Aug 29, 2022 - Food and Drink
Meet the serious talent behind the Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest
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Minicupcakes we tried. Photo: Kara Delemeester for Axios
I thought participating as an eater in the The Morean Arts Center's Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest this weekend would be a piece of cake.
- But eating a dozen minicupcakes in one day is way harder than it sounds. I pretty much ate nothing but cupcakes all day Saturday to make my People's Choice selection between noon and 7pm and I couldn't get through them all.
Yes, but: I also learned St. Pete has some serious baking talent.
- The People's Choice winner, youth entrant Olivia McLaughlin, made Blueberry Lemon Blossom cupcakes that were the perfect mix of sweet and floral, without being overpowering. If I get married, I want those cupcakes at my wedding.
- I also loved novice Brenda Hnatiak's Orange Dreamsicle, Michele Cababe's Gluten Free Churro and Heather Cole's Chocolate Overload (a super chocolatey cake pop in a caramel-filled ice cream cone).
🫒 Honorable mention: I wasn't brave enough to try it, but my friend Kara enjoyed Sweet Life Cupcakes' Bloody Mary cupcake — topped with cheddar, an olive and a pickle — more than she thought she would.
