Meet the serious talent behind the Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest

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.