First-place winner Andria Chinander arranges cupcakes. Andria Chinander (right) of Lund Food Holdings’ Byerly’s took first place in the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association’s annual Cake Decorating Challenge at the show  in the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

Amy Murtha, Hy-Vee, Belton, Mo., and Stacie Clawson (below), Wal-Mart Supercenters, Perry, Utah, received second- and third-place prizes, respectively.

The three finalists were chosen from over 70 contestants who applied to the challenge.

“This contest gets harder and harder to judge as the contestants get better and better,” said Carol Christison, executive director of the IDDBA, at the awards presentation.

For the length of the IDDBA conference, the three  finalists worked on assignments in the middle of the Show & Sell Center on the expo floor.

Third-place winner Stacie Clawson, Wal-Mart, decorates a cake on the show floor.“These decorators were subjected to a very intense schedule. Day one had them creating enough cakes to fill an 8-foot bakery case. Day two had them creating a wedding cake, and day three was the creation of three separate special event cakes, one of which was a show theme cake,” said Christison.

“Cakes are judged on theme, color, uniformity, writing, style and use of accessories,” she added.

IDDBA President Steve Beekhuizen presented the trophies to the finalists.