Student Club Hosts First Intercollegiate Baking Competition

Students from three Southern California universities participated in the first regional baking competition hosted by a Cal Poly Pomona student club.

The Food for Heart baking competition was held in early April by the Food Science Society Club and sponsored by the American Society of Baking.

The competition challenged participants to create a product that was mindful of consumer dietary restrictions, while also using a special ingredient: a nutritious flour made from the leftover coffee “cherry” pulp from coffee production. Coffee Cherry Co. provided the flour for the competition.

In addition to Cal Poly Pomona, the event drew students from Cal State Los Angeles and UCLA. However, participants were allowed to create teams with members from different universities.

Four judges evaluated the competition:

• Feng Xie, a senior scientist at Bake Mark and a Cal Poly Pomona nutrition and food science lecturer
• George Geary, a former Disney pastry chef
• Diana Eid, a seven-year pastry chef who specializes in making baked treats for dietary-restricted individuals
• Sheree Mooney, a chef instructor from The Collins College of Hospitality Management.

Team Baked Ziti finished first out of the three participating teams. The team won over the judges’ tastebuds with their Chocolate Berry Cake. The dessert was a dense and moist vegan chocolate cake, frosted with coconut whipped cream, and topped off with strawberries, blueberries, and a mixed berry jam. Cal Poly Pomona students Alvin Choi and Grant Chic and UCLA student Anson Cheung made up the team.

Team Arabica placed second with its chocolate cake called Chocolate Strawberry Delight. It was a vegan and gluten-free chocolate cake coupled with coffee buttercream and strawberry filling. It was topped off with brownie crumbles and honeycomb toffee. The team consisted of Cal Poly Pomona students Angel Go, Linh Nguyen, and Julia Duddles.

Team Cook Till Golden Eagles took third with its vegan version of Black Forest Cake. The cake’s layers were soaked in cherry syrup, frosted with a vegan cream cheese frosting, and topped off with a tart berry compote. Cal State Los Angeles students Kent Sakamoto, Amanda Kuo, Eydi Velaquez, and Krystal Lam formed the team.

The teams were awarded prizes of $400, $300, and $200 respectively. In addition, the first- and second-place teams were respectively rewarded with cookbooks donated and signed by Judge George Geary: “The Complete Baking Cookbook: 350 Recipes from Cookies and Cakes to Muffins and Pies” and “Fair Foods: The Most Popular and Offbeat Recipes from America’s State and County Fairs.”