A Battle of Sweets

The event was started five years ago to raise money for the Southern New Hampshire Services’ Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.

 

“The staff was brainstorming different ideas about new fundraisers, and it basically boiled down to, ‘Well, who doesn’t love cupcakes?’” said SNHS volunteer services director Jennifer Sanders.

 

This year’s competitors include past winners Benson’s Bakery & Cafe, Cupcakes 101 and Milltown Cakes, and a couple newcomers: The Bakeshop on Kelley Street and Wicked Sweet Sugar Boutique.

 

Each baker or team will bring 175 baked, unfrosted cupcakes along with their chosen frosting and toppings. Then, they’ll be given 45 minutes to decorate and complete their cupcakes. During the competition, noncompeting guests can take part in some raffles and enjoy hors d’oeuvres like chicken fingers, scallops wrapped in bacon, cheeseburger sliders, dips, cheese and veggie platters. The Puritan’s bar will be open for drinks.

 

Guests are also invited to engage with the bakers as they work.

 

“You can watch them compete, interact and ask them questions,” Sanders said. “It’s definitely not a traditional seated event. We want people to be walking around, participating and interacting.”

 

When 45 minutes is up, the finished cupcakes will be presented to a judging panel, which will consist of Kathleen Palmer, features editor at the Nashua Telegraph, Cathy Allen, executive pastry chef at T-Bones, and one judge who hasn’t been announced. Cupcakes will be scored based on taste, texture, overall appearance and presentation, creativity and structure. The winner will be named Best Cupcake of 2016. Last year’s winner was a bourbon butterbeer cupcake made with honey bourbon chocolate cake with a butterscotch ganache filling and caramel bourbon buttercream.

 

Guests will have the chance to taste each cupcake and vote for their favorites to win the title of People’s Choice Cupcake. Everyone will get two whole cupcakes to take home at the end of the event.

This year’s event is sold out, but tickets for next year’s event will go on sale in July 2017. To learn more about Clash of the Cupcakes, purchase tickets for next year’s event and find out who this year’s winners are, visit snhs.org or facebook.com/SNHSVolunteerServices.