DC Cupcake Contest Yields Lots O' Creativity

The winner: a Chinatown-inspired lo mein cupcake.

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of judging Hello Cupcake's Design Your DC cupcake challenge. Hello Cupcake asked local bakers to create a cupcake that reflects their city inspiration, and lo and behold, there wasn't a single monument in sight.

Instead, contestants pulled out the creative stops with a DC sex scandal cupcake (which illustrated Larry Craig's wide stance quite effectively), Bo Obama digging in Michelle Obama's vegetable garden and several Ben's Chili Bowl designs.

The grand prize winner, inspired by Chinatown, was a clever cupcake loaded with frosting noodles to represent a bowl of lo mein.

Vote for your favorite on Facebook. The fan fave gets a KitchenAid mixer.

A few of my favorites:

The wide-stance, sex scandal cupcake.

The zoo-meets-Metro lines (plus purple!)-meets gay pride elephant, wearing cherry blossoms on its ear.

A fondant feat: a very mini Ben's Chili Bowl scene.

The winner in the best use of fondant category lays out the Metro map.

The best political statement winner: Yay, DC Statehood cupcake!

Nom, nom, Obama motif.

The famous Awakening statue returns to the District!

Bo digs up Michelle Obama's vegetable garden — the winner in the best use of theme category.