I'm thinking of entering the Birmingham sugar show cake competition - this is the biggest annual sugar event in the UK. I'm definitely going to the show and would like to have a crack at entering the wedding cake competition but I've never done a competition before. I've been decorating a year now. I'm worried that my cake will look duff compared to everyone elses or that I'll commit a dreadful sugar faux pax.

From where I stand it looks like all the judges are elderly ladies who have a penchant for fiddly royal icing collars and very faffy nonsense which I don't go in for. Am I wrong? Last year the show had some stunning cakes in, but none of them won, the fiddly fussy cakes won. Should I spend a solid week of my life making a cake that they might just sniff at? I have half term coming up (I'm a teacher) so should I spend it relaxing instead? What's in it for me? I'd love to hear your competition entry experiences and receive some help deciding, my brain is in such a muddle about it!

OMG, you've only been decorating a year? Your cakes are GORGEOUS! I have never entered any competitions but I know a beautiful cake when I see one. In the end, only you can decide but I wanted you to know how beautiful your cakes are.

you should definitely do it! chrisj is right....your cakes are stunning! i had seen your work earlier and thought that you had been doing them for years and its only been a year? good grief, woman! enter your cakes and show them what you got

Wow! You're cakes are awesome! Fuddy duddy judges or not...you should go for it! What do you teach, art?

emmascakes ~
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE enter the competition.
Your creations are TOTALLY AWESOME!!
If, and that's a big ''if'', you don't win, it will have given you the experience of entering major competitions. You never know until you try.
Get your creative juices flowing and file that entry!!
THE BEST OF LUCK IS WISHED FOR ''YOU''!!
Hugs!!!

k, I've been decorating a year and I am NO WHERE CLOSE TO YOUR LEVEL!!!! I would have thought you've been doing this forever! By looking at your cakes, I would put you in ranks with Collette, Toba, Debbie, etc! You should DEFINITELY enter! And keep us posted

thanks so much guys, what nice nice comments - I promise I wasn't fishing! You've quite made my evening. With your support I'll go for it. Show those fuddy duddies something new, and if they don't like my cakes then at least I will have added one more to my portfolio!

I definitely think you should enter...your creations are BEAUTIFUL and so imaginative and well done...I am sure even if the judges are a write off, the other competitors will recognize your huge skill like we all do here!!
Wishing you the best of luck and show us the cake(s)...
Jane

Go for it emmascakes! We all love you cakes

It will be great experience for you, and besides you never know who will see your cake and what might come from it.

Good luck & make sure you keep us posted.

The only way to stretch your talents is to enter your cakes. I have done that here at the Tulsa show, known as the Oklahoma Sugar Art Show. I am getting better every time I do it. I have won a couple of ribbons but not in the wedding cake division. But I am not going to stop trying. So go for it and learn more from it. Also remember to have fun doing it.

Your talent is amazing!!! I am in awe of your beautiful work and just how unique each cake is- Please enter and share with everyone how great your work is!!! I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of you soon- like on the food network cake competion!!!

You have to look at what the judging criteria are. They are usually judging not only on the overall look of the cake but the creativity, overall design, precision and neatness, degree of difficulty, etc. Techniques that take higher skill levels - like string work, collars and other fiddly stuff are probably given more credit due to their required skill level.

Your cakes are great! I'd enter regardless. Maybe there are different skill levels or divisions you could look into or at least check on the judging criteria.

Good Luck!
Debbie

Emma....You do need to enter this contest just to show everyone what you do. Your cakes are fantastic and this would give you lots of exposure. The ones thats opinions count are the ones you talk to right here on CC every day. Show them what you are made of....

OMG Emma can I come to England and study your skills???? lol Your cakes are awesome!!! You go girl. It would probably take me YEARS AND YEARS to get as good as you! You go girl, like everybody else says IF you don't win at least you will have the competition thing in your pocket! Then you can enter again and you will know what you are up against.

Competition cakes are judged on, among other things, technical ability, so obviously if you include harder things like stringwork and extension work, you will get points for this. Having said that, if you try to do something more advanced but do not execute it perfectly, then you will lose points and in that situation it may be worse than if you never attempted it at all. Judges look for flaws and penalise for that, more - depending on the judge - than for awarding for originality and the fact that you had a go at it.

Most of the cakes that have won have difficult elements like stringwork, but rarely do brides want such things nowadays, looking as it does a little dated.
In my experience, the cakes with the biggest "Wow" factor may not win. So do not enter necessarily to win, but to compete against yourself, to motivate yourself to try new things. Above all it is a great (and intense) learning experience. I found it a little all-consuming and for weeks before, my husband said he was afraid to touch anything, there was lacework and flowers all over the place.

thajks for your posts everyone - redred, those comments were really helpful and you're right in that I should do it as a motivator and a chance to 'push the boat out' in a way I may not normally do with cakes. I have a week off work in which I intend to do it - I hope this is enough time!

Go for it! If anything, it is fun to hang back and not eavesdrop as such, but listen to the comments from the public about your cake. I'm sure your entry, whatever you end up doing, will really stand out. After my last competition entry (which incidentally was also my first time) I swore never again, got zero sleep the night before, leaving things to the last minute, changing my mind, but now I am jotting down ideas for the next one.

Best of luck!

WOW!!! I'm speechless.