Knoxville, TN - Calling all cake artists. East Tennessee's fanciest cake competition is just around the corner. Knox County Public Library is showcasing the creativity and imagination of area bakers with the help of a little flour, butter, and sugar. The 6th Annual Great Cake Bake to benefit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Knox County is set for 12 - 5 p.m. on February 28 in the Tennessee Terrace at UT's Neyland Stadium. All bakers and cake makers are invited to participate.
Event organizers are pleased to welcome new sponsor, Food Network, to be a part of the festivities.
NEW THIS YEAR: Top division winners will receive fabulous new prizes! Top winners in the fondant category have the chance to win a year's supply of products from Satin Ice (a $500 value!). Top winners in the Junior and Teen Divisions will win passes to local area attractions. All winners will receive prize packs from Food Network and/or Sugarbakers.
Also new this year, the event is separating the Junior's category into two new categories: Junior (Under 12) and Teen (13-18).
A DIAPER CAKE DIVISION. Handcrafted cakes made of diapers have become a popular centerpiece for baby showers everywhere. The Great Cake Bake offers a Diaper Cake division for creative artists who want to contribute to the cause but aren't so handy with fondant or buttercream. Individuals or groups and organizations may enter a themed diaper cake to be judged and auctioned off to benefit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Knox County.
The Great Cake Bake is designed to highlight the regions’ best cake decorating skills in a public exhibit. It's a sweet way to support the Imagination Library program—making sure Knox County children will continue to get free books in the mail, every month, until age 5.
“Imagination Library is one of the best ways to give your little ones a great start in life," Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett said. “By sending books in the mail every month, we are helping families put a priority on learning to read. Programs like the Imagination Library foster children’s natural curiosity and encourage our young people to read, and the Great Cake Bake is a good way to support those efforts.”
Participants can enter in one of five divisions: Junior (under 12), Teen (age 13-18), Beginner, Intermediate, or Professional; and can bake in one of three categories: All Occasion Cakes, Wedding Cakes, or a single brilliantly decorated cupcake. The decorated cakes will be separated into different groups: buttercream frosting only and fondant/gum paste/mixed sugar art. There’s a place for every cake!
To enter online go to www.knoxlib.org/cakebake and fill out an easy registration form. Each entry costs $15, which is the cost of sponsoring one child in Imagination Library for a year. The deadline for registration is February 22. Paper forms can also be downloaded from the Knox County Public Library’s website or picked up at Sugarbakers Cake, Candy & Wedding Supplies (514 Merchants Road).
Winners in each category and division will also receive a trophy or ribbon and bragging rights for an entire year! The public will vote on their favorite cake to find a People's Choice Winner.
For more information about the Great Cake Bake, please contact Danielle Velez at (865) 215-8784 at dvelez@knoxlib.org.
About Knox County’s Imagination Library:
A program of the Knox County Public Library, Imagination Library mails one free, age-appropriate book each month to all registered Knox County children from birth to age 5. Currently, over 1,500,000 books have been sent to over 45,000 children since the program began in 2005. 70% of children under age 5 in Knox County are signed up for Imagination Library, helping prepare our youngest citizens for success in school.
The Great Cake Bake is made possible through the generous support of Food Network, Food City, Sugarbaker's, Friends of the Library, WVLT, Knoxville News Sentinel, and B97.5.
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Photos and winners from the 2014 event are available here and can be requested for publication.
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Mary Pom Claiborne
Marketing/Community Relations Dir
Knox County Public Library
500 W. Church Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37902
(865) 215-8767 - office
(865) 640-4146 - cell
