Community

Bake It Happen: Rural Outright, Chamber of Commerce to host Cupcake Wars

By Patrick Adrian
[email protected]
CLAREMONT — Grab your whisks and cornucopia, local bakers, because a war of cupcakes is coming to Claremont.

Youth advocacy group Rural Outright and the Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce will host Cupcake Wars, a baking competition sponsored by King Arthur Flour, on Saturday, Mar. 7 at the Claremont Savings Bank Community Center. The event invites participants of all ages and professions to enter their most creative and delicious cupcakes for an opportunity to win prizes and boast the title of “Best Cupcake Maker.”

Matt Mooshian, program chair of Rural Outright, said that proceeds from Cupcake Wars will go to help fund Rural PRIDE 2020, a regional LGBTQ+ Pride celebration. This year, Rural PRIDE is expanding to create the first cross-state, all-weekend celebration between the Twin States, with events scheduled in both Claremont and Windsor, Vermont.

In addition to raising funds, Mooshian sought Cupcake Wars as a creative way to incorporate more local businesses into the PRIDE celebration.

“Many businesses want to be supportive but don’t always know how,” Mooshian said. “Doing Cupcake Wars, we can help open that conversation.”

Initially, Mooshian contacted King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont in search of professionals who would volunteer as judges for the event. King Arthur representatives did even better, by saying they would sponsor the event.

“They told me that they sponsor baking competitions like this all the time,” Mooshian said.

King Arthur is lending their name and logo to the competition, procuring the prizes and assisting to set up the competition criterion.

The Cupcake Wars will have four categories of competition: home bakers (non-professionals, ages 14 and up); youth bakers (ages 13 and under); businesses and organizations; and People’s Choice. Judges will select a winner in each category based on a criteria of taste, presentation and creativity. A team of three judges will determine the winners in each category, except People’s Choice, whose winner will be chosen by the public in attendance.

The creativity criterion will remain broadly defined, to allow room for interpretation, according to Mooshian. Rather than having bakers adhere to a specific theme, Cupcake Wars will consider any form of creativity, whether it is in the cupcake’s decoration, flavor or design.

“This event is about bringing people together and bridging the gap between local businesses and PRIDE events,” Mooshian said. “Even though Rural PRIDE isn’t until June, we can be supporting PRIDE all year round.”

Bakers entering the competition are asked to bake at least three dozen cupcakes for the event. Part of this number is to provide sufficient samples for the People’s Choice award. One dozen of each baker’s cupcakes will be either auctioned off — if chosen as a winner — or sold at the conclusion of the contest.

The admission for the public will be $10 per person, which includes the ability to sample the cupcakes and cast a ballot, and there is no entry fee for bakers, according to Mooshian.

The deadline for bakers to register is Jan. 31. Registration forms, ticket purchasing and event information may be found at the Rural Outright webpage, https://www.tlcfamilyrc.org/roevents.html.

Bakers must use King Arthur Flour to make their cupcakes and bring the open bag of flour or their receipt of purchase to the event.

Rural Outright is a community program of TLC Family Resource Center. The center supports and strengthens all families, children, and youth with a wide range of free programs, support groups, education, and events. For more information about Rural Outright, visit tlcfamilyrc.org/ruralNHoutright or connect with them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram via @ruralNHoutright.

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