Babcock Ranch Telegraph

Babcock Ranch baker wins prize at her first national competition




Janette Dulaney with her awrd-winning entry in The Ultimate Sugar Show, entitled Love Has No Bounds. COURTESY PHOTOS

Janette Dulaney with her awrd-winning entry in The Ultimate Sugar Show, entitled Love Has No Bounds. COURTESY PHOTOS

Janette Dulaney recently enjoyed the sweet taste of victory.

The Babcock Ranch resident placed third in the Master Level Sculpting competition at The Ultimate Sugar Show, held Sept. 25 and 26 during the three-day Sweet Fest Business Conference held annually in Atlanta.

It was the first baking competition Ms. Dulaney had entered.

“I was excited but incredibly nervous,” Ms. Dulaney says of the competition.

Her entry, entitled Love Has No Bounds, was an 81-pound piece of art comprised of cake, crispy rice cereal treats, chocolate, fondant, wafer paper and isomalt.

Following the competition’s theme of “Frontline Heroes,” Ms. Dulaney made an homage to mothers caring for their children sick with COVID.

“I recalled hearing so many mothers talking about the sleepless nights they had when their kids were sick and sitting next to them not worrying about getting sick themselves,” says Ms. Dulaney, a mother of three.

Explaining that she wanted to think outside the box and not create a literal piece such as a doctor wearing a mask, Ms. Dulaney portrayed symbolism through animals. She had a tiger to show strength, a tiger cub, and an owl that represented the sense of community she feels at Babcock Ranch, where she says “there’s amazing support and people help others get through difficult times.”

Another view of the 81-pound piece of art comprised of cake, crispy rice cereal treats, chocolate, fondant, wafer paper and isomalt.

Another view of the 81-pound piece of art comprised of cake, crispy rice cereal treats, chocolate, fondant, wafer paper and isomalt.

Ms. Dulaney drew on her biomedical engineering studies to create the interior structure of threaded rods and wood that kept the cake together.

She assembled much of the cake in Babcock Ranch before driving almost 11 hours to Atlanta. In her hotel room, she attached feathers to the owl as one of the final touches.

Despite such an intricate design, she did not make a test cake before the competition.

Because she has only been baking sculptured cakes for less than two years, Ms. Dulaney entered the “intermediate” category. However, the judges were so impressed with her technique, they moved her up to the “master” level, which had about eight entries.

The judges had very positive feedback for her.

“They said I had impeccable work and my structure was very intellectually done,” she shares. “But they didn’t connect the piece to the theme, so I scored the lowest there. They said if I had had a description on the table, I would have won. I’m a competition newbie; now I know.”

Ms. Dulaney’s neighbors sent her flowers in Atlanta to wish her good luck and gathered together to watch her Facebook Live feed during the judging. She returned from the competition to a lawn decorated with yard cards of congratulations.

The Babcock Ranch community also celebrated Ms. Dulaney’s award with the “Big Cake Reveal” on Sept. 29 at the Founder’s Square bandshell that included the Viva La Taco food truck.

“I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough to everyone,” Ms. Dulaney says, adding that all of this support has been “surprising and so sweet.”

She plans to enter the SoFlo Cake and Candy Expo competition in Miami next April and The Ultimate Sugar Show again next year.

Ms. Dulaney takes orders for her non-traditional sculptured cakes. Find more information at soulbyjanettedulaney.com.

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