White rose Sugar Art Competition

1. The competition is open to all sugar artists. The displays must be the sole work of the individual entering, except children under 8 who may have help baking, making icing, and covering the board.
2. Members of the White Rose Cake Decorators may be entering as contestants.
3. Entries must be at the school between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
4. Displays may NOT be removed before 5:00 p.m. Sunday, November 2, 2025. The show committee will dispose of any remaining displays, etc. Unclaimed prizes and goodie bags will be forfeited.
5. Cake dummies may be used, but the entry must be designed so that it could be made of real cake. 
6. Sculpted entries must be done in real cake and be altered at least 25% from normal shaped pans. Three (3) “in progress” photos showing the cake and structure must accompany the entry. No selfie images may appear in the photos. Simple carving such as bevels, waistlines, and tapered tiers are not considered sculpted and may be Styrofoam.
7. Please do not post photos of entries on any social media prior to the show.
8. Selfie portraits are not permitted on any entries.
9. Purchased ready-made decorations may not be used. The use of plastic is discouraged and carries no value in judging. Cold porcelain is not allowed.
10. Only products considered as edible (food) by the FDA are permitted on cakes. “Non-toxic” products, i.e. disco dust, glue, etc. may only be used on decorations that can be removed before cake is consumed. Hot glue is not permitted.
11. No copyrighted or trademarked characters, logos or likenesses of any kind are allowed.
12. You may enter one display per category, and as many categories in your division as you wish. Divisions I, J, K, and L have no restrictions. You may enter as many displays in these divisions as you want.
13. No electricity is available in the competition area. Battery operated movements or lights are allowed as long as they are self-contained. The entrant is responsible for turning them on/off at the start and end of the show. No special backdrops or table coverings are allowed. Cake stands, separators, and display stands (such as easels and support structures) are permitted.
14. Only creations made since November 4, 2024 may be entered.
15. The Show Committee and Judges reserve the right to reclassify and move entries after placement if required. This will be done with the utmost care.
16. Discriminatory, pornographic, or entries done in poor taste will be disqualified and removed.
17. Although every precaution will be taken, York County School of Technology and the White Rose Cake Decorators will not be responsible for damaged, lost or stolen items.
18. Each contestant will be given a ballot to vote for Decorator’s Choice. Winners’ Circle entries will not be eligible for this award. 
19. Entries will be judged on workmanship, originality, color coordination and artistic appearance. 
20. Highly qualified decorators will judge, and their decisions are final. The consensus judging method will be used.
21. First, second, and third place ribbons will be awarded at the discretion of the judges. Prizes may not be awarded in all categories.
22. Prize winning displays from other shows may be entered in this show, however, best of show and first place winners must be entered in the Winners’ Circle. Entries in the Winners’ Circle are not eligible for the Best of Show Award.
23. Online entry deadline is October 25, 2025. NO ONSITE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. The cost is $15.00 for the first entry and $10.00 for each additional entry. There is no charge for winners’ circle entries. Entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. There will be a $30.00 fee for returned checks or online payment chargebacks.
24. No advertising, business cards or political messages may be displayed in the competition area. This includes QR codes. Advertising is only allowed by the vendors in their booths.
25. Entries may be photographed, and photos used by the show committee for promotional purposes. 
26. Awards and prizes will be presented at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2025. If this is your first time entering a judged cake decorating competition, you will be eligible for the Rose Bud Award.
27. All taxes on prize(s) won are the sole responsibility of each winner, including, without limitation, any federal, state, or local taxes which may be deemed applicable in such winner’s jurisdiction of residence.

Divisions and Categories

PLACE YOURSELF FAIRLY

DIVISION A. YOUTH: All youth attending the competition should be accompanied by an adult. Each youth entrant and one of the youth’s parents or guardians must sign the entry form signifying that they have read the rules and will abide by them. The age of the youth must be included on the registration form.

1. CHILDREN – age 8 and under. Any cake you like. They may have help baking, making icing, and covering the board. Frosting the cake and all decorating must be the child’s own work.
2. PRE-TEEN – AGE 9-12. Any cake you like. They must do all the work. This includes baking the cake, making icing, covering the board, frosting the cake and all the decorating.

DIVISION B. VOCATIONAL/TEEN: age 13-18 (includes high school level culinary arts students). The entrant must do all the work. This includes baking the cake, making icing, covering the board, frosting the cake and all the decorating. Previous Best of Show winners must move to the appropriate adult division, not the next adult division.

3. ALL OCCASION
4. NOVELTY
5. TIERED

DIVISION C. BEGINNER: Anyone who is over 18, is self-taught through online classes, books, etc., and is decorating as a hobby for less than 2 years, has taken less than 25 hours of sugar art classes, is enrolled in an adult culinary pastry program or has graduated from one within the last 6 months. Gum paste, lace points, wired flowers or foreign techniques are not permitted.

6. ALL OCCASION
7. NOVELTY
8. TIERED

DIVISION D. INTERMEDIATE: Anyone who has been decorating for two years or more as a hobby, has taken 25 to 50 hours of sugar art classes, is enrolled in an adult cake and baking program, has graduated from one within the last 6 months, or has won one Best of Beginner Division award. 

9. ALL OCCASION
10. NOVELTY
11. TIERED

DIVISION E. ADVANCED/SEMI-PROFESSIONAL: Anyone who has been decorating for more than three (3) years, has taken 50-100 hours of sugar art classes, creates cakes for sale as a part time business, has less than three years of entry level commercial bakery experience, teaches basic cake decorating classes, or has won two Best of Intermediate Division awards. Less than 49% of foreign or special techniques may be used.

12. ALL OCCASION
13. NOVELTY
14. TIERED

DIVISION F. PROFESSIONAL: Anyone who has taken 100-150 hours of sugar art classes, was an ICES Certified Sugar Artist, is an ACF Certified Executive Pastry Chef, creates cakes for sale as a full time profession, has more than three years commercial decorating experience, demonstrates, teaches (or has taught) classes in advanced cake decorating and sugar art techniques (beyond basic icing/piping skills, or has won three Best of Semi-Professional Division awards. Less than 49% of foreign or special techniques may be used.

15. ALL OCCASION
16. NOVELTY
17. TIERED

DIVISION G. MASTER: Anyone who has more than 150 hours of classes or hands-on seminars, was an ICES Certified Master Sugar Artist, is an ACF Certified Master Pastry Chef, is a sugar art author, is a cake show judge, is a teacher of international or special techniques, or is a three-time Best of Show winner in a single category. (Example: You may be a Master in Cookie Structures but still a Professional in Tiered Cakes.)

DIVISION H. INTERNATIONAL TECHNIQUES: Open to all. Must be more than 50% of the same technique. (Lambeth, Nirvana, Australian, etc.)

DIVISION I. SPECIAL TECHNIQUES: Open to all. Must be edible. Must be more than 50% of the special technique.

18. COOKIE STRUCTURE – A 3-D display of cookie(s), including gingerbread. No specific number of cookies is required. Will be judged on appearance only.
19. GUMPASTE, MARZIPAN, WAFER PAPER, etc.
20. SHOWPIECE – Pulled and/or blow sugar, chocolate, pastillage, etc. Must be at least 12″ tall and constructed entirely from edible materials.
21. Sculpted 3-D Cakes- The display must be at least 50% cake, no more than 25% other edible materials, or 25% non-edible materials (Styrofoam and structure supports). At least three (3) in-progress, step-by-step photos showing the actual carving of the cake must accompany the entry. Any icing mediums are allowed (fondant, buttercream, etc.).

DIVISION J. OPEN: Open to all.

22. THEME – Create an entry relating to “Tropical Paradise.”
23. CUPCAKES – Display of six decorated cupcakes. May be Styrofoam.
24. ONE TIP: Only one tip may be used to decorate the entire cake.
25. DECORATED COOKIES: Display must include at least six real cookies. Judged on appearance only.
26. CONFECTIONS: Candy, chocolates, cake pops. Judged on appearance only.

DIVISION K. WINNERS’ CIRCLE: Displays that have taken Best of Show or First Place awards at other shows since November 4, 2024.

27. YOUTH/TEEN: Ages 18 and under
28. ADULT: Over age 18

DIVISION L. TASTING: Must be cake made from scratch. The recipe must be submitted with entry. Toppings, fillings and frostings are permissible only when important component of the recipe. No decorations. No entries containing federally controlled substances will be permitted, i.e. cannabis products, etc.

IMPORTANT: REFRIGERATION IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR TASTING ENTRIES. IF YOU BRING SOMETHING THAT MUST BE REFRIGERATED IT WILL NOT BE JUDGED FOR HEALTH REASONS.

29. WHITE or YELLOW (includes pound cake)
30. CHOCOLATE (includes pound cake)
31. FRUIT or NUT (includes pound cake)
32. SPECIAL TASTING CATEGORY: “Anything tropical”. Must contain a tropical ingredient. For example, mango, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, coconut, etc. May be baked in the cake or used in filling.

Category Definitions

Occasion Cake – A single tier cake for a special event, holiday, or celebration. The occasion should be obvious when looking at the cake, for example birthday, shower, anniversary, Halloween, Christmas, etc.

Novelty Cake – A cake that does not show an obvious occasion, has an unusual design, shows originality and uniqueness, may be fun and whimsical. Shaped, cut out or 2-D sculpted cakes (internal structure may not be used), for example train, car, etc. New and innovative ideas belong in this category. Cutout cakes or unusually shaped cakes can be made of Styrofoam as long as they can easily be made of cake. See sculpted cake definition for 3-D sculptures.

Tiered – A cake consisting of two or more tiers of different sizes, at least 2 inches thick, either stacked or separated. Can be any style or occasion that does not belong in the foreign techniques or theme cake categories. All traditionally tiered cakes, regardless of theme, must be entered in the tiered cake category. 

Show Theme Cake – A single or tiered, regular, shaped, or sculpted cake that is decorated reflecting the “Tropical Paradise” theme and fits the parameters of the show. The theme only applies to category #21.

International Techniques Cake – The cake must be decorated with at least 50% of an identifiable international technique, for example, Nirvana, Lambeth, Australian, South African, etc. Overpiping, basic string work, brush embroidery, etc. are not considered intentional techniques.

Sculpted 3-D Cake – The display must be at least 50% cake, no more than 25% other edible materials, or 25% non-edible materials (Styrofoam and structure supports). At least three (3) in progress, step-by-step photos showing the actual carving of the cake must accompany the entry. Any icing mediums are allowed (fondant, buttercream, etc.). Sculpted 3-D cakes may be entered in either Division I, 3-D Sculpted CakesCategory # 21, or the Theme category, # 22.

Special Techniques – The cake should highlight one technique. Examples are needlework, cocoa or food color painting, bas relief, appliqué, brush embroidery, etc. Note: Smaller amounts of special techniques may be incorporated on entries in other categories.