bake my cake 2012 – the champ
. . .
Cripes, people. I’ve aged an extra year overnight. Yesterday’s Bake My Cake voting was off da hook. When I went to bed last night, Elsa, who had been in the lead for about 16 hours, was still in the lead. An eat-my-dust lead. Six hours later, I woke up and everything had changed. Don’t you just love a birthday surprise? Hundreds of people continued to vote. Apparently, everyone Eliza knows. So, Eliza had the lead. A strong lead. And then an hour later? Elsa was back on top. MOTHER OF PEARL! Votes during the last several minutes of polling were coming in at an average of one vote per second. Every vote cast for Elsa was met by a vote for another contender. IT. WAS. EPIC. I had to put my bite guard back in.
So, it is with shattered nerves that I am pleased to announce that Elsa and her Tugging At Your Heartstrings Cake have come from the front, behind, and then the front again to win Bake My Cake 2012! Congratulations, dear, sweet Elsa! I will bring your prize to the studio today. And you can do a victory lap. Your entry made my heart do a triple tour en l’air. And, people, you should know that Elsa is one of the most lovely girls you could ever meet. Thoughtful and kind, generous and gentle in spirit. To know her is to love her, and I loves her a lot.
I’d like to send a big thank you shout out to the voters – you made the competition extra fun, and many of you left thoughtful comments for the competitors. Thousands and thousands of people stopped by to check out my birthday cakes! That says something, and that something is: movita Bake My Cake is awesome. And it was made awesomer by all of you.
I can attest to the amount of work that went into each and every one of this year’s creations, and I thank the competitors for that. I am thrilled that each of you would go to such great efforts to support my little contest here. But also, I’m amazed that so many of you would go to the trouble of baking me a birthday cake. Seventeen birthday cakes! And lots of squealing with delight.
I hope you’ll meet me back here next year. Bake My Cake 2013 is bound to be exciting. I wonder if Shannon and Katherine will still be speaking with me… Will Eliza and Carol Anne will be out for buttery revenge? Will Paul and Haddy battle again? Perhaps a gingery blitzkrieg in December? And let’s pause for a minute to think about what Elsa might be capable of in another year…
So, thanks for making my birthday so terrific. I am truly touched by the generosity you’ve all shown, and I am honoured to count you among my friends.
Hooray! My favourite cake won. Happy Birthday Movita! I will participate next year, and I will make you a live-and-in-person cake some time this summer. Pinky swear.
Tell Elsa congratulations for me! And tell her that she should start a blog. I’d like to follow that girl, because I’m pretty sure she’s going to be the Prime Minister of Canada one day. Do me one favor: as soon as she’s old enough to get an iPhone, you MUST download bakery story onto it. I bet she’d reach level 200 in under a week. What an amazing little lady! You should probably make her a cake for her 14th birthday.
Yay…..I voted for Elsa. She sounds like a wonderful gal. Happy Birthday Movita.
it was very difficult to choose a winner, each finalist had something special – incredible detail (decorated cheerios!), booze (Guinness is my fav), simple elegance (hearts!), and homemade freakin’ donut holes! I was very impressed with all the competitors work. Congratulations to all, I really enjoyed participating. And to you, Movita, congratulations on turning 40. May there be many more fun and exciting contests in the future, really glad I found your blog.
and by participating I meant voting. Maybe someday I will participate for real.
So Elsa is movita’s friend? What a coincidence. Readers; go back through the blog posts and note the subtle bias towards this mundane cake. Why, in the last round, is it noted that “everyone [Eliza] knows” was voting? Why wasn’t this said of Elsa? Why was it so surprising that “dear, sweet Elsa” was overtaken last night? This whole nonsense is rigged. Future participants take note: if you’re not movita’s close friend, then don’t bother entering.
Heya, Mike,
The great thing about this blog, though, is that we are all movita’s friends in a way–new and old. I’ve never even met her–not once– and yet this space is so welcoming and light-hearted and fun that I wanted to make her a birthday cake, no matter who was going to vote for it. That, to me, isn’t nonsense, and it’s not mundane. It’s the good stuff. If I really cared about winning above all, as you’re suggesting, I could have passed our flyers just like Elsa.
I’m sure movita’s comments about the cakes add to how people feel about them, but that doesn’t bother me. In fact, knowing that movita is going to write something nice about all our cakes in her presentation kind of takes the pressure off. I didn’t have to stress about coming up with something witty or sweet to go with my photos, because I knew she’d say something nice, whether it’s “dear, sweet, Elsa” or that Shannon’s cake made her a little teary, or that she loves Eliza for what she did.
Anyway, take care, Mike. Cheer up!
Katherine
Wow, I’m hoping you’re kidding.. who cares who won.. fun was had by all.. I wish I’d baked a cake and will next year. Maybe you should write for People magazine:)
(I was writing to Mike here..)
Also, most people get their friends to vote for their submission in anything like this.
Congrats to Elsa. It’s a very pretty in pink cake!!! 🙂
Aw Mike – I hope you feel better now you’ve got that off your chest!
My own comment is just that it was fun to take part, and the the story behind Elsa’s cake was very sweet. I’m glad that the prize is going to someone who will be able to really learn a lot from the book, and who will perfect her skillz so that next time her cake will be decorated up to the max!
Again? You’re doing this again? Seventeen cakes were not enough for you? Oh well — I have a whole year to come up with another cake I like. And since I didn’t win any decorating kit, you won’t expect me to play with frosting, right? Happy Birthday to you and congratulations to Elsa, who has a sense of style.
Dear Elsa,
Your cake was not mundane. There is nothing mundane about approaching 40 of my students to write letters of appreciation on those little hearts around your cake. It was kind and generous. Know that I appreciate you, your cake, and the spirit in which it was given. Every Conservatory dancer and faculty member I met yesterday said that they had voted for your cake. I love that you handed out little voting reminders to everyone you saw at school yesterday. I love that your family and friends campaigned so hard for you. You earned your victory. And I am confident that every other competitor from this competition is happy for you.
With love,
Ms. Dyer (aka movita beaucoup)
To Elsa: congratulations, my dear ballerina. you won fair and square with that awesome idea for a cake. it was beautiful, and you did a fabulous job. you smoked me in the polls, but i couldn’t have lost to a better cake. i mean, everyone else smoked me too in the finals, but that’s not the point. I second Katherine’s emotion: you should start a blog! you already have at least 2 followers, and i’m sure many more to come.
that being said: get ready for next year. i’ll be making arrangements to visit katherine and scott at this time of year, and we will make movita a cake to be reckoned with. I’m a little scared about what the three of us may come up with, but it’ll be epic. I’ll also be bringing my wee baby, who has tiny hands and can do some killer detail work. and heads up: a wee almost 3-year old, especially the one i have, is way cuter than most 14-year olds.
although you seem pretty dang cute. and you have a massively sweet heart, and i think you totally made movita’s birthday.
Dear Elsa:
I agree with Shannon– you won fair and square and your cake was gorgeous. I loved the ribbon and the fact that it matched the colors in the hearts. Handing out flyers was genius, and I should have thought of it!
As Shannon mentioned, I’m going to need to team up with someone if I’m to stand a chance against you next year. Maybe we could work something out– you could bake my cake for me in exchange for. . . I don’t know what. I’ll think of something I’m good at.. .I could teach you how to play bakery story on an iPhone! THAT I can do! When I come to visit Movita someday from Alabama, we can all chat about it over a piece of cake, okay? Cool.
Keep being awesome, Elsa!
xo Katherine
Mike–don’t be silly! All of these people are Movita’s friends. And of course the contest is rigged! This isn’t powerball–it’s a small cooking blog. How else can you explain the wild shifts in voting? Everyone was cheating (except, clearly, Shannon, whose cake actually seems the most detailed and stylized). Whether Elsa is Movita’s close friend or not is inconsequential. And though it is a bit mundane (really, it’s just a three-layer cake surrounded by bits of paper), it looks delicious! Sadly, we can’t taste the pictures. Congrats to everyone who entered (and boo to weird cake trolls).
I agree with this. It’s interesting that a 13 year old was somehow able to generate an almost 14% surge in voting points in the middle of the night(as a general rule, a time most middle schoolers are asleep), eh? If in fact literally hundreds of people were voting, and she was trailing the highest voter by 6-8%, how many single votes would it take to go from trailing by 6-8% to leading by 6-8%? If “creative manipulation” of the poll wasn’t involved, then this is the most resourceful 13 year old I’ve ever heard of, and she should be using her talents for more than just making cakes!
Ummm… teenagers can and do stay up late at night, unbeknownst to their parents..and.. they have tons of friends on Facebook.. just sayin’… I think she won fair and square.
I guess I should thank you, Mike and Alex. For thinking I am some sort of computer genius. But your comments made me very sad today. Because I like to think that the people entering this contest did so for fun, and you’ve made me feel like it wasn’t so much fun after all.
But then some of the competitors started emailing me. They emailed to say that your comments are making them sad too. That they baked those cakes for me because they wanted to celebrate my birthday with me. Because they like me, and because it was fun. Not for a championship title on a tiny little blog and some trinkets I bought as a prize. Also, they don’t doubt that Elsa and the other competitors were able to round up all of those votes. Because those competitors were awesome. And people like them too.
I’m sure there’s nothing I can say to assure that I had neither the talent or desire to alter the polls. And I’m sorry whoever you were hoping would win, didn’t. But frankly, I wish you’d ease up on that 13 year old kid. Because she’s pretty awesome too.
Movita, happy 40th birthday! I got a little angry whilst reading the comments. But found it so cute that your readers stays supportive and defensive of you (in the funniest ways). Thats what you do to people. You get us together and you get US together. That’s all you. Although I didn’t get to bake a cake, I would have even if i couldn’t get the gifts and awards. Don’t let mike and alex get into your head. They haven’t stayed long enough to turn into a Beaucoup. I’m sure time will turn them to understand who you are. Then, they would understand your jokes and your hatred for “LOL”. Again, Happy 40th birthday 😉
Ps: Elsa got what she deserved. She must have loved you so much that she’d spend flyers and reminders and 40 student writing notes for you. She won with her adoration for you. (and an awesome “ballet” cake) Persistence works, b****es!
It’s movita’s birthday, and she has put an enormous amount of time and effort into organizing this fun competition and saying something thoughtful and funny and warm about every single entry, and she didn’t let a personal loss in the middle of the contest diminish her good humour, so let’s all just shutty.
Movita is not qualified to manipulate an internet poll. She is barely qualified to get her head through a turtleneck sweater without incident, a trait all Beaucoups share. Except Adopamop in France, come to think of it. But I’m pretty sure he’d rather put his time into cracking the security codes of the nearest Saab dealership.
Happy Birthday Movita!!!
Mike and Alex, I don’t know you, don’t care to know you, but, obviously you have some invested value here. Whether it is a family member or loved one who entered and didn’t win, why don’t you behave like the ‘adult’ you claim to be? Suck it up and be mature, and impressed by a 13 year old who knows how to network and get votes!!!
Congrats to you Elsa, you were up against some pretty tough competition!
Holy hell people be gracious and kind to the lady who’s birthday it is and the young lady who won. It’s a contest for a cookbook. Suck it up and go buy it for crying out loud. Congrats to the winner and everyone who enjoyed the contest in the spirit it was intended. The rest of you need a swift kick in the buttercream for cripes sake.
wow – I’m glad I missed this yesterday. Way to ruin everyone’s fun & Movita’s birthday, Mike & Alex. I entered just for giggles, and because Movita (and Dwayne The Rock Johnson) are one day older than me. Did I think my traditional cake had a chance in Hades against some of what I knew were going to be crazy creative masterpieces? Not likely. It was just fun. Hope today is a better day for ya, Movita. No one should cry on her birthday! Unless it’s tears brought on by joy over obscene amounts of expenisve jewelry.
Congrats to Elsa who seems to be a smart and resourceful young lady who clearly adores you! And who probably has way too much class to post snarky comments about other competitors if she hadn’t won. Sour grapes – it’s not pretty people…
Movita , I love your blog and I loved reading about the bake your cake competition. Elsa is one resourceful girl and she is one to watch for. Congrats Elsa! Happy Birthday Movita. From reading your posts, I’m sure you aren’t about to let a couple of losers bring you down. Big up to you and Elsa!
wow. I’m glad that movita isn’t letting those couple of comments get to her. I happen to know movita and elsa too in RL. In fact, my daughter submitted a cake to the contest as did as least one other of movita’s young students besides Elsa. Elsa won fair and square and my dd is happy for Elsa too. As I said to my daughter this morning, it wasn’t about just about winning but also about having fun and celebrating Movita’s birthday. Happy birthday again Miss D. Your contest was fun and you and your blog rock.
Can I have a piece of that delicious looking cake please?
These comments are all so funny. Funny in a shifty eyes sort of way. I wanted to comment on your new post, but you closed comments; all I wanted to say was…
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!! *swishing sound of sword*
In a very particular order:
1) happy birthday Movita, welcome to the 40s club 🙂
2) congratulations Elsa, you and your cake rock and…
3) Mike and Alex, you suck.
Wow, what drama … it’s just a food blog (she says shaking her head in bewilderment).
Congrats to the winner and the birthday girl 🙂
Dear Elsa,
My dear, I’ll be signing up as your next blog reader! Let us all know when you start it!
Also, when people are as fabulous as you, other people take that as a threat to themselves. Ignore them. Because those that mind don’t matter, and those that matter don’t mind, my dear!
Happy birthday once again, movita. Didn’t Elsa do FABULOUS???
Love, Jen
Goodness me that was a fabulous competition, what an amazing bunch of entrants and an even more amazing lady who hosted the whole affair! I’ve been following along and voting with glee enjoying the great work and excitement of a really fun, creative and cake loving bunch of people.
I’d like to wish my friend Movita a happy birthday, I’d like to congratulate Elsa on a fight well fought (and won!) and all the other entrants on producing quite beautiful creations for us all to drool over. I’m assuming a piece of each cake is on it’s way to me through the post. That’s how it works right? Right?
I’d also like to give Mike and Alex a swift kick in the meat and two veg for being the sort of blokes who pick on a 13 year old girl and her baking fanatic ballet teacher. Wow chaps, you must be feeling the testosterone coursing through your veins right now! I think it is time for certain peeps to take a lie down in a dark room and really reevaluate stuff.
Anyhoo, my desire to provide certain people with a dry slap aside, congrats to a lovely, creative, funny lady who is as cool as anyone I’ve ever met. Wish you lived next door my friend, I think you are just super. Sending lots of love from the other side of Canada and sending a big, hearty (but sort of reserved English style) Jolly Well Done! to all competitors, but most especially the winner because power impresses me.
Your British Fan xxx
Happy Birthday to Movita! I don’t know whether you’ve decided to be 40 yet but I hope you had a good time.
It makes me so sad when people, especially grown adult people, get petty, stampy and pointy about who won a contest on a baking blog. Like Movita pointed out, all methods go here, all’s fair in love and war. Why would it make any difference to Movita who won? She’s a 39/40 year old woman not a petty child. Grow up. Elsa made a beautiful and thoughtful cake and exerted effort to win rather than sitting back on her cuteness to get her through – entrepreneurial spirit for sure!
Elsa, congratulation – Your cake is fantastic and I hope you will always be proud of it.
Movita, I’m sorry there are silly people claiming to be grown ups in the world. They’re just jealous they didn’t get 12 (12?) cakes on their birthday!
Love from England xxx
Amazing what one can miss when they’ve been off the web for a few days…
First, Happy Birthday Movita! You’ve finally joined the “Special Girls” club. 🙂
Second, Elsa…I love simple and beautiful. And that’s what your cake reflects. And the hand written sentiments lying next to your beautiful cake? Priceless. This is a life lesson. Jealousy is ugly and shame on the adults that are displaying it. It just makes you and your lovely entry all the more beautiful.
🙂
Happy birthday, Movita!! So sad I missed all the celebrations, but I will be present next year to celebrate your second 40th birthday… 😉 I hope all this drama hasn’t put a damper on your birthday revelry… All i can say is that I am so glad such a sweet and thoughtful girl won, and that M & A are absolute scrooges.
Yowzer. Happy Birthday Movita. That’s all that needs to be said, really!!
I wish I was a baker so I could enter your 2013 contest. (I’m a disabled cook – I throw things in the Vitamix, put them into the toaster oven and say, hey, Mom, my kitchen mobility is STUPENDOUS.) But really, your description of Elsa’s cake was so sweet, and the amount of effort she put into the entry was so kind. And I love the part above where you had to put your bite guard back in.
Aw, thanks! I bet you’re a better baker than you think… maybe you’ll start a new toaster oven trend? (Tee hee!)
[…] a rock or something. The lady has competitions on her blog like the Pumpkin Carve-off, Ginger and Bake my Cake. They get wicked competitive and people get mad and throw temper tantrums when they don’t […]
Comments on this post are now closed as it was published in May 2012. Happy baking!