Now our second baking story! The daylong “Tastes Like Home” food/culture celebration at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – previewed here – culminated Thursday afternoon with a taste-test competition for baked goods created by 10 aspiring chefs, judged by a prestigious panel.
Here’s what the the contestants created (alphabetical by creation’s name) – all original recipes that had to be baked goods featuring a whole grain and fitting into the event’s “Tastes Like Home”theme:
Berry Green Matcha Raspberry Jam Cupcakes by Deeqa
Blueberry Pancake Blondie, by Rachael
Coffee Ceremony Chocolate Cake, by Foziya
Homemade Pani Popo, by Ali’i
Kaab el Ghazal, by Layal
Pear, Apricot, and Blackberry Galette, by Adam
Red-Filled Conchas, by Bruce
Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Vanilla Icing Glaze, by Latrice
Whole Wheat Chocolate Baharat Angel Food Cake with Rose Icing and Fennel Pollen Glaze, by Tyler
Yema Pianono Sponge Cake with Yema Filling by Raoul
The event was a collaboration with King Arthur Baking Company, whose Jonathan Eng was one of the judges, along with William Leaman of Bakery Nouveau, SSC president Dr. Monica Brown, Rachael Coyle of Coyle’s Bakeshop, and Christina Wood of Temple Pastries. They sampled and evaluated big bites of each offering:
…while an audience awaited the verdict:
As did display plates of some of the taste treats:
And the winner … Foziya’s Coffee Ceremony Chocolate Cake, inspired by her Ethiopian heritage – coffee is a big deal in Ethiopia, she had explained, celebrated with ceremonies.
She won a choice between a $5,000 cash prize and a trip to King Arthur’s headquarters. Plus, her recipe will be further refined and then published – so you’ll get a chance to try making it too. (It includes espresso, cardamom cream-cheese filling, and Swiss buttercream.) There were two runner-ups – Latrice’s sweet-potato pound cake, inspired by her aunt, and Rachael’s blueberry-pancake blondie, harkening back to the pancakes her dad made for breakfast when she was little.