As students hurriedly squirted colored icing and carefully placed rainbow sprinkles on oversized cupcakes, the clock was ticking and the battle was on.
“One more minute!”
The 12 teams of students were competing in the Create the Cake contest on Tuesday night, sponsored by Sodexo and General Mills. Alexis Mood, a third-year advertising student and student promotions coordinator for Sodexo, said there was an overwhelming response by students hoping to participate in this year’s competition.
“Over 60 people responded to our email,” Mood said. “We only had 12 cupcakes, so we made it a team effort this year.”
Mood said this is the fourth time the competition has been held, and she said it has grown over the years, with students from different backgrounds and interests hoping to turn a cupcake into a masterpiece.
Once they heard an “on your mark, get set, go!” competitors were given 10 minutes to decorate their cupcakes with icing and sprinkles of all different colors;the end results included stripes, polka dots, swirls and rainbow smears.
“We want to give students something to do, and show them that Carolina Dining is here for them,” Mood said.
The cupcake decorations aren’t judged by a panel of dessert experts, but rather by friends and family members online. After the clock ran out and the competition wrapped up, pictures of each creation were taken and posted on Facebook. Those pictures will remain online for two days, and anyone who views the photos can vote for their favorite.
The first-place team will receive a gift card, and the first and second runners-up will also receive prizes.
“We also have something special for all contestants,” Mood said.
Mood said she believes the contest will continue to grow in popularity over the next few years and that the crowd of people watching and cheering at Gibbes Court Bistro will, too.
“We really appreciate peoples’ receptiveness and appreciate students’ response to the contest,” Mood said. “We think it’s a great way for them to get involved with Carolina Dining.”