Prelimary details for Cupcake Smackdown 2.0

You've heard mumblings about it.  You've seen some tweeting about it.  It is true.  Cupcake Smackdown is back this year, bigger, better, and cooler than last year.  Cupcake Smackdown 2.0 is rolling, and we're letting some of the details out.  This year we're taking on some new activities, we're pairing up some some really cool organizations, and we're going to shoot cupcakes at people.  We're also looking for a few more sponsors, so keep on reading to see how you can help.

Hashtag: #CupcakeRiot

Webaddress: www.cupcakesmackdown.com

Date: August 21, 2010 (Also my birthday. Birthday Cupcake Party? Yes, please).

Time: TBA

Location: Le Cordon Bleu, 3110 Esperanza Crossing Suite 100, Austin, TX 78758.  It located near the Domain.

Venue details: There will be ample parking, and most of the event will be held indoors.

Proceeds from Cupcake Smackdown 2.0 will benefit Lights, Camera, Help, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, and Keep Austin Dog Friendly.

Activities include, but are not limited to:

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  An attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Most Jaffa Cakes Eaten in One Minute
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  An effort to set a world record of Most People Simultaneously Frosting a Cupcake certified by World Record Academy
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  A cupcake cannon.  Yes. We will have a cannon that propels cupcakes.  You want to be there. 
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  More details on the way.  This event is open to the public and fun for the entire family. 

How can you help: 

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  Volunteer - coordinating the world records isn't an easy feat.  We'll need volunteers on the day of the event to help give instructions, set up, and break down.  Email Jennie@misohungrynow.com to sign up for a volunteer position. 
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  Show off your baking skills - setting a world record for Most People Simultaneously Frosting a Cupcake will require many cupcakes.  We'll have to enlist the help of skilled bakers to bake those record setting cupcakes. 
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  Photography and Video: Handy with a camera?  Breaking world records means we need to provide proof of our activities.  Just show up on the day of the event.  Post the photos and videos, and be sure to email Jennie@misohungrynow.com the link.  You'll be credited properly and thanked profusely. 
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  Be a Vendor: While treats are sweet, we recognize that one can't live on cupcakes alone.  If you're interested in providing other nibbles and bites at Cupcake Smackdown 2.0, please contact jennie@misohungrynow.com for more information.  We're also inviting craft vendors to hang out and share their products. 
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  Be a Sponsor: We're looking for several more sponsors to cover the cost of supplies, signage, and tee-shirts.  In-kind donations as well as monetary donations are welcome.  Sponsors will be thanked on all media material including social media, and the sponsor's will be printed on the Cupcake Smackdown 2.0 tee shirt.   Deadline to get on the tee-shirt is July, 10th, 2010.  Hurry up!
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  All sponsors and volunteers will receive a Cupcake Smackdown 2.0 tee-shirt as well as an invitation to the Cupcake Smackdown 2.0 pre-party.  Email Jennie@misohungrynow.com to get involved!

Current Sponsors and Partners Include (Twitter list here):

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  All in One Bakeshop
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  Arsenal Brand
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  Austin Cake Ball
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  Austin Urban Gardens
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  Bake Space
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  Besslimo
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  Coco Paloma
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  Cupcake Bar
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  GNI Strategies - Matt Glazer
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  Haye Compere
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  Hill Country Cupcake
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  Keep Austin Dog Friendly
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  Le Cordon Bleu
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  Lights, Camera, Help
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  Mobile Loaves and Fishes
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  NadaMoo
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  Sugar Mama's
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  The Lunch Deal
  

This is not our Cupcake Cannon, but you get the idea.  It will rock!

Kelly Guerra's Coconut Lime Cake - Cucpake Smackdown 1.0 Second Place Amateur Freestyle

This recipe comes from our second place amateur freestyle winner, Kelly Guerra. Mmm..... sounds yummy! Enjoy!

Coconut Lime Cake

One of my favorite drinks is a mojito, except that I like to make mine with coconut rum for a super tropical flavor, which I call a “cocojito.” I wanted to try and duplicate the flavors in cake form and this is what I came up with! This recipe is my father in law’s favorite; in fact, it was the flavor I used for his wedding cake when he and second wife got married!

1 stick of butter, room temp

¼ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 1/3 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp mint extract

1 tsp coconut extract

pinch of salt (nix this if you choose to use salted butter)

2 eggs

½ cup coconut milk (honest to goodness coconut milk, not the coco lopez crap)

1 TBSP key lime juice

½ tsp lime zest

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and prep your pans.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and sugars together.
3. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each one before adding the next.
4. Add the extracts (go easy on the mint!).
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
6. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, alternating each one and ending with liquid.
7. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the cake springs back at touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Recipe makes one 9 inch round and multiplies in volume very well.

For the frosting, I use a Swiss buttercream mixed with a little bit of lime curd mixed in to taste. You could use a regular buttercream too, but I love the velvety texture of Swiss buttercream. Recipes for both are below.

Lime Curd

3 eggs

6 tablespoons butter

½ cup sugar

2/3 cup fresh key lime juice

1 teaspoons key lime zest

1. Over low heat, melt the butter in a saucepan.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk continuously for about 8-10 minutes or until it forms a custard.
3. Allow to cool, then pour into a jar and refrigerate. The curd will thicken considerably as it cools and will last for quite a long time in the fridge.

Swiss Buttercream

This buttercream is smooth, decadent, and darn tasty…but it’s not very heat resistant. I’ve actually subbed out a ¼ cup of the butter for shortening in order to help it stand up a bit more. You can sub out the vanilla for any other flavor you want and the frosting takes color very well. The natural color of this frosting is a soft ivory color.

¾ cup egg whites (about 5 large eggs)

1 ½ cups sugar

1 pound of salted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. With a hand whisk, whisk the egg whites and sugar continuously in a double boiler/bain marie until the mixture has reached 130F. The sugar crystals should have dissolved.
2. Remove the mixture from the heat and beat on medium speed with a mixer until cooled down, about 5 minutes. The eggs should be forming stiff peaks and the bowl should be cool to the touch. (I use a whisk attachment for this part)
3. Switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment and add in the butter in 10-12 additions on low speed. Do this until the mixture is smooth.
4. Change back to the whisk attachment and continue to beat the mixture for another 5 minutes, this time on high speed.
5. Once done, you can add the vanilla, or other flavor, to your buttercream and whip until incorporated. The buttercream will keep in the fridge for about 2 to 3 weeks and you can even freeze it.

Cupcake Smackdown1.0 Wrap-up: update and future events

I have not announced the total dollar amount that was raised at Cupcake Smackdown1.0. I'm still waiting for 1 more email. :0) The cutest cupcake contest alone raised $520.

Thank you everyone for coming to the First Cupcake Smackdown 1.0. I never imagined that this event would grow into the #cupcakeriot that is became. When I first approached the bar owners, I told her we just wanted to get a group of 20 people on their deck with cupcakes. Little did I know that 20 turned into over 1000 people. I have this habit of just going the whole hog when I do things. A big thanks to One-2-One bar for being able to accommodate all of us! Also, I've already been offered 3 venues for next year. If there is a next year. :o)

I'm also posting second place winners in each of the categories sometime later today. There were some really awesome tasting cupcakes with as little as 1.5 points between 1st and second and third place. Great job, Austin!

Future possible events:
Gluten-free and Vegan Smackdown (encompassing all foods and drinks)
Taco Smackdown
Pizza Smackdown

Changes for a possible Cupcake Smackdown2.0:
Decorate your own cupcake booth
Make your own fondant decoration booth
Sell tickets for small tastings of different cupcakes
Modest fee for those entering the blind tasting and cutest cupcake contest
Cutest cupcake contest geared more towards artistry and technique
Wine/cocktail and cupcake pairings
Pre-party for tasting competitors and sponsors

Cupcake Smackdown1.0 photos and blog posts:
HTML clipboard

John M. P. Knox's Photostream

Michelle Cheng's Photostream and Blog

Wandering Yew's Photostream

DigiNik's Photostream

Jack Dn's Photostream
Dawn M.'s Blog Post
Austin360's A list
Fox News Segment
SummerTX's Photostream

FoodingBlog's Photos
Giovanni's Blog Post

New Media Lab's Photos and Article

Cupcake Takes the Cake Cupcake Smackdown1.0 post

ReelMedia's Video

Ryan S.'s Photos

Fun with your Food Blog

Kelly Guerra's Blog

And also a BIG thank you to all of our Sponsors:

Rise and Shine Bakery
Polka Dots Bakery
Hill Country Cupcakes
Grand Dog Bakery
Austin Urban Gardens
All in One Bakeshop
Sugar Mama's
Delish
NosetoTailatHome.com
Bella Cupcake Couture
Twin Liquors
Cupprimo
Mad Cakes
Luxe Sweets
Walton's
L's Cupcakes
The Cupcake Bar
Wicked Cakes
Danger Cakes
One Last Bite
Cowgirl Cupcakes
Growing Concerns on KUT
Do512
One-2-One Bar

I'm truly touched that so many people came together to put on the event. I cannot thank everyone enough. I'm sure I'm forgetting some well-deserved person on this list. Special thanks to:

• All-In-One Bake shop for supplying the cupcakes for the eating contest - Human division.
• Grand Dog Bakery for supplying the cupcakes for the eating contest - Canine Division.
• Austin Urban Gardens for supplying all the plates and utensils for the smackdown.
• Twin Liquors for the very nice gift basket.
• Thank you to Cecila Nasti from Growing Concerns at KUT for sponsoring the trophies.
  
• Hill Country Cupcakes, Cupprimo, Sugar Mama's, Be My Cupcake, and the Cupcake Bar for providing items for the auction.
• Traveling Bistro, Cupprimo, L's, Hill Country Cupcake, Delish, PopSoCool, NadaMoo, and Wicked for bringing their yummy treats!
• VERY special thanks to Ryan (nosetotailathome.com), April (TheHungryEngineer), Kristi (AustinFarmtoTable.com), Brian (Keresspices.com), Aaron (AustinEpicurean.com), Kay (@atxfoodnews), Veek Newton, Monica Ortiz, Jeffery, Rebecca Otis, and the Wine and Food Foundation Volunteers. The event could not have happened without you. You were all truly amazing.
  
• Also, very big thanks to our judges. Thank you to Uchi and Trio at the Four Seasons for letting us borrow your chefs on a busy Saturday night.
• Rise and Shine Bakery for their generous donation to the event.
• Thank you to Ariel Nicole for providing the music.
  

And onto the results:

Best Storefront Chocolate - Walton's
Best Storefront Vanilla - Sugar Mama's
Best Storefront Baker's Choice - Sugar Mama's - The Elvis - banana cake with peanut butter cream
Best Catered Chocolate - Cowgirl Cupcakes
Best Catered Vanilla - L's
Best Catered Baker's Choice - The Cupcake Bar - Tres Leches with Whipped Cream Icing and topped with Toasted Coconut
Best Amateur Chocolate - Amy Blodgett
Best Amateur Vanilla - Laura Kooris
Best Amateur Freestyle - Erica Bommarito - Banana cake swirled with Nutella with a Nutella Buttercream
Best Storefront - Sugar Mama's
Best Catered - Cowgirl Cupcakes
Best Amateur - Erica Bommarito
Best Overall Chocolate - Amy Blodgett (amateur class)
Best Overall Vanilla - Blake Howard (amateur class)
Best Overall Baker's Choice - The Cupcake Bar (catered class) - Tres Leches with Whipped Cream Icing and topped with Toasted Coconut
Cutest Contest (voted by the public for $1 per vote) - One Last Bite Catering with 151 votes
Most Popular - Walton's
Eating Contest Canine division - Logan owned by Cara - 3 cupackes in 11.4 seconds.
Eating Contest Human Division - Chris Floyd 13 cupcakes in 2 minutes.

Second place in Storefront Baker's Choice: Walton's- Key-Lime Cake with Mango-Lime Buttercream topped with Toasted Coconut & and a White Chocolate sand-dollar

Second place in Catered Baker's Choice: Cowgirl Cupcakes- coconut cream - coconut cake with coconut butter cream and toasted coconut flakes

Second place in Amateur Freestyle: Kelly Guerra- confirming flavor

Second place in Storefront Vanilla: PolkaDots

Second place in Catered Vanilla: Cowgirl Cupcakes

Second place in Amateur Vanilla: Blake Howard

Second place in Storefront Chocolate: Sugar Mama's

Second place in Catered Chocolate: One Last Bite

Second place in Amateur Chocolate: Mindy Bayer

Judges again:

Amateur Class:
Teddy Babcock - Funwithyourfood.com
Peter Tsai – FoodingBlog.com - the Foodingblog photographer \ writer with a taste for fun
Paloma Efron– Paloma Custom Cakes - Cake decorating goddess. And damn fine baker, too.
Kristen Speyer - Betty Crocker in disguise - Are you looking at my cupcakes?
Jenna Noel – Associate Publisher of Edible Austin - I drink frosting for breakfast.

Catered Class:
Michelle Cheng – foodieisthenewforty.com - Attorney and Cupcake at Law

Chris Palomares - Chow Chow Connoisseur - Opa to cupcakes!
Ryan Snedgar - wotonmera.com- "Ryan, Chief Arbiter of Cupcakes"
Kristin Owens- Do512 - It's not the size of the Cup it's the shake of the Cake
Marshall Wright - eatthislens.com - food writer/photographer

Storefront:
Jessica Maher – Spoon & Co. - Eats cupcakes in a single bite

Lisa Lawless – Lisaiscooking.com -Red head with a palate for red velvets

Chris Speyer - Chief taster of the Speyer Ranch - Will judge for booze

Brian Dorman - Keresspices.com

Darrell Joseph – BellaVerdiFarms - I grow cupcake farms.

Finals Round:
Todd Duclephan – Executive Chef at Trio/Four Seasons - I could judge cupcakes in my sleep.

Nataya Anderson – FeteandFeast.com -The REAL Everyday Foodie
Phillip Speer – Pastry Chef at Uchi -Want some Uni on your cupcake?
Jodi Bart – Tasty Touring and KGSR - Has anyone invented a cupcake top?

Devrah Otten - winner of the tasting competition portion of That Takes The Cake(2008 and 2009) - Cupcake Mistress of the Delicious.

All the Cupcake Smackdown1.0 Deets.

Panel of Judges:

Amateur Class:
Paloma Efron
Teddy Babcock
Jenna Noel
Peter Tsai
Kristen Speyer

Catered Class:
Marshall Wright
Michelle Cheng
Kristin Owens
Ryan Snedgar
Chris Palomares

Storefront:
Jessica Maher
Darrell Josephs
Chris Speyer
Brian Dorman
Lisa Lawless

Final round:
Phillip Speer
Todd Duclephan
Natanya Anderson
Devrah Otten
Jodi Bart

We have two new judges on board with us:
Teddy Babcock - Funwithyourfood.com
Brian Dorman - Chef and Founder of Keres Spices

Chief Data Manager: Kristi Willis from Austin Farm to Table
Master of Ceremonies: Ryan Adams from Nosetotailathome.com
Eating Contest Organizer: April from the Hungry Engineer

Also, we have a new and very AWESOME prize for the winners of the best chocolate, best vanilla, and best freestyle/baker's choice from the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas.

The overall winner for Best Chocolate, Best Vanilla and Best Freestyle will be featured in our statewide, interactive online cookbook, (www.winefoodcooking.com) Plate & Vine Interactive Cookbook which can be sold over all the country (online). This cookbook features celebrity chefs throughout Texas and offers amazing interactive features (emails shopping lists to your phone, etc).

That being said, those three Chefs must be willing to share their recipes so we can post them on the cookbook, and provide us with short bio, digital headshot, etc. They will also need to sign some legal paperwork. Proceeds from cookbook sales benefit the Foundation. The remainder of the winners (in all three categories) we will post on the Foundation website (without recipes) but photos, links to their businesses etc.

Is that not awesome or is that not awesome!?!?!

Human category: Eating contest entries will be limited to the first 25. You must bring your form & fee to the April (The Hungry Engineer) by 5:45 pm Aug 1st.

Dog category: eating contest entries limited to the first 15. You must bring your form and fee to the April (The Hungry Engineer) by 5:45pm August 1st.

Eating contests will be for SPEED.

No more entries for the amateur classes. Sorry, gotta wait until next year.

Human and dog friendly dogs (and humans for that matter) at the event only please.

Cameras and video camera encouraged.

There will be food vendors at the event.

There may be gluten free cupcakes available. Still pending.

Are you ready? Get Set! and BAKE! It is time for Austin to have a Cupcake Smackdown1.0, pitting icing against icing, pitting cake against cake. we'll see whose cupcakes reign supreme. Cupcake Smackdown will be held on August 1, 4-7 pm at One-2-One Bar. The tentative activities for Cupcake Smackdown 1.0 are a blind tasting contest of all the store front bakeries, an amateur baking contest, a cupcake silent auction, the people's popular vote, and a cupcake eating contest for both dogs and humans! Live music will be performed by Arielle Nicole.

For the blind tasting, a panel of local chefs and foodies will be chowing down on vanilla, chocolate, and a baker's choice cupcake from each of the eight store front shops. Each cupcake will be judged on the flavor, texture, and aroma.

Other activities include a bake off in which amateur bakers can enter either the vanilla, chocolate, or freestyle cupcake competition. There will be two categories for the cupcake eating contest: one for human participants and one for canine participants. Canines will be eating pupcakes for speed (not quantity). Ginger carrot pupcakes provided by Grand Dog Bakery. Spectators will also be invited to vote for the People's Choice award for any of the store front bakeries, vote for the cutest cupcake at the smackdown, and also participate in a cupcake silent auction. Proceeds to go to Wine and Food Foundation of Texas.

The event is kid and dog friendly. The last day to submit entry forms for amateur bakers' class is July 22nd. Pre-entries for the cupcake eating contest are being accepted and will be accepted until the day of the event pending space. Each entry for the eating contests costs $10. Entries for the amateur baking contest is free. Entry forms for the eating contests are available at All-In-One Bakeshop on 183. Please bring water and a spray bottle to keep your dog cool. It will be hot. Admission to the event is free. Vendors will be there to sell food items. Please tip your bartender.

Email Jennie@misohungrynow.com to participate, enter yourself or your dog, enter your cupcakes, or to sponsor the event.

Schedule:

4:00 - 6:30 - Live Music, People's Popular Vote, Cutest Cupcake Vote, Silent Auction

4:00 - 5:00 - 1st round blind tasting of cupcake entries

5:30 - 6:00 - Final round of blind cupcake tasting

6:00 - 6:30 - Canine eating cupcake contest - pupcakes provided by Grand Dog Bakery

6:30 - 7:00 - Human eating cupcake contest - cupcakes provided by All-In-One Bakeshop

Sponsors include:
Rise and Shine Bakery
Sugar Mama's
Polka Dots Bakery
Mad Cakes
Luxe Sweets
Walton's
L's Cupcakes
The Cupcake Bar
Hill Country Bakery
Wicked Cakes
Danger Cakes
Cupprimo
Grand Dog Bakery
Austin Urban Gardens
All in One Bakeshop
Growing Concerns on KUT
Do512
NosetoTailatHome.com
Bella Cupcake Couture

Here's the list of judges for Cupcake Smackdown1.0. I will be tasting, but not judging.

Jennie Chen - MisoHungryNow.com & MakeitwithMoonshine.com - Will shake my cupcakes for frosting.

Nataya Anderson – FeteandFeast.com -The REAL Everyday Foodie

Michelle Cheng – foodieisthenewforty.com - Attorney and Cupcake at Law

Jessica Maher – Spoon & Co. - Eats cupcakes in a single bite

Peter Tsai – FoodingBlog.com - the Foodingblog photographer \ writer with a taste for fun

Lisa Lawless – Lisaiscooking.com -Red head with a palate for red velvets

Todd Duclephan – Executive Chef at Trio/Four Seasons - I could judge cupcakes in my sleep.

Chris Palomares - Chow Chow Connoisseur - Opa to cupcakes!

Paloma Efron– Paloma Custom Cakes - Cake decorating goddess. And damn fine baker, too.

Ryan Snedgar - wotonmera.com- "Ryan, Chief Arbiter of Cupcakes"

Phillip Speer – Pastry Chef at Uchi -Want some Uni on your cupcake?

Jodi Bart – Tasty Touring and KGSR - Has anyone invented a cupcake top?

Devrah Otten - winner of the tasting competition portion of That Takes The Cake(2008 and 2009) - Cupcake Mistress of the Delicious.

Kristin - Do512 - It's not the size of the Cup it's the shake of the Cake

Jenna Noel – Associate Publisher of Edible Austin - I drink frosting for breakfast.

Chris Speyer - Chief taster of the Speyer Ranch - Will judge for booze

Kristen Speyer - Betty Crocker in disguise - Are you looking at my cupcakes?

Marshall Wright - eatthislens.com - food writer/photographer

Darrell Joseph – BellaVerdiFarms - I grow cupcake farms.

Cecilia Nasti - KUT Growing Concerns - She eats from the garden and savors life (and would grow cupcakes if she could find some seeds).

Penny De Los Santos - Senior contributing photographer 4 Saveur Magazine. Travel & Food Photographer pennydelossantos.wordpress.com

Who wants to be a Cupcake Smackdown1.0 judge?

Wanna judge at Cupcake Smackdown1.0? Here's your chance to judge the People's Blind Tasting Contest!

For the first 10 people to @me on twitter will get the chance to judge either the catered cupcake or the storefront cupcake category for a $25 donation to the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas. It will be a blind tasting. You'll need to show up at at One-2-One Bar no later than 3:15 pm on August 1st to claim your spot. Please bring exact change ($25).

@Me on Twitter with why you would make a great cupcake judge. I want creativity here. I'm looking for more than something like "I like to eat sweets." Include #cupcakeriot in your tweet. You may only use 1 tweet so choose your 140 characters wisely. If you follow all the instructions, I will @ you back letting you know your place on the list. I will also be taking up to 5 standby judges. If you do not show up at One-2-One Bar by 3:15 pm, you will forfeit your judge's spot to a standby. If you do not follow all the instructions, I won't @you with a confirmation.

Do NOT call me for this. I went through 500 minutes in the last week for Cupcake Smackdown. I have no more minutes. Do NOT email me. I have well over 1000 emails in my inbox with the word cupcake in it. @me on Twitter is the only way to get your spot to judge.

Happy Twittering! My twitter handle is :MisoHungry