It was a fun yet detailed process to select fourteen (14) DC area amateur bakers from all the entries received to compete in the Makes-Me-Wanna SHOUT! Coconut Cake Challenge Semifinals on Saturday, March 19 from 2-4 PM at Miriam’s Kitchen (2401 Virginia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC).
What this contest will show is that there is a variety of coconut cakes out in bakers-land. Here’s a preview menu (some cake names were assigned based on ingredients):
• Auntie’s Coconut Paradise Cake
• Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Cake
• Coconut Cake made with Cardamom, Cream Cheese Frosting
• Coconut Cake with Coconut Dream Frosting
• Coconut Cake with Coconut Filling; Cream Cheese Frosting
• Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Coconut Cake with Key Lime Mousse Filling; White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
• Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd, White Chocolate Frosting
• Coconut Cake with Lemon Filling; Cream Cheese Frosting
• Coconut “Oatmeal Cookie” Cake, Brown Sugar Frosting with Nuts
• Coconut Cake with Pineapple, Bananas, Toasted Coconut and Sugared Pecans
• Coconut Cake with Shredded Coconut; Cream Cheese Frosting
• “Samoa Cookie” Inspired Coconut Cake
• Toasted Coconut Tuxedo Torte
And here are the Semifinalists (not in the same cake order).
Jennifer Beckman (Falls Church, VA); Decoyise Brown (Waldorf, MD); Jennifer Cohen (Washington, DC); Alexis Echols (Washington, DC); Aurelia Gilbert (Upper Marlboro, MD); Erin McDougal (Bethesda, MD); Thomas Natan, Jr. (Washington, DC); Christine Perez (Washington, DC); Marguerite Pridgen (Washington, DC); Sarah Raleigh-Halsing (Washington, DC); Lindsey Wahowlak (Washington, DC); Nicole Washington (Washington, DC); Carmen Watkins (Alexandria, VA); Stephanie Woodrow (Washington, DC).
The cake bakers’ stories will be posted on this site soon.
The Makes-Me-Wanna SHOUT! Coconut Cake Challenge is presented by Eatonville Restaurant and Church Lady Cake Diaries. The public is invited to join local food celebrity judges March 19 at Miriam’s Kitchen in selecting the top coconut cakes that will proceed to the final round of judging to be held at Eatonville Restaurant on April 27, 2011.
All ticket sales (buy now!) for the Makes-Me-Wanna SHOUT! Coconut Cake Challenge Semifinals will benefit Miriam’s Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides meals and social services to homeless men and women throughout the DC area.
