Cakes galore at 10th annual Cake Bake Competition

More than 30 freshly baked cakes did not fail to deliver on excellence at the annual Benoni City Times Mother’s Day Cake Bake Competition.

May 5, 2017

Benoni City Times 3 minutes read

The winner of the professional baking category is Sadiyya Asmalji, from Mackenzie Park. Here she proudly displays her three-tiered cake made of carrot cake, red velvet and coconut vanilla.

This year marked the 10-year anniversary of the cake bake competition, which was the brainchild of City Times sales manager Heila Brophy.

Entrants started bringing in their cakes from 7am on May 4, to be on display at Cherrylane Gourmet Café, on 14th Avenue, Northmead.

The cakes were categorised as professional, tarts and tartlets, fun bake, special dietary and cupcakes.

Entries were judged by Loraine Krugel, Berry Legg, Xanthe Weissnar, Wendy Bernhardt, Moira Wall, Paul Smith, Shawn Govender, Dejané Poil and Charmelle Retief, based on presentation, covering and texture, degree of difficulty, creativity, execution of techniques, edible ingredients and taste.

The professional winners are:

1 Sadiyya Asmalji

2 Bianca Greyling

3 Sonja Smuts

Mary Maja, of Daveyton, entered an orange cake in the professional baking category.

Tebogo Sogcwayi, from Crystal Park, with a chocolate cake she created with her business partner, Tsholofelo Rantsieng.

Bianca Greyling, from Northvilla, finished second in the professional cake bake category with her piano-shaped rose-flavoured cake.

Lettie Boshoff, from Northmead, baked a red velvet and cream cheese filling cake for the professional category.

Tary Gondo is seen with the cake she entered in the professional category.

Fikile Shongwe, from Daveyton, baked a chocolate cake for the professional category.

Aqeela Rahman, from Lakefield, baked a chocolate ganache cake for the professional category.

Third place in the professional bakers’ section was earned by Sonja Smuts, of Northmead, with her chocolate cake.

Legg gave feedback to the top three winners in the professional category.

She said Sadiyya’s cake was “lovey”, the sponge was good and there was balance of taste.

“However, we recommend that less is more. The cake was busy and it doesn’t appeal to everyone,” said Legg.

Legg said the second place winner, Bianca, is one of the most talented bakers in Benoni and scored 10 in most of the categories, saying she is “exceptionally gifted”.

“I want to encourage her to look into her sponge and rather work with a lighter sponge,” Legg added of the piano cake.

“The sponge was heavy and that’s, unfortunately, what brought down her marks.

“Words cannot describe the amount of work that was put into making the cake.

“Bianca is truly a cake engineer.”

The third winner, Sonja, baked a profile of a woman which she “beautifully executed”.

“She is extremely gifted; I’ve never seen a cake like that before in my whole career,” Legg said.

Legg said the cake was moist, but that she couldn’t differentiate between the chocolate and the pink flavour.

Special dietary category winners are:

1 Courtney Norquoy

2 Sadiyya Asmalji

The special dietary requirements category was won by Courtney Norquoy, of Northmead, with her vegan red velvet cupcakes with chocolate icing. She is seen holding her vegan meringues and chocolate balls. She also prepared peanut butter and banana raw tartlets.

Xanthe Weissnar (left) and Berry Legg, better known as Miz Gooz Berry, judging the professional cakes.

Second place in the special dietary section went to Sadiyya Asmalji (Mackenzie Park), with her gluten-free vanilla cupcakes.

“Courtney made red velvet chocolate cupcakes that were gluten-free,” said Legg.

“Courtney made raw cakes that tasted like tahini tarts with dates; I would recommend her to use coconut oil, so it can assist it in its setting.

“Sadiyya made gluten free cupcakes and those were well baked, though I do encourage her to use extra liquid when using gluten-free flour.

“Well done to both of them for trying.”

Cupcakes:

1 Haylee Dennis

2 Kathy Bock

3 Chantelle Papagni

Wendy Bernhardt (left), Paul Smith, Charmelle Retief and Dejané Poil judge the cupcakes and tartlets.

Wendy Bernhardt cuts a cupcake to taste.

Bianca Greyling, from Northvilla, entered red velvet treats in the cupcakes section.

Chantelle Papagni, a Northmead resident, came third in the cupcake category.

Sadiyya Asmalji, of Mackenzie Park, holds pecan nut tartlets which she entered in the cupcakes and tartlets section.

Cecilia Bredenhann, from Crystal Park, entered cupcakes.

Haylee Dennis, from Northmead, won the cupcakes category with her Ferrero Rocher and caramel toffee delights.

Kathy Bock, from Goedeburg, earned second place in the cupcake category with her baked vanilla treats with a custard filling.

Cecilia Bredenhann, from Crystal Park, baked for the tarts and tartlets category.

Moira Taylor, from Putfontein, entered carrot cupcakes.

Wendy Bernhardt said the standard was very high and the technique was also excellent.

“Haylee’s cupcakes should have been in the professional category, based on the quality of her decoration. Her cupcakes were not too sweet and the balance between the icing and the cake was excellent,” said Bernhardt.

She said Kathy’s lemon cupcakes were a good effort and the technique was up to standard.

“Chantelle’s cupcakes were also up to standard – the technique was outstanding and the standard of the cakes this year was very high,” said Bernhardt.

Fun bake

1 Moira Taylor

2 Olyn Mutambirwa

3 Cecilia Bredenhann

Benoni CBD resident Olyn Mutambirwa won second place in the fun bake category.

Adrie Erasmus, from Springs, with her vanilla cake with a strawberry filling. She entered the fun bake category.

Judges Shawn Govender, Loraine Krugel and Moira Wall have a taste of the fun bake cakes.

Moira Taylor, from Putfontein, won the fun bake category with a carrot cake.

Sylvio Papagni, from Northmead, baked a lamington cake made from cream cheese, white chocolate and a coconut cover for the fun bake category.

Loraine Krugel (left) and Moira Wall have a taste of the fun bake cakes.

Moira Taylor, from Putfontein, with a banana loaf she entered in the fun bake category.

Farrarmere resident Patricia Wallace entered her carrot-fruit twist cake in the fun category.

Vidette Beyers, from Northmead, entered her rose red velvet cake in the fun bake section.

Crystal Park resident Cecilia Bredenhann entered this cake in the fun bake category.

Ammon Gordon dropped off a cake baked by Heather Gordan for the fun bake category.

Moira Taylor, from Putfontein, with the chocolate cake she entered in the fun bake category.

Loraine Krugel said Moira’s cake was moist, nice and the cream cheese frosting was amazing.

“However, the only criticism are the purple flowers that were used as decoration; the purple and the orange didn’t really sing the song,” said Krugel.

Krugel said the outside of Olyn’s cake was interesting, but the inside was not moist.

“The combination of the lemon, purple and blue berries was interesting.”

Of Cecilia’s cake, she said: “It was very interesting; beautiful and moist. The combination of the chocolate and orange was good. The only criticism is that the outside decoration could have been improved.”

Tarts and tartlets

1 Moira Taylor

2 Viggie Pillay

3 Cecile Cotty