Cupcake Wars: Students engage in battle of the best pastry

Fox Point — It was a dash to the cupcake stations as the Maple Dale-Indian Hill version of Cupcake Wars began last week.

Armed with nothing more than tins of chocolate cupcakes and bags of colored icing, teams of five to six boys and girls piped their ideas onto the chocolate palette.

Each team had a theme, but getting the idea onto the top of a 2-inch wide cupcake isn't easy.

Students had two practice days before the event, one spent making a batch of from-scratch cupcakes, the second learning some decorating techniques.

The real competition was also done in two parts, one day spent baking another batch of cupcakes, the second, decorating.

Judy Holzman, Linda Gersonde and Vicki Mandle teach the hugely popular five-week class, this year getting professional assistance from Daniel Sosoff.

Sosoff, a high school friend of Holzman's son, graduated with an associate degree from the Culinary Institute of America, then earned a bachelor's degree and is now working on a master's degree in hospitality and hotel management.

Sosoff, in previous years, had volunteered for a segment during the course. This year he offered his help for the entire session.

"I look on this as a great experience," Sosoff said. "We are teaching a lot of good skills. This is important with today's health issues."

Holzman agreed.

"There are kids who bring a tablespoon and ask if that's a quarter of a cup when they start," she said.

Fractions, the importance of measuring so cakes rise, nutrition - they all play into the class.

Sosoff said each week has a theme. One week the theme was Fresh from the Farm in Wisconsin.

"I told them when they go to the farmers market to look for what is fresh and available," he said. "I told them they can change and adapt recipes using what is available."

Pantry Week was another theme.

"I wanted them to think about things they could do when mom and dad are not around, either snacks or to start dinner," Sosoff said.

This past week, it was chocolate and buttercream that took center stage.

Cupcakes may not be high on a health food diet, but food can be fun, at least on the day of Cupcake Wars.

The kids were allowed to bring in extra decorations. Every station had its own particular assortment of goodies, from miniature marshmallows to thin red licorice.

Jaden Bates and Nima Soltanni, both 10, and 11-year-olds Dominic Mandella, Daylen Fisher and Zachary Ellner were the winning team.

Sosoff said the progress shown by the students from their first day to the day of the cupcake competition was impressive.

"They all tasted different," he said of the cupcakes, all made from the same recipe. "This is just over the top. I am so impressed with the work they did."