Calling All Southern California Cupcake Lovers!

Registration is now open for the 2016 SoCal VegFest Vegan Cupcake Competition! Gift Bags (worth $50 for 1st Place, $35 for 2nd Place, and $25 for 3rd Place), cool ribbions, and vegan admiration will bestowed upon the winners in each Division. Entry fee is $5 per entry, limit one entry per person.

The deadline to register online is Wednesday, October 26, 2016 @ 11:55pm. Cupcake Turn-In is Saturday, October 29, 2016 between 11am and noon at the Cooking Demo Tent of the SoCal VegFest at Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa, CA, USA).

There are two Divisions this year:

GENERAL DIVISION: Includes all recreational bakers, cupcake enthusiasts, and anyone not competing in the Elite/Professional Division.

ELITE / PROFESSIONAL DIVISION: Includes any entrant who either:

1. currently works or has ever worked as a pastry chef, chef, baker, or decorator at a restaurant, bakery, or other food establishment;

2. has graduated from culinary / pastry school;

3. is an advanced-level student currently attending culinary / pastry school;

4. has ever won a 1st or 2nd Place award at the SoCal VegFest Cupcake Competition, an Orange County Fair baking competition, or any other major baking competition; OR

5. has been a serious home cook / baker for 10+ years.

Please note that the criteria for the General and Elite/Professional Divisions are guidelines only, and each contestant should enter the Division they feel best describes their level. Judges and organizers may move entrants into another Division if they deem it appropriate.

We are extremely pleased to have three knowledgeable and experienced culinary professionals judging this year's competition: Krysten Littles, Chef Owner of 100% vegan mobile bakery Baby Love Sweetery (Los Angeles, CA, USA); Daniel Mattos, Chef Director of Culinary Arts and Hospitality at Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana, CA, USA); and Jara Fonseca, Pastry Chef at at the 100% vegan restaurant Seabirds Kitchen (Costa Mesa, CA, USA). See our Vegan Cupcake Competition home page for more detailed bios on each of the judges.

Krysten Littles, Chef Owner of Baby Love Sweetery

Daniel Mattos, Chef Director of Culinary Arts & Hospitality at Orange County School of the Arts

Jara Fonseca, Pastry Chef of Seabirds Kitchen

For Official Rules, Judging Criteria, Ingredients List Form (due Oct 24), Turn-In Requirements, Judges Bios, FAQs and to register online, please visit our Vegan Cupcake Competition home page.  Email us at cupcake@bigtentvegan.com if there are any further questions.

Please be sure to share this info with all vegan cupcake bakers and eaters you know in the Orange County/Los Angeles area. If they win, they just might show you their gratitude in the form of award-winning vegan cupcakes. :)

Thanks for reading. Peace and love to all who live.

Susan & Ryan