Cupcake Wars, Hudson Valley style

MONROE — Have you ever seen the Food Network TV show “Cupcake Wars?” The competitors have a cupcake bake-off using pre-selected ingredients and a theme as inspiration.

After a grueling battle, the teams are judged. The team of bakers with the best overall presentation (and cupcakes) wins.

I love this show and decided to lead a gluten-free cupcake wars for my home school 4-H group.

After much planning, preparation and anticipation, the day finally came. Everyone was very excited. They couldn’t wait to bake.

Teams were chosen at random and the battle began. The teams jumped right in, baking and making table decorations for our newly revealed theme: Grown in New York.

The teams were having lots of fun working together. After a very fast two hours had passed, it was time for judging.

The judges, all familiar with gluten-free baking, were friends Maia and Elle Buljetta, Stefanie Hubert (CCEOC Resource Educator for Nutrition) and myself.

The criteria, based on the criteria from “Cupcake Wars,” included taste, presentation, table display and overall teamwork.

The members of Team B proved victorious with their apple cupcake filled with apple/strawberry compote and iced with pink butter cream. Their display was an apple tree and the mini cupcakes were the apples.

Congratulations Team B: Julia Schucker, Brenna Birkenstock, Truth Muller, Joaella Goldberg, Delaney Kansy and Joergia Goldberg.

Team A made apple strawberry cupcakes with strawberry frosting piped in a webbed pattern. The member of Team A were A: Ryan Kansy, Gregory Kansy, Sean Flynn, Morgan Delaney, Jayce Goldberg and Amanda Birkenstock.

Congratulations to both teams for their hard work and yummy cupcakes. Everyone did a great job.

Acting as the emcee and judge was a terrific experience and I’m so glad we hosted our very own “Cupcake Wars.”



By Haley Carlisle, 12,

Hudson Valley Explorers News Reporter