Announcing the winners of our CBR Frosted February Baking Contest!

In hopes of a February with sugar, spice, and everything nice, the CBR Health and Wellness Committee launched a baking contest last month, challenging our community to whip out their baking tools and get creative in the kitchen. Since the contest launched around the Family Day weekend, we encouraged CBR members to submit entries around the theme of “family”, with submissions to two contest categories, cake and cookie.

After receiving a number of scrumptious and wonderful entries, we asked the CBR community to decide on the winners through popular vote. We’re delighted to announce the winners for each category:

Cake Category: Dr. Narges Hadjesfandiari, Devine Lab
Cookie Category: Bronwyn Lyons, Strynadka Lab

Congratulations to Narges and Bronwyn, and sincere thanks to everyone who submitted an entry! We loved seeing everyone’s baked creations.

We’ve also put together a list of some recipes from our bakers, from Scottish shortbread to Sicilian lemon polenta cake. Feel free to try them in your own time!

Narges Hadjesfandiari and her son open up their prizes from the CBR Frosted February Baking Contest, which includes spatulas, a custom-printed cookie cutter, and more.

Left: Dr. Narges Hadjesfandiari and her son open up their prizes from the CBR Frosted February Baking Contest, which include spatulas, a custom-printed cookie cutter, and more. Right: Bronwyn Lyons holding prizes from the CBR Frosted February Baking Contest, including cookie decorating tools and a custom-printed cookie cutter.

CBR Frosted February Baking Contest – Recipe Cookbook

	Brana Culibrk, Devine Lab 4 layer chocolate and hazelnut cake, 2 layers chocolate sponge cake moisted with simple syrup with cognac 2 dacquoise disks with hazelnuts 2 layers of hazelnut buttercream 1 later of whipped ganache. Cake is wrapped in hazelnut buttercream and glazed with hot chocolate ganache. No cake decoration was done because of needed space for birthday candles	See recipe here.
	Bronwyn Lyons, Strynadka Lab Black Forest Cake – for whatever reason, has been my family’s traditional birthday cake! My mum would make black forest cake for my brother/my birthday, using her mum’s recipe. Wish I could share it with CBR!	See recipe here.
	Bronwyn Lyons, Strynadka Lab Cookie Category Winner! Scottish shortbread. I have fond memories of baking shortbread cookies with my grandma growing up! It was nice to have an hour or so to reflect on those memories (and indulge in a few too many cookies) 🙂	See recipe here.
	Dr. Dana Devine, Devine Lab This is a Sicilian lemon polenta cake, made with 5 lemons, almond flour, polenta, eggs and olive oil. It’s moist, lemony and stores for a long time without getting stale. It is a traditional Italian cake, and best of all it’s gluten free!	See recipe here.
	Eleonore Rayner, Kastrup Lab The Mandalorian vanilla-almond cake pops with marshmallow fondant, featuring Baby Yoda, the Mandalorian, adult Yoda, and a Stormtrooper.	Cake pop recipe (without cake pop mold). Cake pop recipe (with cake pop mold). Marshmallow fondant recipe (for decorations).
	Emel Islamzada, Ma Lab A family favorite cake! Dark chocolate cake with chocolate chunks, walnuts, crushed berries, and a dash of amaretto for subtle almond flavor. Garnished with milk chocolate filled raspberries. Goes perfectly with some afternoon tea.	See recipe here.
	Katie Badior, Kastrup Lab My husband grew up in Louisiana, USA, where southern comfort food is an integral part of family celebrations. Every February we make a King Cake to virtually celebrate Mardi Gras with his family back home. Traditional, New Orleans-style King Cake is meant to be shared with family and friends, as whoever gets the slice with a token buried inside has to bring the cake to next year’s gathering.	See recipe here.
	Kristine Ho, CBR Admin Team A chocolate fudge cake with cake crumbs and coffee and vanilla buttercream, adorned with members of the Cactaceae (cactus) family.	Buttercream recipe here. Succulent piping instructions here.
	Mira Milutinovic, CBR Admin Team Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting	See recipe here.
	Dr. Narges Hadjesfandiari, Devine Lab Cake Category Winner! A chocolate cake with saffron icing. My 4-year-old son took care of the decorations. This is his Ta-da moment when he poured all sprinkles right in the middle 🙂	See recipe here.
	Pavneet Kalsi, Hancock Lab Yellow heart (cut in half)	N/A