Creativity or technique??? If I entered a wedding cake that was so so on creativity, but my technique was really good, and someone else entered a cake that was really creative, but so so on technique... What cake would do better???

I'm trying to start designing a cake and I'm having trouble in the creativity department... I guess I can keep thinking for a another week or so, but I need to start working on the darn cake!! :<_<:

What do judges really look for???? I've only entered one show and that was quite a few years ago!!

Cake judging is very subjective. Some judges are sticklers for technique...some are forgiving the little imperfections if it's a knock your socks off design.

I entered a cake once with Colette Peters and a Pastry Chef Instructor as judges.

It was a basket weave on heart shaped cakes, stacked with gumpaste roses. I used a wine colored ribbon to make the decorative loops. I got marked off by the Pastry Chef for using "black" ??? ribbon...(black ribbon??)

But, I had Colette come up to me and tell me that she liked my cake...Very much, that putting basketweave on a heart shaped cake is difficult, when I mentioned that I got back marks from the other judge, she shrugged and said, things like that happen.

Small world is that the Pastry Instructor Chef is one of my Johnson and Wales Instructors. Go figure..lol

SO you see, just do your very best. I always did something difficult and different for competition, so I had an excuse in case I didn't win..lol

As long as you are happy with what you turn out, you will always be a WINNER!

I think it depends on the competition ......some like local or fairs may be based on creativity but others like national are sticklers for detail.....

I think that do the most difficult thing you can do best!!! so that way you challenge yourself but still know that you can master the technique.....

i dont think i would every do anything that I havent tried before or wasnt sure of especially for a contest.