It’s time to fire up your ovens and get baking! No matter your age or ability, you are invited to bake your favorite chocolate cake for the 11th annual chocolate cake baking contest that will occur on Saturday, February 14th, 2015 in conjunction with the Romantic Willimantic Chocolate Festival! 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.
Ruth Hartunian-Alumbaugh (www.musicandmoreint.com), Taste of Home Field Editor and Willimantic’s local self-deemed Cookie Queen, will chair this event and bring a lineup of professional judges to make the day even sweeter. Linda Sample, owner and founder of the award-winning catering business “A Thyme to Cook” is one of our illustrious judges this year!
Yellow Rose BBQ hosts this year’s cake contest at their cozy location at 600 Main St., Willimantic, CT. Drop your cake off between 9am and 10am 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 “Thread City Development” 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.
Cakes will be available for auction, too, so come by and take a look at all the choices available. Starting bids are $10 and go up from there. You won’t be disappointed with what you get. Just remember to share and come back at 2pm for the announcement of this year’s winners!
Ruth says, “I hope that this year’s cake contest will be the biggest and best ever. We have a great line up of judges, a convenient location for the contest with ample parking, and chocolate cake to look forward to. What’s not to like? I also hope people of all ages will join in the fun and spend some time on Main Street during the Saturday event when businesses open their doors and hearts to share and be generous with the public. Mark your calendar now. Make a date to spend the day in Willimantic on February 14th. And eat cake!”
For additional information, go to; www.romanticwillimantic.org. And if you have any questions, you can call Ruth at (860)423-9156 for further inquiry.
Romantic Willimantic “Let Them Eat Cake” Chocolate Cake Contest Rules and Guidelines (contest occurs in conjunction with the Chocolate Chip Stroll)
1. 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.
2. 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.
4. Entries will be judged on taste (50%), Texture (25%), Appearance (10%), and Creativity/Presentation (15%).
5. 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.
6. Pre-registration is $5 per cake (check written out to “Lions Club”) 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.
7. 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.
8. Cakes must come with a list of ingredients provided the day of the competition. This will ensure prospective cake bidders allergy information, if needed.
9. Cakes must be dropped off at the Yellow Rose (600 Main St.) building between 9 and 10 am on February 14th. 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.
10. Prizes will be awarded at 2:00pm at the Yellow Rose. 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!
For more information, call Ruth R. Hartunian-Alumbaugh, Taste of Home Field Editor, at (860)423-9156.