Winner Batters Competition in Sweet Cupcake War Competition

RIVERHEAD, NY - The goodies were sweet but the competition was stiff Friday as students at Suffolk County Community College battered up for a fierce Cupcake Wars face off.

The first-ever student cupcake competition, which took place at Suffolk County Community College's Culinary Arts & Hospitality Center in Riverhead, was organized for baking students, who needed to produce and bake prize cupcakes, according to Associate Dean Dave Bergen.

The winner gets to spend a week internship at Karma Desserts in Plainview. Cash prizes were also awarded, with $300 to the first place winner, $200 to the second, and $100 to the third.

Taking home the top prize was Erin Hoele of Ridge, whose summer sangria cupcake with passion fruit mousse bested the competition.

A total of 17 Suffolk County Community College baking program students clashed in a battle for judges’ taste buds during the event.

Each student competitor had three hours to create a dozen cupcakes consisting of a cake, filling, icing and decoration. The student combatants were judged on sanitation, organization, taste, texture, consistency, appearance and creativity by a panel of five professionals.

In second place was Lynn Paterson of West Babylon, who won with her citrus cupcake with yuzo curd and tequila lime filling; she also won a baker's tools gift bag, a gift certificate for a uniform and a baking book.

In third place was Katelyn Stahl of Islip, with her chocolate chili cupcake with chili fudge and orange pastry cream; she, too, won the other gifts.

Judging the competition were Brian Fishman, owner of Sweet Karma Bakery; Hoele will work directly under his guidance.

Other judges included David Dombroff, owner of The Rolling Pin Bakeries in Setauket and Bay Shore, Richard Freilich, director of The Suffolk County Community College Culinary Arts Program, Christina DeLustro, coordinator of The Baker’s Workshop at Suffolk County Community College, and Richard Amster, full-time chef Instructor of SCCC's program.

The event was modeled after the top TV show "Cupcake Wars" and traditional Top Chef competition, but the concept was tweaked a bit to include lessons learned in the SCCC program, Freilich said.

The results, he said, were "delicious."

The program at SCCC is meant to teach the tenets of baking, as well as include an internship at the bakers' workshop, where students learn not only how to create the sweet goodness, but to handle a register and communicate with customers. The program has been at the Riverhead location for eight years and offered by SCCC for 15, Freilich said.

Students Friday, he said, "really came through and showed their skills. They really put out some superior product."