I actually think it was better than the London event. There is more space and therefore less elbows to the ribs! I think there were a few more exhibitors, and hundreds more competitors - which was so great to see. There are so many talented and skilled cake decorators it is so humbling to see!
I decided to enter a competition again, and with all the travel I decided on entering the cupcake class. Driving a wedding cake over 200 miles was too much for my nerves to face.
This year the rules had changed for this class, and after a couple of harassing emails to the organisers I was clear that we were to make a dozen cakes comprising of two different flavours and 2 different styles (i.e. 6 identical to each other).
I planned hundreds of different designs, and until I started to make them was I set on two (with perhaps a little altering on the way).
Below are the cakes I made.
I thought I would keep it simple with flavours. While I do have a cuptail (a cocktail in a cupcake) range I thought the judges would prefer more traditional flavours - chocolate mud and vanilla.
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| Dragon and wave cupcakes |
My wave cupcake was hand painted. Orange blossoms cut using cutters, and the large blossom - I cut each individual petal, painted and dusted then assembled on the topper
My dragon cupcake the topper was hand painted gold, then the dragon was hand modelled. These took about an hour each to model. I used scissors for the scales along the back.
Judges tasting!
The crazy thing about this competition was that when my friend went to collect my cakes at the end of the show, 4 of them and the board had been stolen! I would understand someone taking them all or someone getting curious/hungry and pinching a couple of cakes, but to take 4 and the board...I really don't understand!
I did have a blast when I was there on Friday and met up with some of my lovely cakey friends! I shall continue to enter competitions!
