General Mills Foodservice is proud to announce in partnership with the Retail Bakers of America the winners for the 18th Pillsbury™ Bakers’ Plus Grand Champion Creative Decorating Competition, one of the baking industry’s most prestigious competitions for professional bakers. This year’s finale, which featured six two–person teams, was held Sept. 8-9 during International Baking Industry Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Additional sponsors include Satin Ice, CakeDeco, and Qualisoy. The winners were announced Tuesday.

Andres Enciso and Banny Ayarza of Awesome Edible Art in Tampa, Florida, won the overall first prize, competing for the first time ever in a cake decorating championship.

“This is something I have been working toward for 15 years of hard work,” said Enisco, who owns Awesome Edible Art, a contract cake decorating studio, and is a native of Colombia. “I am very honored.”

Ayarza joined the Tampa cake shop three years ago after working as a cake decorator for eight years in her native Peru. She provided the inspiration for the team’s winning fondant cake, which was an interpretation of a “prom-posal” that featured fondant modeling.

Placing second overall was the team of Robbyn Yuen and Ashley Spitzer of Creative Cakes, Tinley Park, Illinois.

Third place overall went to Robyn Hanisch and Wanda Munoz-Jovet of Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop, Red Wing, Minnesota.

Professional judges were Bronwen Weber, Jorg Amsler and Nicolas Lodge.

Other 2019 contestants were the following:

Elizabeth Balderaz and Angela Negron, Faux Cakes and Rentals, Houston, Texas

Justine Martin and Josee Frappier, Guilty Pleasures Bakeshop + Bar, Sudbury, Ontario

Jen Barney and Jessica Miller, Meringue Bakery, Stoddard, Wisconsin

The following were the top three finishers in each category:

Fondant Category - Sponsored by Satin Ice

3rd Place Winning Team - Jen Barney & Jessica Miller, Meringue Bakery, Stoddard, WI

2^nd Place Winning Team - Elizabeth Balderaz & Angela Negron, Faux Cakes and Rentals, Houston, TX

1^st Place Winning Team - Andres Enciso & Banny Ayarza, Awesome Edible Art, Tampa, FL

Sculpted Category - Sponsored by American Cake Decorating Magazine

3^rd Place Winning Team - Justine Martin & Josee Frappier, Guilty Pleasures Bakeshop + Bar, Sudbury, ON

2^nd Place Winning Team - Andres Enciso & Banny Ayarza, Awesome Edible Art, Tampa, FL

1^st Place Winning Team - Robbyn Yuen & Ashley Spitzer, Creative Cakes Bakery, Tinley Park, IL

Buttercream Category - Sponsored by Qualisoy

3^rd Place Winning Team - Jen Barney & Jessica Miller, Meringue Bakery, Stoddard, WI

2^nd Place Winning Team - Robyn Hanisch & Wanda Munoz-Jovet, Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop, Red Wing, MN

1^st Place Winning Team - Robbyn Yuen & Ashley Spitzer, Creative Cakes Bakery, Tinley Park, IL

Wedding Category - Sponsored by CakeDeco

3rd Place Winning Team - Robyn Hanisch & Wanda Munoz-Jovet, Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop, Red Wing, MN

2^nd Place Winning Team - Robbyn Yuen & Ashley Spitzer, Creative Cakes Bakery, Tinley Park, IL

1^st Place Winning Team - Andres Enciso & Banny Ayarza, Awesome Edible Art, Tampa, FL