La Coupe de Monde de la Patisserie, Chef Frederic Cassel

Dimanche 27 janvier Coupe de Monde de la Patisserie 2013
 

There are a gazillion gorgeous gateaux sitting around in the VIP area.
 

It's easy to forget how much engineering goes into creating these cakes like this cut-away diagram in the Valrhona stand.
 

Cakes are used all over the place instead of floral bouquets.
 

These are table décor like flowers and not to be cut or eaten.
 

Inside the Coupe de Monde de la Patisserie competition the cakes are really far away.
 

Everyone is shooting everyone else AND the cakes of course.
 

You have to watch the big screen above the competition judges to gather what's going on in front and back in the kitchens.
 

Better yet upstairs in the press room you can get very up close and personal with the harried contestents preping their desserts on the big screen.
 

You can watch the chef judges expressions as they taste the creations of 21 world wide teams.

They must taste:

3 chocolate desserts

3 frozen fruit desserts

12 plates of desserts

Judge a sugar showpiece, a chocolate showpiece, and an ice sculpture. All this must be produced in a mere 10 hours and done to perfection after 2 years of practice, practice, practice. So in the end the judges job is quite an undertaking. I have no idea how they do it. I was felled yesterday with a mild tummy ache by a few bites here and there at SIRHA. The French team won this year coached by Frederic Cassel who also ran the Charles Proust Concours at the Salon du Chocolat. Still this event is full of tremendous fun and excitement, even if the cakes aren't for tasting. Come back in 2 years for the next Coupe de Monde de la Patisserie in 2015!