Fourth Annual Election Cake Bakeoff
Connecticut Old State House
Hartford
Nov. 1, 2025
Cake makes just about every occasion better, but can it make an election more fun too? As it turns out, yes it can, especially when the two are combined for a day of friendly competition and civic engagement.
The Fourth Annual Election Cake Bakeoff took place at the Connecticut Old State House. Three competitors created election-themed cakes to help kickoff the runup to Election Day. The mood was festive and lively, as cake lovers crowded into the Old State House to play games, dance along to music and, of course, vote on the best cake of the show.
The competitors came from all walks of life. Sarah Chiara doesn’t own a baking business, but she’s been baking since she was a child, where she learned the skill from her grandmother. Her entry was an apple cake with fig caramel filling and cream cheese frosting.
“Cooking is more like a feeling– you add a little bit of this, you add a little bit of that. Baking is more of a science, it's more of a challenge,” she said.
Josh Verkler, owner of LuAnn’s Bakery in Ellington, really got into the theme of the event.
“We were trying to decide what flavor to make and we decided since America is about freedom of choice, we would give people a choice of which cake they wanted,” he explained. His entry was a two layer cake, with the bottom layer consisting of chocolate cake with a salted caramel filling, and the top cake consisting of funfetti with a funfetti buttercream filling.
Finally, Natalie Townsend of Nevaeh’s Cake Creations began her business in 2021, and has preserved despite the fierce competition in the confectionery field. She named her business after her daughter, who was there with her serving cake.
“What I love about baking is the fact that it brings so much joy to people,” she said. “It puts a lot of smiles on people's faces and it's something that I'm very passionate about.”
Natalie’s entry was a two-tier cake, with the top layer consisting of vanilla cake with strawberry puree and the bottom tier consisting of red velvet.
Picking a winner from such amazing creations would be no easy task for the judges. The esteemed panel of judges consisted of food historians Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald, along with Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas.
As sweet as the treats were, there was also an important message behind the day. Connecticut has been in the midst of early voting for the last two weeks for municipal elections, with Election Day falling on November 4. Secretary Thomas said that voter participation in municipal elections averages around 33 percent, and even lower in some towns, which she said is far too low.
She said that not only do we have the right to vote, but that she believes it’s an obligation that goes beyond filling out a ballot.
“Most of us think of our obligation as voting, but it's so much more than that, because policies aren't written on election day,” she said. “So until we the people get involved and stay involved on the other 364 days a year, it feels to me like we'll never truly realize what a representative democracy is supposed to be, because we have to make sure that those elected to represent us do so in accordance with our values and our priorities.”
There was no shortage of participation in the cake voting though, and soon the votes were in (sadly, your intrepid reporter was too busy working to eat). When all was said and done, Natalie Townsend’s cake took home the top honors, but it was a win for everyone when the prize was delicious cake.
Winners
Kid Governor and Cabinet Selection
Best Decoration: Josh Verkler
Best Taste: Sarah Chiara
Audience Selection
Best Decoration: Natalie Townsend
Best Taste: Sarah Chiara
Judge’s Panel Selection
1st Place Winner: Natalie Townsend
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Jamil finally goes to see Hamilton.
