Facebook
Twitter
Subscribe2011 Florida ICED Cake Competition in Ocala, Florida
This past weekend on March 27, 2011, I attended and volunteered at the Florida ICED Cake Competition in Ocala, Florida. I had a great time, hanging out and having fun with some of my cake decorating friends (members of ICES and CAGO). My friend Melanie of Mel’s Cake Walk was one of the organizers of the cake competition and she did a wonderful job! The event was great, well attended, had a high caliber of cakes that were entered and raised some money for a great cause, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Look at those raffle prizes! Unfortunately, I didn’t win anything but the Make-A-Wish Foundation benefited from my purchase of raffle tickets. 
Pictured on the right is part of the crowd listening as the awards ceremony was going on, this doesn’t even show you how full the room was! The sheer amount of cakes and talent displayed this weekend in Ocala couldn’t even fit in one picture. In the bottom right, a glimpse of the vendor area, I was so busy volunteering, I didn’t get a chance to stop by…but that was good for the pocketbook!
I attended one demo in the morning called Perfect Fondant with the Food Network challenge cake decorator Rebeca Sutterby. She is really nice and honest about her favorite tools and brands. She gave us tons of great advice on how to cover a cake and a cake dummy (foam pieces shaped like cakes that cake decorators use in cake competitions). Below are some highlights of her tips:
- She pops air bubbles with a pin while she’s rolling out the fondant
- When cutting the excess fondant at the bottom, keep your knife straight & don’t saw at the fondant
- She cuts out the fondant on the tops of cakes that are bottom teirs and uses it as a guide as well as using this part as a handle when handling the cake
- Her favorite tool is a non-serrated knife and stabs the cake and uses it to pick up the cake and position it on the cake board and on top of other tiers
- She uses roofing nails and puts them through the bottom of her cake board and this keeps the cake from moving around
- She uses cardstock taped to her fondant smoother as a last step to smooth out her fondant
The 2010 ICED Cake Competition theme was romantic wedding cakes. There were categories for wedding accessories as well as cupcakes and cupcake tasting. And those flowers are cupcakes, can you believe that? How clever was that?
One of the sponsors and vendors was Simi Cakes. Sidney and her mom, Michelle, are awesome! If you haven’t heard of Sidney, you need to take notice now…she is very young and very talented at isomalt and pulled sugar techniques!
Here are some of my favorites and below, even more! The one with an R topper on it, that’s my friend, Merrie Lee‘s cake!
The center cake (blue) was the 2nd Runner-Up in the Wedding Cakes Professional Division. It was created by Roxanne Moore.
These cakes just scratch the surface of the number of entries. One of my volunteer duties was to tally all of the judging sheets. Boy, it was a lot of work with seven categories and tons of entries!
The cake in the top left was in the non-judged category and was one among my top favorites! This is just part of the huge talent that came through this past weekend. Inspires me to practice my cake decorating skills and maybe even encourage me to even enter a contest…maybe.
I went into the children’s cookie decorating room and the kids were having a lot of fun!
The judges worked so hard! In the top left, that’s Mercedes Strachwsky of Bake Me a Cake, Edna De La Cruz of Design Me a Cake and Rebecca Sutterby of Sugar Creations. I kind of gave Edna a hard time because of her Nikon (I’m a Canon fan), hope she knows I was only joking and there’s no way I can touch her decorating talent! The judges in the bottom row are Ms. Debbie, Susan Clippinger of Sweet Designs Kitchen and Grace Jones of Frosting on the Cake.
Marlene Callahan won the Grand Prize Novice category for Wedding cakes as well as the Wedding Accessories Novice category. I was working the registration desk when she asked about where her accessory was supposed to go. She was torn between moving her wedding accessory from where her cake was located…I’ll bet she is glad she moved her accessories to the correct table!
It was great to see the excitement of all of the winners…and one of the winners was my friend, Pam Greenwell of Cake Art by Pam! She won the 1st Runner-up Prize in the Wedding Cakes Professional Division. She was so happy and we were so excited for you! Pam, 2011 is your year!
Angela Schnellbach won the Grand Prize in the Wedding Cakes Professional Division as well as Decorators’ Choice and People’s Choice! This was her first ever cake competition, can you believe that?
And the theme voted by on attendees and guests for 2012 is Masquerade Ball. Hope to see you in Ocala in 2012 at the Florida ICED Cake Competition. If you want regular updates on the next competition, I would ‘like’ them on facebook.
And psst, don’t forget the Tanga $25 gift card (there will be two winners) ends tonight!
Stay Up to Date
Subscribe to receive news, updates, and exclusive content from The Little Kitchen.
Hi, my name is Julie and I love to share the cooking and baking adventures from my little kitchen. Cooking and baking is in my blood, thanks to my Mom! 
Red Rocker Margarita Chicken
Whole Chicken in a Slow Cooker
Viet Fajitas
Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs
Great post, Julie! Thanks so much for your help on Sunday! We’ll see you at next year’s competition, and you better enter a cake that time!
JulieD replied: — March 29th, 2011 @ 11:03 pm
Melanie,
Thank you so much! You did and amazing job with Lisa! It was an awesome event! Well, after going to Rebecca’s demo, I feel much better about covering a cake dummy.
Wonderful recap of your event Julie and some great pictures. I’m amazed at the cakes that were there! How wonderful to have been able to attend. Angela Schnellbach’s cake was stunning!
Those are totally amazing.
Thanks for sharing… your photos are awesome!
Those are some AMAZING pictures. I love the details.
Wow those cakes are AH-mazing! I wish I was even a tad that talented!
The cake you loved…me too! Love the simplicity of it. I enjoy seeing these works but sometimes the frou frou factor is just a bit much. Love creative simplicity and that dress does it all. How fun for you!
The wedding dress cake is by far my favorite, but they are all gorgeous. My friend, Amber, makes gorgeous cakes, as well, and I just drool over her photos!
Those are some awesome cakes! I love that wedding dress cake!
Wow, those are some impressive cakes.
Great recap of everything and wonderful pictures! thanks for posting!
WOW!!! Those cakes look amazing! Great pictures!
Wow… Amazing!! I so wish I could do stuff like that..
Thank you for taking time to do this wonderful article and I agree with it whole heartily. I also wanted to let you know that you made my day when you posted my cake in your favorites! I worked very hard on it and took my time. I didn’t win but it was my first time entering a contest and there is always next year especially since you posted my cake on your blog. It gives me hope that one day I could be as good as the professionals ?!
JulieD replied: — March 29th, 2011 @ 12:31 pm
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Which cake was yours? It’s so awesome that you entered the competition…I’m scared to enter but maybe because of all of the first-timers, I will enter a cake next year.
Wow looks like an amazing event. I cannot believe that wedding dress cake, unbelievable. I always wanted to learn how to decorate cakes, and still want to take a class. It would be so much fun.
JulieD replied: — March 30th, 2011 @ 12:07 am
Hi Nichol,
You should! I started with the Wilton courses a few years ago, they’re definitely fun and a great foundation to build upon.
Wow, those are amazing!
Such talent! Loved looking at them…next year, you need to enter one!!
Darn that you didn’t win anything, but wow, what a place!
WOW, that is quite amazing. I’m so impressed with what some people can do with cake.
Very cool. I just love watching these types of things on The Food Network Channel.
wow, what amazing cakes!
These cakes are absolutely beautiful. I really like the one that looks like a wedding dress.
Wow! Those are some amazing cakes! Those decorators have some serious talent. It looks like a fun event!
You’re such a good advocate for so many causes–you rock J!
Lisa
I remember you telling me about this event Julie. All I can say is: WOW!! Oh my goodness…those cakes are all AMAZING! I’m so happy you got to be a part of it:)
JulieD replied: — March 30th, 2011 @ 12:02 am
Lora,
You should come next year! Did you see Merrie Lee’s cake in the photos?
She had hers on a rotating cake stand, I had to catch it at the right moment!
Sounds and looks like a great event for sure! I always love coming and seeing your pictures!
JulieD replied: — March 30th, 2011 @ 12:05 am
Hi Brandy,
It was a great event and so much fun. Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
I love the wedding dress cake! Mmm………..now I’m craving cake. Thanks
Wow – that’s a cool wedding dress cake!
i cannot believe that dress cake! OMG!
Wonderful recap! I really love Pam’s cake. What beat and clean work. All of the cakes show such crafstmanship!! Wow.
Thanks sharing the tip from Rebecca Sutterby about stabbing the cake to pick it up. That is hard core, and one day I would love to stab my cakes. ^_^
JulieD replied: — April 2nd, 2011 @ 12:07 pm
Rebecca is serious about stabbing her cakes! She said that people make fun of her because she loves her knives.
I want to cover a cake with fondant using all of her tips and post about it, I’ll let you know! Can’t. wait. to meet you next week!!!
Omg, those cakes are beautiful art!
My kids would love the hippo cake.
Those cakes are absolutely gorgeous! I can imagine how fun it must have been to go to this competition!
Well..here I am maybe I should steal your Cannon Photos! hahaha.. It was lots of
hardwork, but a lot of fun. I hardly had a chance to take pics, so all I have in photos is what my son took! Great Blog!
Edna