The 14thannual CakeDecoratingChallengesponsored bythe IDDBAattracted 73entrants from 40supermarketchains –nearlydouble theentries from

last year. Three of those contestants – Anne Freeman fromHy-Vee, Inc., in Ames, IA, Charra Jarosz from Quality FoodCenters in Seattle, WA and Kim Oborne from Publix SuperMarkets in Fort Lauderdale, FL – were selected to participatein the Challenge at IDDBA’s Dairy-Deli-Bake 2009 inAtlanta in June.

Kim Oborne took first place at the Challenge, with secondplace going to Anne Freeman and third to Charra Jarosz.Kim, who has been decorating cakes at Publix Super Marketsfor 28 years, says the best part of her job is “seeing the smileson her customers’ faces.”

There were three phases to the Challenge: decoratingenough cakes to fill one multi-tiered, eight-foot bakery case;decorating a wedding cake and decorating one cake fromeach category: special occasion, theme/event and decorator’sinterpretation of the IDDBA’s Dairy-Deli-Bake ’09 showtheme, “The Show of Shows.”

“If you’ve ever been involved in a contest where your skillswere being judged and your every action scrutinized byhundreds of people, you have an inkling of the challengesthese decorators faced,” says IDDBA Executive DirectorCarol Christison. “Their incredible skill levels, creativity,and unique ability to create beauty in multiple platforms arewhat make them stand out from the crowd.”

Judges for the contest were: Luke Bender, MaplehurstBakeries, Inc. and Jim Caliendo, Rich ProductsCorporation. Ray Lippert, Bakery Crafts was on site tosupport the contestants and provide equipment. BakeryCrafts also provided cake decorating accessories, tips,equipment and support. HC Brill Company, Inc., EnjayConverters Ltd., Flavor Right Foods, Lawrence Foods, Inc.,Maplehurst Bakeries, Inc. and Rich Products Corporationprovided product for the event.

www.cakepros.com

Cake Prose® is published quarterly for professionalcake decorators who are registered members of theCake Pros® Decorators’ Club™, sponsored by RichProducts Corporation. For more information call

toll-free, 1.866.242.3599, email us atinfo@cakepros.com, fax us at 716.505.5051 or

visit our website at www.cakepros.com.

Volume 5 • Issue #2 • Fall 2009

L to R: Jim Caliendo (Rich Products); Anne Freeman; Ray Burke (IDDBA president); Kim Oborne;

Charra Jarosz and Luke Bender

IDDBA’s Cake Decorating Challenge Draws Record Number of Entrants

Hy-Vee is an Iowa-based supermarket chain that spreadsacross several Midwestern states. Its bakeries are designedto showcase the talents of its cake decorators, with awindowed work area for customer interaction.Every year Hy-Vee holds a Cake Designer Challenge,allowing its cake decorators the opportunity to use theirtalents and creativity to come up with some amazingcreations.

The 2009Challengeproved to beanother hugesuccess. Sixcontests wereheld, with 83contestantsparticipating.The top twofinalists fromeach area then progressed to the finals, which were held inspring in Des Moines. Contestants were given four hours tocomplete a 24-count cupcake cake, eight mega cupcakes,two sheet cakes and a tiered specialty cake.

“This is a wonderful way for the decorators to show they’reextremely capable of going beyond a basic quarter sheetbirthday cake,” says Terri Stevens, T&I Specialist forHockenberg Newburgh Sales and Marketing.

“The themes were all their own and ranged from fishing tofamily to art museums and more.”

Katie O’Connor, from the Lincoln, NE Hy-Vee store, tookfirst place and won a trip for two. She also received theDecorators’ Choice Award. Second place (and $750) wentto Amber Ruhe of Mankato, MN, and the third place prizeof $500 went to Sara Vanderheyden of Ames, IA. Rich’sown Jim Caliendo was a judge for the contest.

Do you know any cake decorators with great stories likethis to tell? If so, Cake Pros wants to hear about it! Emailus through our website and we may use your story on ourwebsite or in a future issue of CakeProse®!

Creativity pays off deliciously at Hy-Vee!

Katie O’Connor, a cake decorator at Hy-Vee’s Lincoln, NE store, took first place at Hy-Vee’s 2009 Cake Designer Challenge.

Ask Rose BakerEmail your questions to Rose Baker at rose@cakepros.com.We’ll print one or two in each issue of Cake Prose™, and alsoaddress frequently-asked questions on our website atwww.cakepros.com.

Dear Rose Baker:I’m a bakery manager with limited cake decoratingexperience. What qualities should I look for when hiring cake decorators for my store?

Thanks, Sarah J.

Dear Sarah:

Beware of the “I decorate cakes at home all the time”candidate. Home practice and perfection does not alwaystranslate into production-type experience, which is critical in aprofit center. At-home decorators often work too slowly, fusstoo much over each cake and generate too much waste. Youwant candidates who are creative, efficient, enthusiastic,willing to learn and who understand the need to generate ahigh volume of delicious, beautiful cakes that will sell.

Rose

Dear Rose Baker:For Thanksgiving and Christmas, most of my customers don’t think cakes. They think pies and fancy desserts. How can I boost my cake sales during the holidays?

Thanks, Alycia

Dear Alycia:

There are many ways to boost cake sales during the holidays.Keep in mind there are plenty of impulse food buys at thistime of the year. Last-minute get togethers, extra guestscoming for dinner, etc. Have your displays ready to go, makethem attractive and attention-getting by using holidaydecorations, bows on the cake packages, etc., and considerusing secondary displays within the store that coincide withother holiday food displays. Remind your customers that acake is a fast, easy and delicious dessert, especially when they’re busy!

Rose

Volume 5 • Issue #2 • Fall 2009

Allen® Premium Uniced Cakesoffer a complete line of superiorquality uniced cakes sure to pleaseyour customers. These deliciouscakes are great-tasting and moist,and offer consistency, performanceand ease of use.

Best of all, Allen® PremiumUniced Cakes consistently deliverconsumer-preferred flavor withzero grams of trans fat perserving – even when iced withRich’s® Bettercreme® (we usepure soybean oil)!

Why Allen® Premium Uniced Cakes?

Consumers were looking for a cakethat was moister and had a lighter,fluffier texture. Through consumersensory research and expertdescriptive taste panels at KansasState University (KSU), Rich’s®

identified specific flavor attributesconsumers were looking for inyellow, white and chocolate cake.They are:

Yellow: eggy, vanilla flavor; highsweetness (yet not too sweet);

high moisture; light, fluffy, melt-in-mouth texture/grain.

White: egg white flavor withsubtle marshmallow and vanillatones; high sweetness (yet not toosweet); high moisture; light, fluffy,melt-in-mouth texture/grain.

Chocolate: well-rounded, cleanmilk chocolate flavor with hintsof vanilla; soft cocoa flavor (nottoo bitter); high sweetness (yetnot too sweet); quick hit onflavor/long-lasting flavor; highmoisture; light, fluffy, melt-in-mouth texture/grain.

The results? Allen® Uniced Cakeswere preferred by consumersover all other competitors* at astatistically significant level.

Give your customers what youknow they are looking for. Askyour Rich’s Associate aboutAllen® Premium Uniced Cakes.

*Including the old JW Allen cakes.

Build quality cake programswith consumer-preferred Allen® Premium Uniced Cakes

Have you seen our website lately?

We’ve redesigned our website!

It’s still full of creative and helpful cakeideas, tips and more – and we’re addingnew things all the time – but now the siteis easier to navigate and features morecolorful and helpful photos. You’ll stillfind our Cake Pros® Spotlight, thecollection of Cake Pros® pins and more!Have a question for Rose Baker? Askher online. Have a suggestion or anidea? Email it to us. We’d love to hear from you and we want to be able to give you the helpful information you are looking for. So checkwww.cakepros.com regularly and youwon’t miss a thing. And look for ourmember email blasts – they’re also fullof creative and helpful hints and ideas!

Cake Pros®is a blast!Themonthlyemail blastsfrom CakePros® arefull of cake andcupcakeideas,member

questions and suggestions, colorfulphotos and so much more! If you want to keep receiving your Cake Pros® email blasts, make sure we have your correct emailaddress, particularly if you relocate. Send your email address to us at info@cakepros.com so you won’t miss another blast of greatideas and helpful information.

Happy decorating!www.cakepros.com

These cupcakes, adorned withfall colors and decorations, areperfect for any festive fall feast.

Fall Cupcakes

Tips:4 CS Star#104 Rose#67 Leaf (2)#3 Piping

Special Tools:Pastry Bags, Spatula

Ingredients:- Allen® Uniced White

Cupcakes (12)- Rich’s® Bettercreme® Icings

in Colors™

- Rich’s® ChocolateBettercreme® Icing

- Six Hershey’s Kisses

Procedures:1. Base ice cupcakes using tip

#44 CS with Rich’s® YellowBettercreme® Icing.

2. Using tip #3 with Rich’s® TanBettercreme®, pipe the cap onthe flat side of each unwrappedHershey’s Kiss to create theacorn.

3. Place one Kiss on each of sixalternating cupcakes.

4. Using tip #104, stripe bag withRich’s® Orange and ChocolateBettercreme®. Fill with Rich’s®

Green Bettercreme®.

5. Pipe on fall leaves on the sixcupcakes that do not haveacorns.

6. Using tip #67, fill one each bagwith Rich’s® Tan Bettercreme®

and Rich’s® OrangeBettercreme®.

7. Pipe one leaf of each color atcap of acorn.

A sweet way to celebrate autumn.

The key ingredient for an indulgentdessert experience.

61% of consumers desire unique flavors.*

37% seek indulgent cakes.*

What’s the latest in non-dairy, pre-whipped Bettercreme® icing? It’sRich’s® Southern Country Delight™

Bettercreme® Icing. Similar to Rich’s®

Cookies-n-Crème pre-whippedBettercreme®, Southern CountryDelight™ Bettercreme® is deliciouslyflavored with real coconut flakes. It’san original combination of gourmet food ingredients: authentic brown sugar and real toasted coconut flakes.

Research indicates customers are increasingly responding to nostalgic marketing messages,

and Rich’s® Southern Country Delight™

Bettercreme® Icing will add a touch ofnostalgia to any dessert you make. Itmeets the needs of the whipped icingconsumer in many ways:

• visually appealing• light, smooth texture• great tasting• year-round dessert application

Best of all, you’ll appreciate Rich’s® Southern Country Delight™

Bettercreme® Icing’s smooth, consistentspreadability and ambient benchstability. This newest addition to theBettercreme® family will deliver all that you expect and more for a pre-whipped, non-dairy icing.

Try our Southern Country Delight™

Amazing Cake, featured to the right.

*Source: IDDBA What’s In Store 2009

Rich’s® Southern Country Delight™ Bettercreme® Icing:

Simply Amazing!

This delicious and versatilecake is made with Rich’s®

new Southern CountryDelight™ Bettercreme®

(see article to the left).Your customers will love the nostalgic brownsugar/coconut taste.

Southern Country Delight™

Amazing Cake with Fruit

TIPS:

8 small

SPECIAL TOOLS:

Pastry Bags, Spatula

INGREDIENTS:

- Allen® Uniced Round Cake- Base iced with Rich’s®

Southern CountryDelight™ Bettercreme®

- Assorted Fruit- Pecans- Toasted Coconut

PROCEDURES:

1. Have all items necessary tocomplete assembly ondecorating table.

2. Fill cake layers withRich’s® Southern CountryDelight™ Bettercreme®.

3. Ice cake using 8 tip withRich’s® Southern CountryDelight™ Bettercreme®

(use up and down motionaround sides of cake, asshown in picture).

4. Place pecan pieces aroundbottom edge of cake.

5. Using 8 tip with Rich’s®

Southern CountryDelight™ Bettercreme®,pipe rosettes on topof cake.

6. Sprinkle top of cake withtoasted coconut.

7. Garnish cake with anassorted fruit piece ineach rosette.