The culinary class at Carbondale Community High School became much more fun when students took part in a Cupcake Wars competition. Instead of having a normal class period, students worked in groups to bake and decorate cupcakes while competing to see who could make the best ones.
The activity brought excitement into the classroom and kept students focused and involved.
During fourth hour, the judges for the 4th hour competition were Mrs. Geiselman, Mrs. Woods, Mr. Gwenup, and Mrs. Nelson. Before judging started, I asked them what they were looking for in a cupcake.
All three judges shared very similar answers. They said a good cupcake should be moist and not dry, and the frosting should not be too sweet.
“Being moist, and having the right amount of sweetened frosting so it won’t overtake the cupcake,” they said.
After talking with the judges, I went into the kitchen where the teams were working on their cupcakes. Students were busy baking, decorating, and trying to finish before time ran out.
While working, Kordai James shared his thoughts on the activity.
“Activities like these make my brain more active and get my attention,” James said.
There were four groups competing, but only one team could win and earn bragging rights. Each group had a winter theme for their cupcakes.
One group designed cupcakes based on Frosty the Snowman, another group chose a Whoville theme, one group showed people skating in the snow with a sunset in the background, and another group created a snowy scene.
Once the cupcakes were finished, each team placed samples out for the judges to taste. As the judges tried the cupcakes, I asked if any of them were surprising, either in a good or bad way.
“The coconut and peppermint cupcake surprised us with how it turned out, and the raspberry one also stood out,” the judges said.
I also asked the judges if they bake often and how they thought the students did compared to their own baking skills.
“They did a great job,” the judges said. “Some of these cupcakes could even be better than ones you might buy at bakeries around Carbondale.”
To end the event, I asked which cupcake they would choose if it were their last dessert on a dessert island. Mr. Gwenup answered confidently.
“One cupcake was really good with great texture, and the second one was the best overall,” he said.
Overall, Cupcake Wars made the culinary class more fun and interesting for the students. They worked together, were creative, and learned new skills while enjoying the process.
