Kids create cupcakes at the fair

MT. PLEASANT — Kids from Henry County showed that they know a thing or two about cupcakes at the fair Wednesday.

Five teams set up shop in the Wright Pavilion to decorate delectable cupcakes for the Chopped Cupcake Challenge for two age divisions: 12 & under and 13 & over.

Cupcake themes included Beauty and the Beast, Yellow, Dirt Cake, Farm Animals, and a Pinterest trio.

Delaney Anderson and Mara Hobbs were excited and said they had been planning to participate since they first heard about it.

Over a thirty minute time period contestants filled and decorated their pre-baked cupcakes and then presented them to the panel of three judges.

“I whisked it for too long and so they didn’t rise, they sunk down,” Butcher said. “My mom helped me go through a list of things that could make it happen, and when we ruled out everything else we found out it was the whisking.”

The cupcakes that made it to the competition were beautifully domed and showed that her troubleshooting was successful.

Three judges tasted each cupcake and scored them based on creativity, overall visual appeal, and taste.

The under 12 winners, Avery, and Allie Wagner, created Dirt Cake Cupcakes.

The chocolate cupcakes were filled with ganache and topped with chocolate buttercream, Oreo crumbles, and gummy worms.

This winning team was a pair of sisters who say they love to bake at home.

“We’ve practiced these, but haven’t really made them before,” Avery said.

14-year-old Ella Ensminger one the upper age division with her Pinterest trio cupcakes.

All of the contestants worked hard on their entries and confessed to a love for cooking.

Addison Butcher, age 11, did not win her age category, but said she learned some things along the way.

When she first made her lemon cupcakes she was disappointed to find that they had sunken instead of risen.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com