Eighteen students at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College combined their passion for baking with a local favorite to come up with the ACA Cupcake Wars: Miss America Challenge.
The students in Chef Educator Annmarie Chelius’ Elements of Wedding Cake Design class each selected two to three states to create cupcakes representing the contestant’s state, talent or platform. With the judging completed Friday, Sept. 11, the top five cupcakes were all created by students Aimee Fischer of Toms River with her Miss Washington, D.C. and Miss New York cupcakes; Emily Garber of Washington Township with her Miss New Jersey and Miss Idaho cupcakes; and Laura Wilson of Blackwood with her Miss Nevada cupcake. But there could only be one winner, and top honors went to Fischer’s Miss New York-themed apple cinnamon cupcake with a salted caramel Italian buttercream filling. Fischer said she chose to use Pink Lady and Gala apples because New York is known for their apples, and incorporated Miss New York’s school colors (green and white) from Wagner University into the tiara she made.
Her plans to celebrate her victory? “Sleep,” Fischer said with a smile.
Contestants included: Aimee Fischer of Toms River – New York, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C.; Alicia Pugliese of Newfield – Utah, Rhode Island and Minnesota; Emily Newton of Cape May – Kansas, Texas and Montana; Emily Dunn of Berlin – Virginia and Tennessee; Rosemary Plantarich of Williamstown – Arizona, North Dakota and Maryland; Brianna Wright of Point Pleasant – Georgia and New Mexico; Kelsey Selwood of Mullica Township – Mississippi, Massachusetts and Alabama; Nysha Melton of Galloway – Hawaii, West Virginia and Oklahoma; Katelyn Viscusi of Ocean City – Colorado, Iowa and Vermont; Julianna Blaszyk of Deptford – Oregon, Washington and Pennsylvania; Michele Fulford of Egg Harbor Township – California, Nebraska and Arkansas; Taylor Borz of Collings Lakes – Michigan, Puerto Rico and Alaska; Bryanna Varner of Bayville – Florida, North Carolina and Illinois; Alexandra Teise of Cape May Court House – South Carolina, South Dakota and
Indiana; Laura Wilson of Blackwood – Delaware, Nevada and Wyoming; Justice Pritchett of Woodbury – Maine, Louisiana and Montana; Emily Garber of Washington Township – New Jersey, Connecticut and Idaho; and Samantha Robinson of National Park – Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin.
The ACA has been training future chefs for more than 30 years, and Chef Chelius recently received national honors, being named 2015 CAFÉ/Sysco Corporation Educator of the Year. For more information about the ACA, call 1-800-645‑CHEF, email accadmit@atlantic.edu, or visit www.atlantic.edu/aca.