Cake contest score sheet and judging criteria
A cake contest has two problems a cookie swap does not: a cake is easy to recognize on the plate, and a pretty cake is not always a tasty one. Below is a 100-point sheet you can print or copy, what each score means, and how to keep the voting blind.
Cake contest score sheet
Five criteria, 100 points. Judges fill in one row per criterion for each cake and add the points up. Crumb, flavor and frosting carry most of the weight because that is what is on the fork. This split is my own suggestion; change the weights if your rules say otherwise.
| Criterion | Max | Low scores | High scores | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | 10 | Domed and cracked, leaning layers, torn or patchy frosting. | Level layers, smooth even frosting, a clean slice with visible layers. | |
| Crumb and texture | 25 | Dry, dense, gummy, tunnels or a sunken middle. | Moist, even crumb that holds together and springs back. | |
| Flavor | 30 | Bland, one note, eggy or floury, an off taste. | The named flavor comes through (vanilla, chocolate, lemon) and tastes of more than sugar. | |
| Frosting and filling | 20 | Gritty, greasy or sickly sweet, too thick, slides off the layer. | Smooth, balanced against the cake, enough to taste in every bite. | |
| Overall | 15 | Cake and frosting feel like two separate things. | The slice works as one and you would take a second. | |
| Total | 100 | Cake number: ______ Judge: ______ | ||
Rough guide for each row: under a third of the points means a clear fault, around half is fine but forgettable, and the top fifth is for cakes you would put in a bakery window.
Using the online scorecard instead? Guests give each cake one rating from 1 to 5. Use the sheet above for a judging panel and the link for the people's choice vote.
Decorated cakes and tasted cakes
Many cake contests mix two things: how a cake looks and how it tastes. A showpiece with fondant flowers can taste of cardboard, and the best-tasting cake is often a plain one. I suggest deciding before the contest which one you are judging.
- Taste contest: use the sheet above and judge slices. Looks count for 10 points only.
- Decorating contest: judge the whole cake on a table before anyone cuts it, with points for neatness, creativity and following the theme. Run a separate taste vote so the two winners are not mixed up.
- Both: give two prizes. A cake can win one and lose the other.
Keeping it blind
- Bakers hand their cake to one person who does not vote and who gives each cake a number.
- Cut identical slices from the middle of the cake, so nobody gets only the edge or the decoration. Put each on a numbered plate.
- A slice still shows chocolate or lemon. Blind here means voters do not know who baked it.
- Keep cake boxes and recognizable pans out of sight until the winner is announced.
Practical things
- Ask for one 8 or 9 inch cake or a dozen cupcakes per baker, and say so on the invitation. Cupcakes are easier to plate evenly.
- Cakes with cream cheese frosting, whipped cream or custard filling need a fridge until tasting time. The USDA advises not leaving perishable food out more than two hours; see its page on the danger zone.
- Ask bakers to list allergens (nuts, dairy, eggs, gluten) on a card at the table.
- Water or plain coffee between slices. Two very sweet frostings in a row make the third taste worse than it is.
Running it with the scorecard
Type the cakes in the order of the numbered plates. Guests open one link on their phones, see Entry 1, Entry 2 and so on, and rate each cake from 1 to 5, thinking of crumb, flavor and frosting together. When you close voting, the ranking appears with the baker names. Baking cookies or pies as well? See the cookie score sheet and the pie judging sheet.
Start a cake contest scorecard. The title is filled in; add the cakes and share the link.
Create a scorecard