Pastry Live 2014 – Art of Cake Winners Announced

ATLANTA - Sept. 3, 2014 - PRLog -- On Monday, August 25th, nineteen cake artists from across the country competed in the fourth annual Art of Cake competition, turning icing and fondant into masterpieces inspired by this year’s theme of “The Seas and the Skies.” Pastry Live is proud to announce that Cathy Kincaid of Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute is the winner of the 2014 Art of Cake.

Cathy Kincaid’s cake drew inspiration from her love of color and sculpture, bringing to life this year’s theme with a bright underwater seascape. Her piece depicted various underwater creatures, made from gumpaste and fondant, flowing about the colorful cake with intricate piping swirls decorating each cake tier. The showstopper of the piece was an expressive mermaid figurine sitting with seagulls at the very top of the cake, tying her interpretation of the theme together neatly with the rest of her design. As her creation featured well-crafted figures and paid close attention to detail, the judges awarded her design high scores for its technical skill and overall artistry. Her “Jamaica Me Crazy” tasting cake, a Jamaican rum cake with pineapple and coconut filling, also proved to the judges her baking expertise.

Second place went to Diane Fehder of The Merion, whose design featured vibrant coral, shells and sea-life engulfing the various tiers of the cake. Her design featured several intricate details, including a small treasure chest decorated with tiny gems and gold coins. Tying in the "skies" aspect of this year’s theme was a large wooden ship at the top of her cake, complete with billowing sails and seagulls. While her design was beautifully executed, her pistachio tasting cake, layered with raspberry jam, lemon poppy-seed curd and vanilla bean Italian meringue buttercream, was also well received by the judging panel.

Jessie Anne Reilly of Take the Cake Décor took third place with her design, which drew inspiration from the Arctic Ocean and the Northern Lights. Her piece, titled “The Arctic,” included aspects seen in the chilly northern seas, including polar bear and seal figures, and featured a giant sea turtle as one of the cake tiers. Each layer of her cake represented a different characteristic seen in the frigid north, from the frosty seas to the bright starry skies. Her rose geranium tasting cake with a peach mango banana pepper buttercream filling tied into her display’s overall design scheme by serving as a reminder of springtime with its floral notes, offsetting the decidedly icy cake design.

With both traditional stacked tiers and sculpted elements required, The Art of Cake calls for competitors to decorate a cake reflecting each year’s chosen theme. Flavor is equally as important in this competition as the overall creativity and appearance of the final piece, as competitors are scored based on their tasting cake as well. Pastry Live wishes to congratulate all of the winners as well as thank each of the cake artists who competed for their professionalism, dedication and hard work.

For more details about Pastry Live and the Art of Cake competition, please contact Event Producer Paul Bodrogi at chef@pastrylive.com or (678) 881-9490. Further information is also available on our website at www.pastrylive.com.