If you followed the scent of buttercream this weekend, it would’ve led you to the 2017 New York Cake Show.
The cake competition, now in its fifth year, featured some of the best professional and student bakers from around the country creating spectacular works of sugar in 11 categories like Wedding Cake, Sculpture and Decorated Cookie.
“These cakes can go for thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars — some of these cakes can go for $5,000 and up, it’s that intricate. This is really a labor of love, you’re doing it for the art, for the competition,” says NY Cake Show founder Lisa Mansour.
“I actually had someone who wanted to buy a wedding cake, and I turned it down, I wouldn’t sell it for $10,000, that’s how much work it was.”
Every year has a different theme that every cake has to follow. Since the Cake Show shared the weekend with the Tony Awards, this year’s entries were a trip down Broadway. Disney musicals were a popular choice, especially “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin,” as were “Phantom of the Opera” and “Kinky Boots.”
Besides picking up decorating tips and getting in touch with their new favorite bakers for their next event, attendees could enjoy treats from shops like Ice & Vice, watch demonstrations, shop cake-making accessories and take hands-on classes.
Check out our gallery, with photos by Brandon Hardin. Want even more cake action? We went behind the scenes with Best in Show winner Ashley Holt of Sugar Monster Sweets to find out how a show cake is made.
