Local team of bakers wins national Big Bake competition

Team Jingle Bakes		The winning cake

Winnipeg’s Team Jingle Bakes was featured as one of the competing teams for Food Network Canada’s The Big Bake Holiday that aired on December 4th.

First timers Marie Mallari, owner and operator of Sugar Blooms and Cakes, Geraldine Ong and Erika Rotor faced off with veteran bakers and more experienced contest-joiners.

The popular television series feature professional baking teams that design, bake and decorate a grand-scale cake creation based on a particular theme.

For this episode contestants were given “Paws” as the working theme.

Ong said that while other contestants thought of the usual dogs or cats with paws, they incorporated the Philippines’ carabao or water buffalo in their over-all design.

After a strict and nerve- wracking five hours, Team Jingle Bakes wowed the judges enough with their “Paw Express Cargo Cake” made of ube (purple yam) and macapuno (sweetened coconut strings) to win the competition.

“We’re just so grateful for all the support we received,” Ong said. “We know that there’s a lot of talented bakers in Winnipeg and we hope to see more of them recognized as well.”

The team took home the $10,000 grand prize.

– Photos from Sugar Blooms and Cakes Facebook page