Past Winner Baden’s Bakery Returns to the Brides & Weddings Cake-Off

By Rebecca Barnes, Publisher, Brides & Weddings

Past Brides & Weddings Cake-Off winner Amanda Baden is returning to the competition this September, bringing the creativity, experience, and love of baking behind Baden’s Bakery back to Sweeney Barn.

The 2026 Brides & Weddings Cake-Off takes place Wednesday, September 9, at Sweeney Barn in Manassas. The annual Women’s Wedding Network event brings together wedding cake artists and dessert professionals to showcase their talents, meet other wedding professionals, and compete for Cake-Off honors.

For Baden, returning to the Cake-Off is another chapter in a baking career connected to weddings almost from the beginning.

Baden’s love of baking began long before she opened her business. She attended culinary school for baking and pastry, but an unexpected first job helped introduce her to the wedding industry.

“My first job was managing Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast Inn, which introduced me to the wedding industry from a completely different perspective,” Baden said. The owners of Briar Patch encouraged her to turn her baking skills into a business of her own.

“The owners of Briar Patch were actually some of the first people to encourage me to start my own baking business, and that encouragement played a big role in taking that first step,” she said. Wedding cakes quickly became part of that new venture. In fact, one of Baden’s first paid orders was a wedding cake.

Since then, Baden’s Bakery has grown into a business that allows her to combine two things she loves: creating beautiful desserts and being part of milestone celebrations.

Baden describes her wedding cake style as “elegant, romantic, and detail-oriented,” with designs created specifically for each couple. She enjoys incorporating delicate textures, florals, and dimensional elements while maintaining a sophisticated, timeless look. Baden is also seeing couples become more willing to make their cakes personal.

“Rather than simply choosing a traditional white cake, they’re incorporating meaningful colors, unique textures, florals, and details that tie into the overall wedding design,” she said. Couples are also treating their cakes and desserts as part of the guest experience. Interactive dessert displays, different serving elements, and opportunities for guests to customize desserts are becoming more popular.

Still, Baden believes appearance is only half of the equation. “I always want a cake to be something that looks beautiful in photos but is also something the couple and their guests are genuinely excited to eat,” she said.

As a previous Brides & Weddings Cake-Off winner, Baden knows firsthand what can come from participating in the competition. Her advice to other bakers considering this year’s event is simple: don’t wait until you think you’re completely ready.

“The first year I competed, I honestly didn’t feel completely ‘ready,’ but I’m so glad I decided to do it anyway,” she said. “Sometimes you can wait forever to feel ready for an opportunity like this, and I think it’s important just to put yourself out there and see what you’re capable of.”

For Baden, the value extends beyond winning.

The Cake-Off allows competitors to meet other bakers and wedding professionals, showcase their talents to a new audience, and form relationships that can continue well after the event. It can also be a place to experiment.

During last year’s competition, Baden created a cake featuring a flavor and design she had never made before. She used the Cake-Off as an opportunity to challenge herself creatively. It paid off unexpectedly.

“Since the competition, I’ve received several orders for that same flavor and design,” she said. That experience is one reason Baden encourages other cake artists to take the chance. “Even if you don’t walk away with an award, you can still walk away with new connections, new ideas, more confidence, and potentially something new that becomes part of your business.”

For couples, Baden recommends looking beyond a single inspiration photo when selecting their baker. “My biggest advice is to choose a baker whose style and work you genuinely love, rather than trying to find someone who can simply recreate a photo you found online,” she said. Couples should review portfolios and consider whether a baker’s overall design style and quality align with what they envision for their wedding.

She also encourages couples to think about their cake as an experience rather than simply another item to cross off the planning list. “Your cake is one of the few parts of the wedding that can be both a visual centerpiece and something everyone gets to experience together,” Baden said.

And once couples have found the right baker, she has one more piece of advice: trust them.

“Once you’ve chosen someone whose work you love, let them use their expertise to bring your vision to life,” she said. “A good baker should make the process feel organized and enjoyable, so you can focus on celebrating rather than worrying about the details of your cake.”

Amanda Baden and Baden’s Bakery will return to the Brides & Weddings Cake-Off on Wednesday, September 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Sweeney Barn in Manassas.

Wedding cake artists, bakers, and dessert professionals interested in joining Baden and this year’s competitors can learn more and register at bridesandweddings.com/womens-wedding-network/cake-off/.

Brides & Weddings Cake-Off
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Sweeney Barn, Manassas, Virginia

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Wedding Bakers: There’s Still Time to Compete

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We’re still accepting last-minute Cake-Off competitors. Bring your creativity, your best flavors and your best wedding-worthy design for the chance to show the wedding community what you can do.

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Cake-Off information and baker registration are available on the Brides & Weddings Cake-Off page.