Gallery: IDDBA takes the cake

Publix Super Markets cake decorator Sarah Watts, Gainesville, Fla., won IDDBA’s 19^th Annual Cake Decorating Challenge at last week’s Dairy-Deli-Bake 2014 in Denver.

Over the three days of the conference, Watts competed against two other decorators — Coborn’s Amanda Hansen, Sauk Rapids, Minn., and Harp’s Food Stores’ Stephanie Murphree, West Fork, Ark., — in the Show & Sell Center on the expo floor. Murphree took second place and Hansen came in third.

On the first day, the contestants had to decorate enough cakes to fill a multi-tiered, 7-foot bakery case. Day two was devoted to wedding cakes. The final day, the contestants each decorated three cakes in the categories special occasion, show theme and decorator’s choice. The theme of the show was “Camp Foodie.”

Luke Bender, manager of technical service, Maplehurst Bakeries, and Jim Caliendo, dessert training specialist, Rich Products Corporation, judged the competition.

Photos by Chad Chisholm