Architecture and Baking Competition at Fluff Meringues & More

It seems like everywhere you turn these days, there’s another cooking competition show to be watched. From Cupcake Wars to The Great British Bake Off, everyone we know is obsessed with watching strangers create gorgeously snack-worthy edible structures, as delicious to eat as they are to behold.

A lakeside dining area with fire pit/sundial made from meringue, honeycomb, salt dough, sugar cubes, royal icing, flour glue, white chocolate, and coconut. (Photo by Kristin Collins)

And now, thanks to the joint efforts of Fluff Meringues & More, and Matt Fajkus Architecture, a select group of talented Austinites will be able to put their skills to the challenge irl. The rest of us are invited to sit back and watch the sugary spectacle unfold.

The theme of the contest is Food and Fun, an Architecture and Baking Competition. And this installment’s challenge? Edible pavilions. To inspire entrants, the folks at Fluff have produced their own structure, a lakeside dining area with a miniature sundial crafted from meringue, honeycomb, salt dough, sugar cubes, royal icing, flour glue, and white chocolate, and coconut.

The contest is open to aspiring sugar architects of all ages, and experience levels, who can enter individually, or as a team of up to four bakers. Each team must create a unique baked structure, with handmade decorations that are at least 80% edible (the inedible 20% must, of course, be non-poisonous structural components like toothpicks and skewers). The judges will consider, stability, durability, design concept, creativity, and appearance, and for a bonus 10 points can taste samples of all the baked components of the structure. The top three winning entrants will receive Fluff gift cards, and cash, as well as serious bragging rights.

Judging the contest are Fluff owner Kristin Collins, architect Sarah Johnson, Austin Food and Wine Alliance executive director Mariam Parker, and the Chronicle’s own Jessi Cape. “I'm thrilled to get the opportunity to judge this sweet contest at one of my favorite bakeries. No question we will all be inspired by these students' handiwork,” says Parker.

Cape agrees. “We're lucky enough to frequently experience some of the best food this city has to offer,” she says. “But it's a rare delight to critique food based on how it will behave in the elements, and whether or not it's heat/water resistant! As a self-proclaimed gingerbread house expert, I'm super excited to witness the architectural creativity Austinites are sure to bring to this competition."

For a full list of requirements and dates, please visit the contest page via Fluff’s website.