Fire up your ovens and get baking! No matter your age or ability, you are invited to bake your favorite chocolate cake for the 13thannual chocolate cake baking contest that will occur on Saturday, February 10th, 2018 in conjunction with the Romantic Willimantic Chocolate Festival! Thirteen years of chocolatey goodness later, we’ll be testing out your cake and “suffering” through the process. Bakers can use chocolate of any kind for their cakes. There will be prizes in all age categories and will also include a category for best Willimantic-themed cake, too.
The Chocolate Festival has delighted thousands of people even during these cold and blustery winter months. As chairperson of the cake baking contest, I will be working with judges who know their stuff and who have a heart to serve their community. Robert Landolphi from UCONN Dining Services and popular chef/gluten free baking expert joins Rachael LaPorte from CLICK and her own business (Simply Fresh Solutions) and Jennifer White, baker extraordinaire and past winner of said contest.
Drop your cake off between 9am and 10am to the Kerri Gallery at 861 Main Street, Willimantic, and include a list of ingredients, too. Pre-registration ($5) is up until February 7th but walk-ins are welcome, too ($10). Send your check made out to “Kerri Gallery” and mail it to;
Ruth Hartunian-Alumbaugh
227 Lewiston Ave., Willimantic, CT. 06226
Please write “cake contest” on the bottom of your check. Include your name, address, phone number, and age category you want to enter in. Fees go towards prizes and seed next year’s competition.
The icing on the cake? Cakes will be available for auction after noon! Starting bids are $10 and go up from there. Come back at 2pm for the announcement of this year’s winners and pick up your cake that you bid on by 2:30pm.
It’ll be sweet! No need to get out of dodge to enjoy a good time at this FREE event that happens only once a year. Please note that other events that may be occurring on the same date in Downtown Romantic Willimantic.
Questions? Call me at (860)423-9156, email me at ruthhalumbaugh@gmail.com, or check out my new Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RavingsandCravings/ to get the most up to the minute contest details! Other media outlets may have further information in the future.
Romantic Willimantic “Let Them Eat Cake” Chocolate Cake Contest Rules & Guidelines
- Cakes must be chocolate! Chocolate of any kind is acceptable i.e. milk, white, dark, etc. Please place your cake on a non-returnable/non-breakable plate. We are not responsible for lost/broken plates.
- Age categories are as follows;
Child (up to 12 Years of age),
Young Adult (13-19 Years),
Adult (20 years old and Up),
Willimantic-themed cake
Entrants in the child category may have an adult to assist them in baking their cake as well as completing it (frosting, dusting, etc.). As much as possible, entries should be the sole work of the entrant. There is one category for Willimantic-themed cake; this cake will be judged solely on appearance.
3. One entry per person.
- Entries will be judged on taste (50%), Texture (25%), Appearance (10%), and Creativity/Presentation (15%).
- Prizes will be awarded for best in age category and best Willimantic themed cake. Theme cakes may be entered for decoration only. Please specify. Other prizes may be awarded as possible.
- Pre-registration is $5 per cake (check written out to “Kerri Gallery”) due to;
Ruth R. Hartunian-Alumbaugh,
Taste of Home Field Editor
227 Lewiston Ave.
Willimantic, CT. 06226
Please specify “Cake Contest” on the bottom of the check. Include your name, address, phone number, and age category you want to enter in. Pre-registration deadline is February 7th (postmark).
Cakes will be accepted for competition on the day of the event for a fee of $10. Fees go towards competition prizes and Chocolate Fest organizational costs.
- Persons who are food service professionals/cake/culinary members are not eligible for competition. Persons who are related to judges or personnel involved in the competition may not enter into the contest.
- Cakes must come with a list of ingredients provided the day of the competition. This will ensure prospective cake bidders allergy information, if needed.
- Cakes must be dropped off at the Keri Gallery (861 Main St.) between 9 and 10 am on Saturday, February 10th. Please let the person in charge know if your cake may be auctioned off when the contest is over. Cakes that are auctioned off will help provide funding for future Chocolate Festivals. Your cake will be accepted and all necessary paper work will be completed.
- Prizes will be awarded at 2:00pm at the Kerri Gallery. Please be present and take your cake home upon completion of the competition. Any cakes not claimed will be discarded. You will be provided with feedback sheets from the judges so you can know what they thought about your cake and so you will be prepared for future contests!