The Mid-Atlantic Cake Show was last weekend and I wasn't motivated to make anything to enter into the Divisional Cake competition I guess since I haven't made a cake since last year. On Saturday, I did compete in a 1 hour competition in front of an audience (whoever wanted to sit and watch) and I think all seats were full but I didn't let that scare me, LOL, I just focused on what I was trying to do, LOL! It was about 7 or 8 of us, including two men, and we were provided with dummy cakes and we had to use Chocopan fondant and flowers that were provided by a few sponsors so I say "trying to do" because I had a few ideas but I didn't know what I was doing until I saw the flowers, so I basically just kinda winged it.
I could have done better but I guess it's not too bad considering the time limit and it was my first time using Chocopan, a chocolate based fondant. I did start to have problems because it started to get soft and sticky but thankfully I managed to cover the cake dummy keeping the Chocopan in one piece. I thought for a second I would have to cut it into pieces and do a patchwork design but thank goodness that didn't have to happen, whew, LOL! I did find out that I wasn't the only one unsure of how they were going to decorate because during the competition when the emcee, Norman Davis, (he's been in several Food Network Cake Challenges, so if you watch these shows, you know who I'm talking about) asked if any of us were winging it and I think the majority of us was like, yes. So that made me feel better. What a challenge high! The cakes were put on display for people to vote for their favorite by adding money to the jars for that specific cake; the money is going to a Ronald McDonald charity. I didn't win but it was fun! On Sunday, I took 3 classes; figure and flower piping with Mike Terry, brush embroidery with
Toba Garrett and whimisical cakes with
Carrie Biggers.
I could have done better but I guess it's not too bad considering the time limit and it was my first time using Chocopan, a chocolate based fondant. I did start to have problems because it started to get soft and sticky but thankfully I managed to cover the cake dummy keeping the Chocopan in one piece. I thought for a second I would have to cut it into pieces and do a patchwork design but thank goodness that didn't have to happen, whew, LOL! I did find out that I wasn't the only one unsure of how they were going to decorate because during the competition when the emcee, Norman Davis, (he's been in several Food Network Cake Challenges, so if you watch these shows, you know who I'm talking about) asked if any of us were winging it and I think the majority of us was like, yes. So that made me feel better. What a challenge high! The cakes were put on display for people to vote for their favorite by adding money to the jars for that specific cake; the money is going to a Ronald McDonald charity. I didn't win but it was fun! On Sunday, I took 3 classes; figure and flower piping with Mike Terry, brush embroidery with Toba Garrett and whimisical cakes with Carrie Biggers.
