! Can you cover the board in fondant?


Amy

cakemommy ~ it says they are permitted around the cake board if i'm reading it right.

Deb

Did I read that wrong!!!!!

Amy

Don't worry - it happens to the best of us!

"wires, stamens, florist tape, cake boards & ribbons on the edges of the boards are permitted"

Deb

Yes... ribbon on the edge of the board IS permitted (just not anywhere else)

Yeah, I'm pretty bad at that! I usually have to read things over about a dozen times before I finally get it. I'm not a slow person by any means but when it comes to something like a "cake show" I want to make sure I get it right.

I'm preparing to enter a show in San Diego at the end of March as well. I'm extremely nervous about it!! This will be my first cake entry. Wish me luck and I wish you all the luck as well. I've looked at your cakes and you'll do fine!!!


BTW, I tried to check out that link to Earlene's and it doesn't work. Maybe her site is having difficulties. (EDIT~working now!)


Amy

Thanks for the vote of confidence Cakemommy! My biggest worry now is not the cake itself, but all the "extra" stuff... I don't want to miss something that "everyone" knows you should / shouldn't do and lose points or get disqualified for something stupid!

I really don't care if I "win" or not, but I'd really hate to have a winning cake, and lose anyhow!


Good luck to you too!!!

Hi,
I entered my first cake show last year and thought it was great! There were a few rules like you mentioned but we had different divisions of skill levels too. After the judging, we were given the score sheet from the judges and I found that extremely helpful. They made comments on what they liked and where there could be improvement. Thankfully, the only comment I had about needing improvement was to use a thicker and wider cake board.

I don't know how your show will be judged but I thought I'd share what the judges were using at mine.

For Criteria:
1. artistic presentation and originality (to theme)
2. quality of skills executed
3. choice of color
4. icing

For Comments:
1. first impression
2. design & composition
3. artistic impression
4. attention to detail

Hopefully these details will help you with what your judges may be looking for.

I was so excited to win 2nd place in my division and later found out I only missed first by .5 of a point! Have fun and please do post your photo!!
KimAZ

cake mommy try this link for earlene's
www.earlenescakes.com

Thanks Chptlps!!! Worked fine!!!

I have score sheets from my last two shows. It is the same score sheet for all entries, cakes and non-cakes!

Thsi is how the three judges critique our work:

Execution
Originality
Color Coordination
General Appearance
Difficulty of Technique

These are on a Fair, Good, VeryGood, Excellent, Superior
5,10,15,18,20 point basis!!

The difficulty of technique is what I'm really worried about. Originality as well!

I'm just not as great with creating a design as everyone else. There are some great designs on here. I wish I knew how they did it!


Amy

Ideas aren't a problem for me (I've got 2 completely different ones, and I can't decide which to use!) I'm only allowed to enter once, so I have to make a decision!

Perhaps you guys can weigh in on them... my first idea is fun and silly and DEFINATELY non-traditional... the other is more traditional shape/design but with a gorgeous colour combo.

idea #1... rollercoaster! all white, whimsical shaped cake with a bride & groom (maybe wedding party too) in a roller coaster car... the track running all around the cake...

idea #2... tall tiers: the middle one has a waist (you know... tapered in the middle) all airbrushed with a combination of apricot & red colours... with dark chocolate little scroll pattern... maybe some gold accents...

Enjoy the cake show! You will quickly become addicted to competing.

Some tips I've picked up on the competition circuit....

Make absolutely sure your board is as perfect as you can get it. NO KITCHEN FOIL!! I cover my boards with fondant and texture them in a way that coordinates with the cake. For instance, a ballerina cake was on a fondant board that looked like a wooden dance floor, and a genie cake was on a fondant magic carpet. Maybe your roller coaster cake could seem to be coming up out of the midway at a carnival??

Add a couple smaller-sized cake boards stacked underneath your real cake board to give the cake a little bit of a floating look. The spectators like that look (in case you have a People's Choice award) and the judges like to be able to get their fingers underneath the cake to turn it around without risking damaging anything should they happen to need to see the other side of the cake better. Alternatively, put a turntable underneath the cake and mention on your sheet where you describe the cake that the judges (not spectators!) can turn the cake around if they need to. The judges will appreciate that.

On your description sheet, mention anything special that you did. List each type of technique you used. If you made your own fondant or gumpaste, say so.

If you are making a sculpted cake, do not forget to bring at least three in-progress photos of your cake to prove it is real cake. Otherwise, the judges are within their rights to probe the cake to be sure it isn't styro. One person at a show brought her three in-progress photos, but one was of the mixer going with batter in the bowl, one was of a sheet cake, and the last one was of the finished cake. Duh. That's not what they meant for her to do! Show your work if you are using real cake.

If your cake should happen to be damaged on the ride to the show, ask the committee if they allow you to put a "damaged in transit" card next to the cake so everyone knows you weren't just being careless and the judges will possibly cut you some slack over it. Not all shows allow them, though.

Unless the registration information says to decorate your table, don't decorate anything beyond your cake board. Most of the time, you will just have your two-foot-square area on a banquet table and if you get too fancy you might encroach on someone else's space.

Be courteous to other decorators. At one show, a lady setting up next to me put her paperwork ON TOP OF my genie cake. I was not a happy camper. It's not like the genie was so small she didn't know he was there. Don't touch what isn't yours. If you need to move someone else's display while setting up yours in order to avoid possible damage to either display, ask someone on the show committee to move it for you or find the display's owner to do it.

Showcase your special talents, but try not to make the cakes look overdone. That puts the judges off if there's so much going on they don't know where to look first.

And last of all, be sure to post your pictures and results so we can all find out what and how you did!

Enjoy!

Deanna

I like them both but I would really like to see the roller coaster one! Very unique! So you can only enter one cake in the show? HMMM!!! We can enter as many as we want but not in the same category!! Different shows, different areas, different clubs! Good luck with your entry! I can't wait to see it!!


Amy

Sorry... only one entry allowed per category... but the other categories are gumpaste flowers (very specific provincial flowers), 6 easter cupcakes with buttercream only, or a candy clay basket... none of those interest me!

Toomuchcakes... thanks!! That's EXACTLY the kind of info I was looking for!!!!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I'm gearing up for a competition in Austin so it's all on my mind right now. This year, I'm going to also enter the tasting competition. Wish me luck!!

I'm sorry you can't enter more than one cake. Both your ideas sound really good.

You know, lots of Canadians came down for the Tulsa show. Why not make some vacation plans to come in October?

Deanna

Thanks TMC - I'm sure I'll come up with a few!! (and good luck - I'm sure you'll do great!)

That sounds like fun, visiting Texas won't happen at least for a few years (maybe when the kids are older!)

Anyone else got an opinion as to which cake would be better for a contest? Whimsical roller coaster, or traditional shaped rounds with colours?

thanks for any feedback!

Hey MelC
I too am considering entering that competition yet again....we can chat more on cakescanada.com if you wish..
I like the idea of being different....
I partcipated in the competition last year when I was new to the business..it was a great learning experience...I was disappointed that I didnt place though....my pic is posted on this site and my site as well ...blue hydrangea.
Anyway, I feel last year they had tons of rules: had to be square, 3 tier, all one colour monocromatic.
This year is so vague...3tier stacked wedding cake!!! So the floor is open to interpretation. I too was thinking something more whimsical, but I haven't decided.
You have to make sure that your fondant is perfect, crack free...so if you are doing double tall tiers, make sure you know what you;re doing!!! Piping needs to be perfect, flowers without ragged edges. I felt that you need to have about 3-5 different skills shown (my personal feeling) so flowers, flood work, embosing, brush embroidering, stringwork...that kind of thing, but I may be wrong!

So MelC~ Which way are you leaning? Whimsical or traditional? Coming up with a design is my worst. The only thing I know about my cake entry is it's going to be 4 or 5 tiers, Tiffany blue, with white decoration, i.e. bow topper, cornelli, brush embroidery, string work/bridge work/ small pastillage roses... My concept is for the cake to look like it has lace layed on top of each layer. Whether that's what I actually make it look like, well, that's another story. Sometimes what's in my head is NOT what gets put down on a cake. I've done some sketches but they never stay the same either.

Good luck in your decision!


Amy

I'm leaning towards the whimsical... but I was kind of excited about the other idea too... I thought if it worked out, I could use the details from that cake as a basis to re-design my web site...

Oh well...