We know you love seeing the fabulous work of your fellow Cake Central users on our Top Cakes posts, but we realize that many of you have questions about the selection process. We’ve addressed your most common Top Cakes queries here.

Who chooses the Top Cakes?

Top Cakes are chosen by our staff, who scour the galleries for your amazing work that fits the theme inspiration.

How do you choose a Top Cakes theme? Can I know in advance what themes are coming up?

Just like you, we are inspired by what’s happening in the world around us. We choose our Top Cake inspiration based on up-to-the-minute info about what’s happening in the cake community and in the world at large. This means you’ll have to stay on your toes for upcoming Top Cakes themes!

How can I improve my chances of being included in Top Cakes?

Make sure we see your cake! When you upload pictures of your projects, include a thorough description of the subject matter and the techniques and tools you used. Your cake won’t be chosen unless we are able to find it in a keyword search. Also, we can’t stress enough the importance of photography! Take pictures of your cakes with a clean background and good lighting, with no shadows or reflective bright spots.  Use a tripod to ensure your image is in focus, and NEVER use a flash.

I have a cake in my gallery that fits a theme. Why wasn’t it chosen for Top Cakes?

We rely on the keywords in your description of your cake when we’re searching for Top Cakes. If you created a cake that fits a Top Cakes theme and we didn’t select it, it’s likely that it didn’t come up in our search based on the wording in your description.

When reviewing projects for inclusion in Top Cakes, we consider originality, creativity of ideas, technical merits and quality of photography.  However, it’s important to keep in mind that not being included in Top Cakes should not be considered a judgment of your workmanship or skill.

I love one of the Top Cakes. How can I learn how it was made?

If you see a cake or technique that you want to know more about, post a comment and ask a question! Many cakemakers are more than willing to share what they know with the community. Additionally, as the staff sees interest in instruction related to a specific technique, we’ll look into developing a tutorial where possible— but we won’t know unless you tell us!