Oborne Wins Cake Challenge

ROSEANNE HARPER

ATLANTA — Kim Oborne (right), a decorator for Publix Super Markets, took top honors in the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association's 14th annual Cake Decorating Challenge here this month.

Oborne, who works in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Publix location, received first prize in the three-day competition. Second place went to Anne Freeman, representing Hy-Vee, and third place to Charra Jarosz of Quality Food Centers, Seattle.

Judges were Luke Bender of Maplehurst Bakeries and Jim Caliendo of Rich Products Corp. The three finalists were chosen this spring from 73 entrants representing 40 supermarket chains across the country.

The first phase of this year’s on-site contest required the three competitors to decorate enough cakes to fill one multi-tiered, 8-foot bakery case and then merchandise the case. On day two, each contestant had to decorate a wedding cake.

During the final day of the show, each competitor had to decorate three cakes of their choosing, one from each of these categories: a special occasion, a theme/event and the decorator’s interpretation of IDDBA’s Dairy-Deli-Bake ’09 show theme — “The Show of Shows.”