Second Semiannual Great Virginia Bake Off Rises to the Occasion
For the second straight semester, the best bakers in Virginia, if not the wider Mid-Atlantic region and the universe, competed for the coveted titles of Best through Fifth-Best Baker in the university and region. The class of 2028 defended their cumulative title over the classes of 2027 and 2029, each of which failed to show up, demonstrating the truth of the phrase that eighty percent of success is just showing up.
The class of 2028 baked a variety of savory and sweet options for consumption by the world-traveling judges who made an appearance to adjudicate the competition. Truly it was some of the finest judging witnessed since the astute judges of the 2000 Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show and those of the Court of Petty Appeals.
Wilcox ’28, a new entrant, baked not one, but two excellent and still piping hot dishes, first leading with chocolate chip cookies based on a classic family recipe and then bringing in reinforcements with a cute coffee cake.
Leiman ’28, the other newcomer to the competition, followed the chocolate theme with a pan of perfectly baked brownies, complete with the little chocolate chips baked in and everything.
From right: Izzie Wilcox ’28, Nina Leiman ’28, Yashi Gunawardena ’28, Coleman Efird ’28, Andrew Moore ’28 (Source: Author)
Gunawardena ’28 returned from last semester and changed it up from a grapefruit cheesecake to pumpkin cinnamon rolls—clearly the resident expert of flavors!
Efird ’28 returned to defend his title with the “if it ain’t broke” approach and maintained his high standards for his Georgian bread and cheese delicacy, khachapuri. One truly cannot go wrong with the classic bread and cheese combination.
Moore ’28, undeterred after his questionably constructed cake of the spring, opted for the easier-to-consume cookie, though kept going for aesthetics by baking miniature chessboard cookies.
The quality of the competition continues to elevate each semester. As the host and master of ceremonies Yashi put it, “It’s getting harder to rank each time,” and posited that there will be a “10-way tie 3L spring.” Truly, it was a competition of excellent bakers and an afternoon of wonderful company.
After much deliberating and voting in which nearly every dish received both first and fifth best votes (further reinforcing the tough competition), the chocolate chip cookie and coffee cake combo barely edged ahead for first place, followed closely by pumpkin cinnamon rolls and khachapuri, while the classic chess cookies and brownies still beat out the competition from the rest of the school and region. Clearly, the gauntlet—or baking mitt, rather—has been thrown down for the classes of 2027 and 2029 to up their game next semester!
Author: Andrew Moore, cwb5ex@virginia.edu