San Diego Cake Show And Competition! There Is Still Time!!!
Decorating By mommykicksbutt Updated 28 Mar 2007 , 5:31pm by peacockplace
Thank you! I had fun doing that cake. I really thought I had a chance with those cookies but the last three years the non-cake category has been filling up with cookies!
My forte' is really delicate string work. Still a work in progress though. I can always use refining! 
Can't wait to see your entry. What category is your cake in if you don't mind my asking. I want to make sure I check it out. I don't want to miss it! 
Amy
Thank you! I had fun doing that cake. I really thought I had a chance with those cookies but the last three years the non-cake category has been filling up with cookies!
My forte' is really delicate string work. Still a work in progress though. I can always use refining!
Can't wait to see your entry. What category is your cake in if you don't mind my asking. I want to make sure I check it out. I don't want to miss it!
Amy
I'm still working on my cake!! ACK!!!
Hopefully it will be done (and suitable for viewing) by tomorrow when I leave to drive down there.
I've never even BEEN to a cake show... I don't know what possessed me to enter. lol!
I'll be there too! My sister-in-law who attended pastry chef school is going to be out here from CO this weekend too! So I think just "the girls" are going to go. Not sure which day - maybe both if we can get the husbands to agree to watch kids all weekend long... 
I considered entering something briefly - until I saw the amazing past entries and decided I have a LONG way to go before I am ready to enter anything in a real contest!
Can't wait to see all the beautiful creations!
mconrey, you shouldn't let the past entries stop you from entering! Most of those pictures are from Advanced and up to professional. There are amateur and intermediate catagories and I know your cakes would do well. I think I entered my first cake and had only been decorating 1 year, it was scarey, but it really helped me get better. Well... not actually get better as a decorator, but better at hiding my mistakes 
I'm sorry I forgot to tell you how great your cakes are!
I had to enter in the "Professional" category, even though I've only really done buttercream grocery store-type cakes professionally.
I'm scared...
My cake is entered under Advanced II. It has lots of GP flowers including peonies and lillies of the valley. Just hope they don't break on the way down. I'm leaving tomorrow.
Advanced II??? Sounds like you're going to be moved to gumpaste specialities if you have any gumpaste on your cake. They are real sticklers as to what can be on an Advanced I/II cake.
My cake last year was moved from Advanced II to Foreign Techniques because of all the string work. Unless your cake is a sculpture with gumpaste on it, you will be in the gumpaste speciality category not Advanced II. Just because you put what category you wanted to enter on your entry form, that does not mean that is the category you will be entered in!!
Just a heads up! Good luck!
Amy
My cake is entered under Advanced II. It has lots of GP flowers including peonies and lillies of the valley. Just hope they don't break on the way down. I'm leaving tomorrow.
Advanced II??? Sounds like you're going to be moved to gumpaste specialities if you have any gumpaste on your cake. They are real sticklers as to what can be on an Advanced I/II cake.
My cake last year was moved from Advanced II to Foreign Techniques because of all the string work. Unless your cake is a sculpture with gumpaste on it, you will be in the gumpaste speciality category not Advanced II. Just because you put what category you wanted to enter on your entry form, that does not mean that is the category you will be entered in!!
Just a heads up! Good luck!
Amy
Awwwwwwwwwww!! I was afraid of that. Yep, my cake was put into Foreign Techniques last year too. (It's had a birds nest with eggs on it. Rather a sad little cake.LOL) This years cake has a lot of GP flowers. I just wanted to be judged against people who are at my same skill level. I only bake about 6 cakes a year.
So do any of you want to meet on Saturday? If so, PM me.
Don't worry about the skill level in the catagories. A lot of people who are just beginners stretch themselves with foreign tech. and end up all in one catagory. Most likely the gumpaste flowers will still be in one of the advanced catagories. We've changed things around this year a little for just the reason that we want the same level of experience competing against each other. Gumpaste Specialities is usually for gumpaste not on a cake or where the main decoration is gumpaste and the cake is absolutely plain.
The reason Cakemommy went to foreign last year, and will this year, is because the stringwork was considered Austrailian, and this year it's Lambeth technique.
I have to tell you all, this is something we have been trying to hash out for years and get all the entries against their own skill levels. It's not easy, and I myself was stuck in the Foreign Tech catagory with my very first entry into the show with only 1 year of decorating behind me. I was not a happy camper. And since now Wilton is teaching fondant and gumpaste, the foreign lines have been crossed. So now just Lambeth, Austrailian, Mexican pastillage, Nirvana, and South African techniques will be in the foreign catagory (lumped with all levels). Fondant cakes and cakes with gumpaste flowers are supposed to go into their own levels.
Now, since there are 4 of us catagorizing cakes when they come in, there might be a little disagreement amoungst ourselves, but this is our goal.
Sorry this is so long, I really know how you all feel. You want to stretch your skills but don't want to compete against other who do this professionally. I did it for the first 3 years I entered the show. I also only did about 6 cakes a year, all buttercream and only 1 showcake which was always foreign 
Well that's not fair at all! I purposely avoided any type of gumpaste and string work in order to be in Advanced II this year!!!!! SCC really needs to hurry up and figure out what technique fits in what category. This is my fourth year and every year there are issues with what goes where. There were three cakes that were left in the Advanced II category after all the shuffling around was done last year. The third place cake (had to take third because it was one of three) was a pathetic two or three tiered stacked cake covered in white fondant with a way too wide burgundy satin ribbon loosely wrapped around it and some cheap burgundy flowers just stuck on top!!!!!! Had my cake been left in that category that horrid cake wouldn't have placed at all. It's not a fair competition by any means!!!!!!
We have the same judges as last year and I heard so many complaints about the judging. Why the same three are back again is beyond me. There has got to be other pros out there that can judge this competition.
Amy
I'm not in charge of the judging. And I can tell you it's hard to get anyone to travel a distance to do this for free. If you know of any qualified judges willing, I'd love to hear about them.
As for your Lambeth cake. I believe I told you it is a foreign tech. right from the start. You'll see this year the catagories will be pretty mixed because of the fondant/gumpaste now to all the skill levels.
I just got off the phone with two of the others that are classifying the cakes and we think it will be much better this year.
I know you are just nervous about the show. It's very difficult to catagorize and make everyone happy about what they have to compete against. Remember I was in the same boat as you, stuck competing against professionals my first year even though I had only be decorating less than a year. You really are competing against yourself and how well you execute the technique!
Please realize we're doing our best, but the techniques keep changing and growing, so we have to keep changing with them. Hang in there, everything will be OK
Oh, I am not referring to my Foreign Technique cake. This is a separate cake all together. I knew before you told me that my cake would be in that category. I purposely entered that category this year instead of being surprised at the last minute like last year.
I certainly look forward to a fair competition this year. I know Amy and Linda will make sure things go where they need to be.
Thank you for the heads up though!
Amy
OOOH!! LOL, that's right, you said you had a second cake! Well, it's not too late to put some gumpaste flowers on it if you want! You've got 2 days! Just remember, extension work and wings are foreign!!! I'm sure it will be great either way!!!!
That's alright Tami, I forgive you!!! 
Nah, flowers won't work with the theme of this cake! It's one of my signature cakes. This cake was a total last minute thing. It's just if I am up against gumpaste flowers in
Advanced II I don't stand a chance because it seems gumpaste always wins out because of their complexity.
We'll see you on Saturday!
Amy
Okay, here's a question for you. If I decided to put strings on my cake in a fashion that they are attached to one piece of decoration (that is not touching my cake at that particular point) and attached to the cake itself, could I do that and not be considered FT? These strings will be very minimal, probably in three different spots. I hope you understand that!
Hmmm. I guess it depends on what that piece of decoration is. If you have a collar (run sugar) on your cake that extends beyond the cake and then pipe strings from that to the cake, it looks a lot like Nirvana which is FT. It's really hard for me to picture. Just stringwork, like the drop strings you do in Wilton are not FT. A floating collar is also foreign tech. since that is not taught here, nor is it common here. You already know what extension work is, and that is FT. Does is look like that?
I wouldn't worry about gumpaste decorations competing against your cake. There are two catagories, Fondant covered and buttercream covered, so those don't compete against each other. If your cake is fondant, you really are being judged against how well you executed the technique you did. And then how well did the person execute their flowers. Then the higher score wins. You can't compare them against each other, like apples and oranges. Myself and another will be talking with the judges (we do have some new ones in addition to some from last year, 6 total) before they go out and I will be stressing this.
No, I don't have a run collar! I'm not going to give it away but it is definately not a FT. So we have six judges this year????????? I can't help but feel that I will be over looked because I do not have flowers. Flowers are by far a difficult technique and anyone who doesn't do them well, I hope, would not enter them in a show on a cake or not!!!!!!!! My entry might look plain because of the lack of flowers.
We'll see! I hope the judges can separate pretty with gumpaste flowers from pretty without. It still seems unfair to me because I am purposefully entering this category without the components that would put me in a different one. Now I find out THAT is not the case anymore. Just kind of ironic the first year I decide to do this that change is made.
Fair is so important across the board you know!
Amy
Hello everyone! I will be entering again this year, although I don't think that my entry is looking all that great. I've been under the gun to get some data out from my research and I don't think I've put enough care into my entry. I'm also scared since I've been bumped up to Adv I. Too many pretty cakes and great decorators out there! I can't wait to see all of your entries!
I went for the first time last year and that was pretty much it. I took lots of pictures, sat through a few demos, won one of the demos. There's also the raffle and Cupcake Corner - decorate a cupcake or buy one already decorated for you. I'll be there on Saturday 
Hello everyone! I will be entering again this year, although I don't think that my entry is looking all that great. I've been under the gun to get some data out from my research and I don't think I've put enough care into my entry. I'm also scared since I've been bumped up to Adv I. Too many pretty cakes and great decorators out there! I can't wait to see all of your entries!
Hey, you'll do fine!!! You took first place in your category last year! It was beautiful! I can't wait to see your next entry!
See you there maybe!
Amy
I never been but going this year is it a big mall? where is the best place to park? I'm coming for sat. morning Im 2 hours away so im hoping to be there for 9:00-9:30 am
La Jolla Village Square mall is a relatively small mall. The main attraction to the area where the cakes will be displayed is a movie theater and Pier 1 Imports. There are more shops out doors around the mall than in. Park in the underground parking lot.
Amy
Oh I'll be there! I'm the Emcee this year, I'll be the one with the big mouth at the microphone hobbling around with the cane.
I've got 2 entries this year, my cake is pretty pathetic but since it is made I'll bring it (if it survives the short car trip). I also have a pastillage entry (gum paste specialty), I'm so sick of flowers and bows in the gum paste category so I did something very different. I always try to think outside the cakepan.
Even my 10 year old son has a cake this year. Last year he did a molded chocolate (jr. non cake). He was thrilled to place second. We treat the show prep as an art project in his home schooling.
I don't have hopes for either one of mine to place but it is always fun to challenge myself and test (and stretch) my skills. My son is learning alot from the experience too (like airbrushing this year).
I love seeing everyone else's work!!!! There are so many creative and inventive sugarcrafters out there! And meeting those that enter, whether they are local or out of towners, is always a pleasure. I look forward to meeting you all there!
thanks for the parking info I can't do a lot of standing or walking but i've made my mind up i'm going and i am not using my wheelchair i am so excited never been to a cake nothing b4 see ya'll tomarrow
There are escalators and an elevator that can take you to the second floor to see the rest of the cakes. The upper level is like a square with a balcony that looks down to the level below. The lower level is where every thing will be taking place. My sister (mommykicksbutt) will be hobbling around too with a cane. She has a torn ACL in her knee!
See you all there. I'll be there around 6:30-7:00 tonight to drop off my cakes. The less they will be moved around as more cakes come in. As is, the CC will be there until at least 11:00 p.m. finishing setting up.
Amy
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%