Revenge of the Sock Monkey

This is the anniversary week of our winning the Food Network's Extreme Cake Challenge. I will never forget that experience for so many reasons. It was an especially auspicious day since it was my Dad's birthday (April 24th) and he was out in Denver with us. Poor guy was running around getting us breakfast, snacks and dry ice (to put in Mr. Sock Monkey's head) so his ears would steam. And we didn't finish that night until 11pm so the birthday dinner I had planned fell by the wayside.


Unlike any of the other competitions I've done it was so special to be judged by people who actually make sculpted cakes just like I do. Duff, Geoff and Mary Alice from Charm City Cakes and the stars of Ace of Cakes could not have been better judges. Not just to me, but they were complimentary to all the other contestants and Duff really understood the EXTREME stress we were under since he has been a participant in so many competitions too. Even with playing competitive tennis in college I have really never felt so much stress in my life. The competitions are usually great because the weeks before I go I am so nervous I drop at least five pounds.


Overall the experience was so amazing and of course winning the competition against so many amazing cake designers was the real highlight! We couldn't have done it without so many people: our armature welder, Matthew James who is a working artist and came to the rescue in helping us build the Monkey's internal structure;my good friend and cake designer Buddy Valastro who got the sparklers to us before we left and of course my dad who was a constant supporter and gopher, and didn't leave the stadium the entire competition!