IT IS IMPORTANT TO PLACE YOURSELF IN THE CORRECT DIVISION. IF YOU FULFILL ANY OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN A DIVISION, YOU MIGHT BELONG IN THAT DIVISION. YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN A DIVISION IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR IT. IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY WON BEST OF DIVISION THREE TIMES, YOU SHOULD MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL. PLEASE PLACE YOURSELF FAIRLY.
DIVISION A: CHILDREN - Age 8 and under.
They may have help baking cookies or cupcakes, making icing, and covering the board. Cakes should be styrofoam. Frosting the cake and all decorating must be his/her sole work.
CATEGORIES: 1. SINGLE TIER CAKE UP TO 6” || 2. CUPCAKE || 3. COOKIE
DIVISION B: PRE-TEEN - Age 9 - 12
Teen must do all the work. This includes making icing, covering the board, frosting the cake and all the decorating.
CATEGORIES: 4. SINGLE TIER CAKE UP TO 6” || 5. MULTI-TIER CAKE
DIVISION A & B GUIDELINES
All youth attending the competition should be accompanied by an adult. All youth entrants and one of his/her parents or guardians must sign the entry form signifying that they have read the rules and will abide by them. The age of all youth entrants must be included on the registration form.
DIVISION C: TEEN - Age 13 - 18
(includes high school level culinary art students). They must do all the work; this includes making icing, covering the board, frosting the cake and all the decorating. Previous Best of Show winners must move to the appropriate adult division.
CATEGORIES: 6. SPECIAL OCCASION || 7. SCULPTED
DIVISION D: BEGINNER
Anyone who is over age 18, is self-taught through online classes, books, etc. is decorating as a hobby for less than 2 years, has taken less than 25 hours of sugar art classes, is enrolled in an adult culinary pastry program, or has graduated from one within the last 6 months. Gumpaste, lace points, wired flowers, or foreign techniques are not permitted.
CATEGORIES: 8. WEDDING CAKE || 9. SPECIAL OCCASION || 10. SCULPTED
DIVISION E: INTERMEDIATE
Anyone who has been decorating two years or more as a hobby, has taken 25 to 50 hours of sugar art classes, is enrolled in an adult cake and baking program, or has graduated from one within the last 6 months, has won three (3) Best of Beginner Division award.
CATEGORIES: 11. WEDDING CAKE || 12. SPECIAL OCCASION || 13. SCULPTED
DIVISION F: ADVANCED/SEMI-PROFESSIONAL
Anyone who has been decorating more than three (3) years, has taken 50 to 100 hours of sugar art classes, creates cakes for sale as a part time business, has less than three years entry level commercial bakery experience, teaches basic cake decorating classes, has won three (3) Best of Intermediate Division awards. Less than 49% of foreign or special techniques may be used.
CATEGORIES: 14. WEDDING CAKE || 15. SPECIAL OCCASION || 16. SCULPTED
DIVISION G: PROFESSIONAL
Anyone that has been decorating for more than five (5) years, has taken 100 to 150 hours of sugar art classes, is an ICES Certified Sugar Artist, is an ACF Certified Executive Pastry Chef, creates cakes for sale as a full time profession, has more than three years commercial decorating experience, demonstrates, teaches (or has taught) classes in advanced cake decorating and sugar art techniques (beyond basic icing/piping skills), has won three (3) Best of Advanced/Semi-Professional Division awards.
CATEGORIES: 17. WEDDING CAKE || 18. SPECIAL OCCASION || 19. SCULPTED
DIVISION H: MASTER
Anyone that has been decorating for more than ten (10) years, has taken more than 150 hours of sugar art classes or hands on seminars, is an ICES Certified Sugar Artist, is an ACF Certified Master Party Chef, is a sugar art author, is a cake show judge, is a teacher of foreign and special techniques, is a three time Best of Show winner in a single category. (One may be a Master in Pulled and Blown sugar, but still a Professional in Tier Cakes) Executive Pastry Chef, creates cakes for sale as a full time profession, has more than three years commercial decorating experience, demonstrates, teaches (or has taught) classes in advanced cake decorating and sugar art techniques (beyond basic icing/piping skills), has won three Best of Semi-Professional Division awards.
CATEGORIES: 20. WEDDING CAKE || 21. SPECIAL OCCASION || 22. SCULPTED
DIVISION I: FOREIGN TECHNIQUES
Open to all levels of expertise. Entry must be at least 50% of the same technique (Lambeth, Nirvana, Australian, etc.).
CATEGORIES: 23. WEDDING CAKE || 24. SPECIAL OCCASION
DIVISION J: SPECIAL TECHNIQUES/GINGERBREAD
Open to all levels of expertise. Gingerbread entry must be edible. At least 50% must be gingerbread. This includes independent sugar pieces entered for the 2022 Simi Isomalt Award.
CATEGORIES: 25. GINGERBREAD STRUCTURES
DIVISION K: TASTING
Must be made from scratch. No box mix cakes. Recipe must be submitted with entry but it will not be on display with your cake. It will only be seen by the judges. Toppings, fillings, and icing are optional; however, your cake will be judged by its taste in its entirety: cake, filling, and icing if you choose to include them. Decorations are not necessary. Extra consideration for those that implement the “Around the World” theme in their cake flavors. If you choose to represent the theme, please describe how you have done this on the entry form that will be emailed to you prior to your entry submittal. No entries containing federally controlled substances, i.e. cannabis products, etc. will be permitted.
CATEGORIES: 26. WHITE OR YELLOW (Includes Pound Cake) || 27. CHOCOLATE (Includes Pound Cake) || 28. FRUIT or NUT (Includes Pound Cake)
Definitions of and Requirements for Categories
Single Tier – A single tier cake for a special event, holiday, or celebration. The occasion should be obvious when looking at the cake, i.e. birthday, shower, anniversary, Halloween, Christmas, etc.
Wedding Cake – Cake must have two or more tiers. Tiers may be separated or stacked. Base must be no larger than 24 inches. Cake height can be no more than 48 inches. Non-edible adornments will not be considered in judging. Entry may be made of styrofoam or rice krispies, however, the design must be able to be replicated in real cake.
Special Occasion – Any style of decoration and type of icing may be used. Non-edible adornments will not be considered in judging. Entry may be made of Styrofoam or rice krispies, however, sculpted cakes must be able to be replicated in real cake. Base must be no larger than 24”.
Sculpted Cake – A sculpted cake is a cake that has at least 70% edible materials with 50% being cake. If at least 50% of your overall sugar showpiece is sculpted, it is a sculpted cake. Entries may be made of styrofoam or rice krispies, however, it must be designed in a way that could be structured and replicated in real cake. Please include an explanation of what portion of your entry would be cake if it was made with actual cake and how it would be structured if it was an actual cake on your entry form. Any icing mediums are allowed (fondant, buttercream, etc.).
Foreign Technique Cake– The styrofoam or rice krispies cake must be decorated with at least 50% of an identifiable foreign technique, i.e. Lambeth, Nirvana, Australian, South African, etc. Over piping, basic string work, and brush embroidery, etc. would not be considered foreign techniques.
Special Techniques/Gingerbread – Open to all levels of expertise. Gingerbread entry must be edible. At least 50% must be gingerbread. You may put your gingerbread entry on a solid base that is decorated in a way compliments your entry.
Tasting – Must be made from scratch. No box mix cakes. Recipe must be submitted with entry. Recipes will only be shared with the judges. Toppings, fillings, and frostings are optional. No decorations and no entries containing federally controlled substances, i.e. cannabis products, etc. will be permitted