After a month of cake tasting, this is the moment that everything has been building up to: AY Publisher Heather Baker’s birthday. During September, Baker and AY Editor-at-Large Lisa Fischer have been selecting and tasting cakes as part of the “Heather and Lisa Eat Cake Because It’s Heather’s Birthday” contest.
By the end of the contest, the duo has tasted 10 cakes from bakers across the state of Arkansas. The winner of the contest stands to win not only glory but an ad in AY Magazine, the largest lifestyle magazine in Arkansas.
But the hardest part wasn’t the tasting, it was the judging. So here’s the million dollar question: who won the birthday cake contest?
And while the contest has been delightful, the end is a welcome for Fischer. “For the love of all things good and decent, it’s finally Heather’s birthday,” she says.
“I know, but it’s been the best experience ever,” Baker says.
While all of the cakes were memorable and delicious, there’s one cake that stood out to Baker and Fischer. In fact, Baker says she couldn’t stop talking about it to her family, friends and anyone else!
“I fell in love with this cake,” Baker says. “It was the best cake ever, from the icing to the cake to the strawberries.”
That cake is the White Chocolate Strawberry Dream cake, made by Dee Morris of Dee’s Delightful Desserts in Little Rock.
This cake is a white chocolate cake with strawberry and white chocolate filling, topped with plump strawberries and finished with drizzles of white chocolate down the side.
“It was derived from a request from my aunt-in-law,” Morris says. “I put together this cake and made like I would like to eat it.”
Both Baker and Fischer agreed that it was a treat to eat.
For winning the contest, Morris will receive an ad in AY Magazine, which reaches approximately 500,000 readers.
But Morris isn’t the only baker to get honored today. Andrea Smith, who prepared the flamingo cake, is the first runner-up, and Chef Jamie McAfee is an honorable mention for the contest.
While congratulating Morris, both Baker and Fischer say that all the contest participants performed exceptionally in their baking. Baker notes that all of the cakes will be mentioned in an AY ad.
“All the cakes get an honorable mention,” Baker says. “We’re so thankful for everybody. I’m so grateful for everybody who’s celebrating my birthday.”
READ MORE: Dreaming of a White Chocolate Strawberry Dream Cake