British Baker, the organiser of National Cupcake Week, is delighted to announce the finalists of the National Cupcake Championships 2011.

The event, now in its third year, pits the best cupcake makers in the country against one another and marks the first milestone in the run-up to National Cupcake Week, which takes place 12-18 September.

The finalists – the cream of the UK’s professional cupcake makers – will battle it out for the crown of National Cupcake Champion at the Institute of Contemporary Arts on 15 August.

“The number of entries has nearly doubled each year in the three years that we’ve hosted this event,” said British Baker deputy editor Andrew Williams. “Cupcakes have often been written off as a fad, but because the flavours and designs keep evolving, they continue growing in popularity.

“This year we’ve seen a notable shift away from some of the overly sweet cupcakes of the past – a response perhaps to changing consumers’ palates and a distancing from the American style of cupcake that has dominated in recent years.”

He added that the surge in home baking of cupcakes had driven ever higher standards from those who bake professionally.

“Last year the UK witnessed a boom in home-baked cupcakes, accounting for nearly a third of all cupcakes consumed, and helping to push cupcake consumption up by 52%* year on year,” he commented. “Bakers have had to raise their game and really innovate with flavour combinations – using tricks and skilled techniques that are hard to replicate at home – to make sure people keep buying cupcakes.”

* Source: Kantar Worldpanel, 52 w/e end of Feb 2011

National Cupcake Championships finalists

Absolute Treats
April Bakery
Beach House Bakery
Bibi’s Bakery
Cakeadoodledo
Call Me Cupcakes
Cameo Cupcakes
Charmaine’s Cupcakes
Cinnamon Square
Claire’s Handmade Cakes
Classy Cupcakes
Clevercow Cakes
Cocktail Couture - CCTreats
Crazy Baker
Crazy Moose Bakery
Crumbs Cupcakery
Cuppa Cake Company
David Jenkins
Delicakes
Eat Me Cupcakes
Fantasweets Cupcake
Fatherson Bakery
Frost and Snow
Greggs Plc
Hey Little Cupcake!
HoneyOrb Bakery
House of Cakes by Helena Costa
Ice Maiden Cakes
Iced Gems of Swanage
Kimmy Loves Cake
Lady Jayne’s Cakes
Let them Eat Cake
Little Suzi’s Kitchen
Love Cakes London
Mamas Cupcakes
Munch@Coughlans
Naginski Cupcakes
Organic Delights
Peggy’s Cupcakes
Rachel’s Cupcakes
Rhubarb & Raspberry
Rich Products/Asda
Rosewood Cakes
Sweet & Wicked Cupcakes
Sweet Things
Tea Loves Cake
The Beehive Bakery
The Cupcake Bakery
The Little House of Cupcakes
The Penny Lane Baker

British Baker would like to thank everybody who took the time and effort to enter this year and hopes that those who missed out on a final place will try again in 2012.

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