Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2009

Highland baker wins $10,000 prize in TLC's 'Ultimate Cake Off' contest

HIGHLAND -- "The other cakes were pretty conservative. We wanted to do something different."

Pat Jacoby couldn't have spoken truer words, especially since the edible creation she and her team created for TLC's "Ultimate Cake Off" in July was a 6-foot-tall, free-standing Uncle Sam getting ready to barbecue.

Her thinking-outside-the-layer-cake won Jacoby, the owner of Patty Cakes in Highland, $10,000 and bragging rights in what the TLC network calls "A Contest of Culinary Construction" that involves "the greatest cake artists in the world."

The winning cake was showcased as the centerpiece of a July 4th celebration at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.

Jacoby's big win was announced Monday night during the "reveal" episode of the TLC food series, which will be repeated tonight at 6 and midnight; 1 a.m. Wednesday; and 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday.

The veteran cakemaker has owned her own business in Highland for 28 years. She knew in July she had won the contest, but had to keep mum: It was one of the rules of the competition.

She and the two other contestants and their teams had nine hours to build their cakes July 3 while being taped in a Los Angeles studio. Jacoby went up against a friend, Cary Biggers, of Sandy, Utah; and pastry chef Tariq Hanna, of New Orleans. The 56-year-old Highland resident brought three friends from around the country to help her, all of whom are professional cake decorators.

Building Uncle Sam

The "Ultimate Cake Off" has lots of quirky rules to make it more entertaining to watch and challenging for the contestants.

The edible entry had to be at least 5 feet tall and have a holiday theme. Add to that the time limit and the use of at least two of four elements: sound, light, movement and power tools. The entries had to have a taste test, too.

A panel of four judges watched as the three teams constructed their cakes, sometimes with lots of support, including dowels, platforms, PVC pipe and electric wiring -- all hidden beneath cake and sugar and frosting.

In the case of Uncle Sam, his "bones," said Jacoby, were welded galvanized steel pipe. Their strength was needed so his arms could be outstretched and hold the weight of a real three-layer cake and a spatula.

"Oh, we had power tools!" said Jacoby, laughing about using one of the four elements. "We did welding. We weren't sure they'd let us do that, but they did."

Uncle Sam's torso was cake, his arms and legs Rice Krispie treats. Layers of rolled fondant covered his exterior.

Next to him was a Weber grill, sculpted out of cake with a chocolate drip pan underneath. The "hamburgers" cooking on the grill were cake, too, and the sound effect of them sizzling came from an MP3 player tucked inside the radio (made of sugar) at Uncle Sam's feet. Hidden in the edible brown box next to him was a fog machine with a line that went up a leg of the grill and simulated smoke. More hidden stuff, fiber optics, make the edible fireworks come alive.

A snackable picnic basket, ants, tablecloth, apple pie and green grass made from sheet cakes completed the theme of an All-American holiday.

The scariest part of the competition?

"Standing in front of the judges" and waiting for the final verdict, Jacoby said.

"I heard, 'And the winner is. ...' Then there was a pause and he (host Executive Chef Mike Schulson) said, 'Pat.' It was like a dream. It almost didn't seem real."

But the $10,000 is very real -- and well-allocated.

"We're building a new house!"