On Wednesday April 15, the students in foods teacher Ms. Lauren Bourassa’s class participated in the annual Cupcake Wars competition. Modeled after the show on Food Network, the competition requires that each group of students in the class bakes a set up cupcakes, to be judged by a panel of teachers and students from HHS.  Each group of students has a required ingredient, usually a fruit or vegetable,  that they must incorporate into their cupcakes. After baking, the students must create a thematic display, usually made from a shoebox, in which to showcase their confectionary creations.  Ms. Bourassa said, “I love how it allows the students to be creative and let their artistic sides shine. They usually enjoy being able to pick out the recipes and of course, eat delicious cupcakes!”

Ms. Bourassa started doing the Cupcake Wars competition with students two years ago at Downsville Central High School in upstate New York. She said that the idea came about when two students, fans of Cupcake Wars on Food Network, approached her asking if they could do a baking competition in class. This is where the tradition began, that Ms. Bourassa described as, “a fun and challenging competition.”

This year, some of the different types of cupcakes made by students included, Pina Colada, watermelon, and strawberry, and apple. Some of the themes students incorporated into their displays were the four seasons, a tropical paradise, and an apple orchard, to name a few. Senior Claire Maisto who competed in the Cupcake Wars this year said, that “They were fun because we had a lot of freedom to decide which recipes we wanted to do and how to execute the designs on the boxes.”

Photos provided by Ms. Bourassa.

Gallery • 6 Photos

Ms. Bourassa

Senior John Lastoria hard at work with his spicecake cupcake with apple pie filling and caramel frosting.