How to Hold a Bake Off

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Who can resist a piece of delicious, rich cake or fudgy brownies? For avid bakers, making tasty desserts that everyone raves over is a badge of honor -- that's why bake offs have become so popular. A bake off can be a fun activity among friends or a great way to raise money for a good cause. Hosting the event can be challenging, but with some careful planning, you can pull off a successful -- and delicious! -- bake off.

Part 1
Part 1 of 4:

Planning

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  1. To make it easier to settle on recipes, it helps to have a theme for the bake off. You might choose a specific type of baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, pies, or brownies, or a specific event to bake for, such as desserts for a holiday, birthday, or wedding. A specific ingredients, such as apples or pumpkin, can also be a good theme. [1]
    • A seasonal theme can work well too. For example, ask for summer desserts or fall-inspired treats.
    • A movie or book can be a fun theme as well. For example, request Harry Potter-inspired baked goods.
    • You can even use a color for the bake off's theme. For example, ask for baked goods that feature red ingredients.
  2. A bake off can be arranged in several different ways. You can give the participants the general theme and let them choose their own recipes or you might choose a single recipe and have all of the participants make the same thing. [2]
    • It’s also important to decide if participants will bake their entry at the venue or bring a finished product to the event. Having participants bake on site is very exciting, but it can be more difficult to find a venue with the proper kitchen facilities so having bakers bring finished entries may be more convenient.
    • Write down a set of formal rules for the bake off once you settle on them. Participants will want to know all of the guidelines before they agree to take part.
    • You should also decide if you will charge an entry fee. If you’re holding the event to raise money, having participants pay a small fee makes sense. Anywhere from $5 to $20 may be appropriate, depending on the event.
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  3. To give people incentive to participate, it helps to have some type of prize for the winner(s) of the bake off. If the event is sponsored by a local business, it might be a cash prize. You can also hand out a trophy, ribbon, or certificate. [3]
    • The bake-off prize can be worth any amount, but typically, $25 to $100 is a good range.
    • You may decide that only the first-place winner receives a prize, but you can also have smaller prizes for the second and third-place winners if you like.
    • If you’re holding the bake off for fun, you just might purchase small items to use as prizes, such as an apron or pot holders.
    • A bake off can also function as a fundraiser. Even if you give the winner a small prize, you can then sell off all of the baked goods afterward to raise money for your cause.
  4. Once you’ve settled on the basic guidelines for the bake off, you’ll need to find a day and time to hold it. It may depend on when you can secure a venue, but it’s usually best to hold it on a weekend when people typically have more free time.
    • If you're using a holiday or other special occasion as a theme for the bake off, you'll want to time the event to appropriately. In most cases, you'll want to hold the contest within a two to three weeks of the holiday. For example, if the bake off has Christmas theme, you'll want to hold it within the first two to three weeks of December.
  5. When you’ve settled on a date and time for the bake off, you’ll need a location for it. If you plan to have participants bake their entries at the event, you’ll need a spot with multiple ovens and stove tops. If you’re having participants bring prepared baked goods to the event, you only need a spot where there’s room for a judging table and space for an audience.
    • If you need a venue with cooking equipment, you might look online for catering facilities that could support the bake off.
    • A bakery or restaurant can be an ideal venue too. Talk to local businesses to see if they're interested in partnering with you for the bake off.
    • If you only need a space to showcase the finished baked goods, any catering hall or party room that's available for rent will work.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 4:

Hiring Personnel

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  1. To determine the winner of the bake off, you’ll need at least one judge to taste and evaluate the baked goods. Ideally, the judge(s) should have some baking knowledge and experience, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be as a professional. [4]
    • The judges shouldn't have any personal connections to the contests to avoid any claims of bias.
    • In general, the more participants your bake off has, the more judges you’ll want. A panel of three judges works well for most bake offs, though. If your bake off has five or less participants, though, a single judge is usually sufficient. For five to ten candidates, two judges work well.
    • People who would make good candidates for judges include local bakery and restaurant owners, culinary teachers from local schools, or bakers who've won other bake offs.
    • When you're talking to potential judges, you might say something like, "We're holding a bake off and would really like your expertise in judging the entries."
    • If you're holding the event to raise money for a cause, provide information about the organization or group that will benefit to the potential judges.
  2. A bake off can’t happen if there aren’t bakers to participate. Ask friends, family, co-workers, and/or classmates who you know enjoy baking to take part. You can also create flyers with all of the details to post in your neighborhood, on your school or office bulletin board, or other locations to invite people to participate. [5]
    • Make sure to get permission before you post any flyers on private property, such as a store window.
    • If you’re active on social media, you can also post online about the bake off to find participants. For example, making a Facebook event for the bake off is a good way to generate buzz. You can also use Twitter and Instagram to do a countdown to the event as a way to keep people interested.
  3. It’s not necessary, but it can be fun to have an audience to attend the bake off. Once you’ve secured participants, create a flyer that advertises the event for anyone who might like to watch and post them in your neighborhood and/or school or office bulletin board. [6]
    • If you’re holding the bake off as a fundraiser, you can sell tickets to the event. You can charge however much you like for the tickets, but it's best to keep the price between $5 and $10.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 4:

Arranging Supplies

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  1. To make it easier for the judges to evaluate the entries, you should create scoring sheets for them to use. Decide what categories they should judge, such as taste and appearance, and what scale they should use, such as 1 to 5 or 1 to 10. Make enough copies so each judge has one for every contestant. [7]
    • Some judging categories to consider include overall taste, texture, presentation, originality, adherence to theme, and skill level.
    • There should be a spot on the judging sheets for the judge to write their own name, as well as the contestant’s name.
  2. If all of the participants are preparing the same recipe for the bake off, you’ll need to make enough copies so all of the participants have one. Don’t hand them out until the bake off actually begins, though. [8]
    • You may also want to make copies of the recipe for the judges to consult.
  3. If participants are baking their entries at the bake off, you’ll need to have supplies on hand for them to use. You’ll need ingredients, such as flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla, as well as bakeware, such as mixing bowls, electric mixers, cookie sheets, and cake pans. [9]
    • If participants are using their own recipes, you should ask them if there are any special ingredients or equipment that they’ll need so you can be sure to have them on hand for the event.
  4. To make the event feel more festive, it helps to decorate the venue. You don’t have to go crazy, but some colorful disposable tablecloths, decorative bunting, and simple balloons can help dress up the space. [10]
    • It's a good idea to match your decorations to the theme of the bake off. For example, orange, red, brown, and gold decorations work well for a fall-themed bake off.
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Part 4
Part 4 of 4:

Supervising

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  1. The day of the bake off, take a walk around the event space. Check that any necessary ingredients and equipment are on hand and there are tables for the contestants to display their entries. Make sure that you have all the necessary recipes and/or scoring sheets as well.
  2. If participants are baking their entries at the venue, you’ll need to give them a set amount of time to prepare their baked goods. Use a countdown clock that is visible to everyone at the venue, and don’t allow anyone to submit an entry that isn’t ready after it ticks down. [11]
    • If guests are preparing their entries at home, you should still have a set time when the entries have to be on the judging table.
  3. All of the participants should put their entries on tables in a designated judging area. However, the participants’ names shouldn’t be placed with their entries to ensure that the judges are objective. Just number the entries and keep a list of which entry belongs to which participant. [12]
  4. Once the entries have reached the judging table, allow the judges to look at and taste each one. After they’ve tasted the entries, they should be given some time to fill out their scoring sheets so they can be as thorough as possible. [13]
    • The amount of time that the judges will need depends largely on how many entries there are. The more baked goods they have to judge, the more time they’ll likely need. In general, you'll want to give the judges at least five minutes to evaluate each entry.
  5. After the judges have had some time to evaluate the entries, gather up their judging sheets. Add up the scores for each participant so you can determine who the first, second, and third-place winners are. [14]
  6. Once you’ve counted all the votes, it’s time to announce the winner. If you’re naming the top three vote getters, start with the third and second-place winners and save the first-place winner for last. Hand out the prize(s), and take some photos of the winners to remember the day. [15]
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  • Question
    What are some baking contest theme ideas?
    Community Answer
    You could have the theme reflect the seasons or holidays. For example, a good theme around Valentine's Day would be chocolate. A contest held during spring could focus on cake decorating, with an emphasis on flowers, gardens, etc. Summer could be a beach theme or a luau, think, pineapple upside down cake or coconut cream. Muffin contests, cupcakes, pies and tarts. The ideas are endless!
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  • Question
    How do the judges decide which is the best cake?
    Community Answer
    The judges will taste each cake and then come to an agreement as to which cake was their favorite.
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  • Question
    For judging different-flavored pies, should judges suck on lemons in between tastings?
    WillowsSugarRush
    Community Answer
    It may be better for judges to eat unsalted crackers or drink water in between tastings. It's up to them as to how they want to cleanse their palates.
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      • A bake off doesn’t have to be a formal event. You can hold one with friends for fun.
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      • Holding a large-scale bake-off is difficult to pull off. It is best to start small, and eventually build to a bigger, better contest.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/articles/bake-sale-fundraising.html
      2. ↑ http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/articles/bake-sale-fundraising.html
      3. ↑ http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/articles/bake-sale-fundraising.html
      4. ↑ http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/articles/bake-sale-fundraising.html
      5. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      6. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      7. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      8. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      9. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      1. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      2. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      3. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      4. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      5. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf
      6. ↑ http://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BakeOff-PartyPack.pdf

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      With the right preparation, you can hold a fun and successful bake-off. Start by setting some basic ground rules for your bake-off, like what the theme is, whether entries are timed or not, and what participants will be judged on. Then, ask a few people to be the judges for your bake-off and get the word out about the event. Create a flyer and post it around your neighborhood or make a Facebook event. Make sure to include information about how participants can sign up and what the rules are. If your bake-off is to raise money for something, include a link where people can donate as well. Once you know how many people are competing, rent a venue that has enough kitchen equipment for all the participants, and make sure it's stocked with enough baking ingredients for the competition. Finally, select a few prizes for the winners, like trophies, ribbons, or gift certificates. To learn how to make voting cards for the judges, read on!

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