CARBA cake decorating winners (from left) Tammy Montesinos, first; Diane Aherns, second; and Lisa Ramos, third. Above: Monesinos’ custom design entry for which she placed first in the category.

The Chicago Area Retail Bakers Association (CARBA) held its 9th annual cake decorating contest in conjunction with the ICES (International Cake Exploration Societé) convention last month.

The overall winner was Tammy Montesinos, Central Continental Bakery, Mt. Prospect, Ill. She will represent the association at the 9th Annual RBA Pillsbury Grand Champion Creative Decorating Competition to be held during the American Retail Bakery Exposition next month in Charlotte, N.C. Montesinos also was featured in the June Decorator Ideas section of Modern Baking.

Diane Ahrens, Piece-A-Cake Bakery, East Dundee, Ill., placed second overall and Lisa Ramos, Fleckenstein’s Bakery, Molena, Ill., came in third. Other decorators participating in the event included Ashley Spitzer, Creative Cakes, Tinley Park, Ill.; Ashley Komarck, Fleckenstein’s Bakery; and Syreeta Zotigh, Swedish Bakery, Chicago.

All participants had to complete a cake in the following categories: custom design, flowers and sprays, rolled fondant and sculpted cake.