Cake bake ideas/experience

[OwntheNight]

The first Pack I was with did this during the October pack meeting. So you had all the boys in their Halloween costumes and the leaders as well. We did it as an auction format, needless to say I opened my big mouth about it and the next year, I showed up as Jack Sparrow auctioning off cakes with the same bravado and stupor of the real Capt.Jack. The boys and the parents had a blast, I had a blast with it.

 

We gave out ribbons for the different categories (The kitty litter cake is still my favorite!) and then I set the prices at the Auction based upon the award. If you brought in a thing of cookies from the store, they weren't priced very high. I believe I had to work harder than the girl scouts to sell those Sugar cookies :)We invited grandparents, teachers, extended family to come and bid on items. We were upfront with everybody that the money was going back to the general fund to help pay for the program. If people know what they give is going to directly benefit the boys, they were willing to write the check, myself included. I would rather write a $200.00 check directly to the pack than try and sell 600.00 worth of popcorn. I do like 'Fish's idea of adopting families at Christmas, we might just do that this year.

 

We are going to do the cake auction this year at our fall carnival, so I'm really going to encourage the boys and families to get the creative juices flowing. Besides, Capt. Jack has been hiding in my garage a little too long, it might be time for him to make an appearance! Bugger, Mate!

[GKlose]

We belonged to a pack that had annual bake-offs. They were okay, at first, but then I kind of got bored with them. I heard of another pack that stopped them because they became over-the-top adults trying to out-do each other without Cubs really involved. Sound like a Pinewood Derby? :-)

 

So I suggest having fun awards with categories out of the ordinary. Don't crown a "Best", but have categories like: Most Chocolatey, Least Chocolatey, Most Creative, Best Sports Theme, Best Scout Theme, etc. Maybe even some Honorable Mention categories for the cakes that really are obviously Cub-built. If you think the contest will be dominated by adult-built cakes, try the PWD idea of creating an adult category, or sibling category.

 

My Cubs, at the time, had assistance from Mom to build the base cakes they made, but decoration was all on their own, of their own design. One decided to do an over-the-top chocolate bomb, with oreos, chocolate piece, chocolate cake and icing, sprinkles/jimmies and anything else he could think of. My other son did a camping "scene" with a fake fire (logs from pretzel sticks) and Teddy Graham campers. It was cute. I have no recall if they won awards or not, but then again that wasn't so important in this pack.

 

We'd make a big deal about judging (meeting place is a school, and some teachers were invited to judge) and then after that, anyone could sample anything. Most kids just wanted to sample their own.

 

Guy

[GKlose]

Now that I've read the other responses to this thread :-), I was reminded that we were also part of a small pack that folded. They did cakes too, but at their B&G -- they brought raw materials (a couple of plain cakes, some icing and then other decorations) and then Cubs and siblings tried to outdo each other in terms of decoration, on the spot. Usually they just created big messes, but they had lots of fun doing it. It didn't matter the finished cakes didn't look so edible, they just had fun.

[83Eagle]

I am thinking of doing a silent auction. However I'm not sure of whether to do visible bid sheets or envelopes. I can see benefits and drawbacks to either.

[AnnLaurelB]

I like the silent auction idea! What I would do in that case is hold it sometime when, say, another population could be present (our CO church, in our case). I'd tell the pastor ahead of time to come by and write $5 on a cake that had no bids, for example.

 

Other staff members and a couple of church ladies to do the same thing...EVERYONE's cake gets bid on.

 

But I like it! :0)

[AnnLaurelB]

That being said, I'd like to share this site: http://www.cakepopsrecipe.com/

 

They are sooooo much fun! A little bit of extra work, yes. But they were a BIG hit!

 

Please ignore the photo on their front page right now. It looks very unappetizing, but I made some plain, easy ones for our swim party last month, and they were ADORABLE!

 

I can't wait to make them again. Score some extra points for the bakin' CM! :0)