2013-04-15 18.25.28_Let_Them_Eat_Cake Photo Credit by Philly Loves Fun.jpg

Let there be free cupcakes for all! City of Hope Philadelphia celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Let Them Eat Cake with a new preview event at The Shops at Liberty Place. Today through March 27th, the Rotunda will be filled with fantasy cakes from past years created by The Merion and The Art Institute. Every day at Noon, score free cupcakes from participating bakeries (first come, first served). The fondant fun is a preview for the main event Let Them Eat Cake: Fantasy Weddings on Monday, April 7, 2014 at the DoubleTree Hilton. The preview event is free and open to the public during regular mall hours, with cupcake giveaways starting at Noon on all three days.

CAKE FOR A CAUSE

Let Them Eat Cake is the Northeast’s largest wedding cake competition, and a signature benefit for City of Hope. All proceeds will help City of Hope help cut out cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.

The event started ten years ago at the Bellevue with only 15 cakes and has now grown into a premiere competition that now features dozens of the top bakers and pastry chefs from the tri-state region. This year’s participant list includes some excited debuts, including:

PRO CATEGORY:
* Garces Group (new)
* Wonderland Cakes (new)
* The Cake Boutique
* The Cake Studio of Ocean City
* Classic Cakes
* Davios
* Diane's Patersie
* Good Foods To Go
* Granny Schmidt's
* Jeannine Elegant Wedding Service
* The Master's Baker
* The Merion
* Patty Cakes LLC
* Piece a' Cake
* Sweet T's Bakeshop
* V's Cupcakery
* Whipped Bakeshop

STUDENT CATEGORY:
* Art Institute of Philadelphia
* The Culinary Arts Institute of Montgomery County Community College
* Restaurant School of Walnut Hill

(Note: Schools and select bakeries have multiple entries.)

Let Them Eat Cake, City of Hope, Fantasy Weddings, Free Cupcakes

Each Fantasy Weddings masterpiece will be judged by celebrity judges, restaurant owners, food writers, fellow chefs, wedding experts and local VIPs in two levels (professional and college) in six categories (Most Artistic, Best Tasting, Best Theme, Best of Show, more). Guests can also vote in the “People’s Choice” category.

Celebrity judges for 2014 are Chefs Marc and Benny from City Cakes NY and former White House Chef John Moeller. Natanya DiBona, co-chair of Diner en Blanc Philadelphia, will serve as head of judges. Other judges will include:

* AD Amorosi, City Paper
* Eric Allen, Assistant Director of Catering Four Seasons
* Lori Amery, Director of Catering at Four Seasons
* Mary Bigham, Town Dish
* JB Braun, Publisher of Main Line Today
* Laura Burkhardt, Where Magazine
* Thom Cardwell, Co-Publisher of QUEERtimes.net
* Tracey DeShaine, Owner of Dixie Pinic and member of Les Dames D’escoffier
* Glamarosi, Glamorosi Magazine
* Chef Kathy Gold, President of Les Dames D’escoffier/ Owner of In the Kitchen Cooking Company
* Danya Henninger, Zagat Philly
* Dana Herbert, Owner of Cakes by Dana and winner of TLC’s The Next Great Baker
* Michael Klein, Philly Insider/ Philly.com
* Chef Barbie Marshall, Hell’s Kitchen (Season 11) contestant and member of Les Dames D’escoffier
* Roberta Popito, Homemade Delish website
* Marilyn Russell, BEN FM
* Amy Straus, Town Dish

Tickets to Let Them Eat Cake include samples from all participating bakers, plus live music, dancing, champagne, a new tablescape competition, wedding vendors and more.

Tickets are on sale now for $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Tickets are being sold online for the first time ever at bit.ly/cohcake14. Tickets are also available by calling 215-985-0869 or emailing atieman@coh.org. The first 100 attendees in the door on the night of the event will receive a goody bag worth over $100.