LAS VEGAS- –Creative Cakes’ team of cake decorators won two First Place and two Second Place medals to win Second Place overall earlier this month at the Pillsbury International Baking Industry Exposition‘s Creative Cake Decorating Competition.
Ashley Spitzer and Robbyn Yuen won Second Place in Wedding Cakes, created for fictional bride Kiri and groom Sanouk. They designed, assembled and decorated a five-tiered Asian-themed confection in pinks and golds, replete with gathered fondant, golden “jewelry” and eye-popping orange lilies, topped with edible, delicate gold elephants.
Spitzer and Yuen earned First Place in Sculpted Cakes, creating a groom’s cake. Shaped like a golden Buddha floating atop a hill of leaves, lilies and other flowers, this cake included a motorized feature, with flowers moving in a graceful dance.
Spitzer and Yuen won First Place in the Qualisoy-sponsored Surprise Category. That theme was announced at the competition; to create a cake for Soybean Farmers of America. The team’s creation featured a basket of soybeans atop a field of plants, topped by a map of the United States inscribed “Made in the USA”, all created from buttercream. Spitzer said, “The judges felt that we put a lot of thought into the design, used the color scheme creatively and really nailed the theme.”
The team created four cakes in two six-hour days.
Chicagoland’s Creative Cakes has a Tinley Park Bakery and a Naperville Design Studio. The bakery is known for delicious flavors, eye-popping cupcakes and elite, custom-decorated cake masterpieces. Spitzer says, “We can create any kind of shaped or decorated cake our customers want.”
Yuen earned a B.A. in Art from University of St. Francis and Spitzer graduated as a Pastry Chef from Kendall College. Their respective skills helped them become a powerhouse decorating team about five years ago. Spitzer says, “We have taught each other.”
Before the competition, the team worked together, bringing their own ideas and then sketching and brainstorming together. They practiced delicate elements such as the head of the Buddha and flowers for several weeks.
Spitzer and Yuen are looking forward to competing again. “We’ve always been passionate about creating stunning showpieces for our customers, but winning has given us a renewed energy for decorating.”
