Competition Tips & Hints

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Ruth Rickey Blog Posts: 

• Ruths Blog is superb and worth following.  These titles are specific to competition cakes:
•     "Traveling to Cake Shows"
  
•     "A Tale of Two Cakes"
  
•     "The Invisible Win"
  
•     "Like a Broken Record"
  
•     "Why Should I Take a Cake to the Cake Show"
  
•     "The Cardinal Sin of Cake Shows"
  

Read the rules:

• Read the rules, and then......read the rules.
  

Details:

• Be as detailed and technically precise as you can.
  

Cake Base or Dummy:

• If you use a rice krispy base be sure to cover it with royal icing to smooth it out before applying fondant.
  
• Rice Krispy Treat, Styrofoam Dummies, or other solid base is highly recommended.
  

Cake Boards:

• Make sure the board on which you display the cake is appropriately sized.
  
• Color and design shows off and works with the cake design.
  
• Attach cleats or feet to the bottom of your board so you can get your fingers under it and pick it up              without messing up your cake or border.
  

Fondant: 

• Be sure to remove fondant if it begins to dry out and you get "elephant skin", take it back off the cake and knead some solid Crisco shortening into it, then reapply.
  
• Remove dents or finger marks in your fondant by using a piece of extra fondant rolled up into a ball and rub away the stray marks.
  

Gumpaste flowers:

• Make the edges of the petals as thin as you can.
  

              -Always finish the backs of your flowers - yes the judges do look there.
              -Use dusting colors to add shading and highlights.    
              -Dry your Gumpaste flowers and/ or petals so that they have movement.
              -Always wrap wires with floral tape.
              -NEVER EVER stick wires into your cake without a barrier between them and the cake. Straws
                work well.

Piping:

• Practice your piping before piping on the cake.
  
• Shapes like shells and ball borders should be a consistent size. Remove points from ball shapes.