IDDBA Announces Bakers from Hy-Vee, Albertsons, and Green Valley Marketplace as Winners of 21st Annual Cake Decorating Challenge

After wielding their fondant and frosting pipes into battle, three cake decorators came out on top in the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association’s™ (IDDBA) 21st annual Cake Decorating Challenge.

Congrats to the competitors in @myiddba Cake Decorator Challenge and champ Sarah Vanderheyden! #IDDBA16 pic.twitter.com/hmCNojVdK3

— IDDBA (@myiddba) June 7, 2016

Held at the Dairy-Deli-Bake Seminar and Expo in Houston, TX, June 5-7, Hy-Vee Inc.’s Sara Vanderheyden from Ames, IA, took home the top spot, with second place going to Nayeli Cruz of Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions in Carlsbad, CA., and third going to Paige Thornton of Green Valley Marketplace in Elkridge, MD.

Winner Sara Vanderheyden says that cake decorating was initially supposed to be her “getting-through-college job,” but turned out to be her professional passion. She works hard studying cake books, watching tutorials, and taking hands-on classes to make sure each and every customer walks away with a smile, according to a press release.

Each year, IDDBA’s three-day contest consists of the following three phases:

Day One:

• Contestants decorate enough cakes to fill one multi-tiered, eight-foot bakery case. 

Day Two:

• Contestants decorate a wedding cake.

Day Three: 

• Each contestant decorates three cakes from each category: special occasion, show theme, and decorator’s choice.

The judges for the 2016 event were Luke Bender, Manager of Technical Service, Maplehurst Bakeries, LLC, and Jim Caliendo, Dessert Training Specialist, Rich Products Corporation.

All the contestants received an all-expense paid trip to Houston, gifts, trophies, bragging rights, and publicity.