Natalie Gauci has been declared the first KitchenAid Cake Master in Malta. Her Minion-themed cake placed first among 20 finalists in a keenly contested competition final held at the Forestals showroom in Mriehel.

The twenty cakes participating in the final were judged on flavour (smell and taste), inside characteristics (texture and lightness), overall appearance (surface, size and colour), and creativity (topping, icing and decoration).

Natalie's creation consisted eight layers of light vanilla sponge cake filled with creamy cookie filling, chopped vanilla cookies and dark chocolate ganache as a side border in each layer. The main ingredients in the filling were brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and cream. The chocolate ganache was produced using dark chocolate, cream and butter.  The cake obtained 262 points from a possible total of 300.

The panel of judges, comprising of Joe Vella, Executive Chef at the Hilton Hotel, Amanda Savona, a chef with over 15 years of experience in the catering industry, and Clare Agius, TV presenter and personality, had the difficult task of selecting the twenty finalists from an initial amount of more than 60 participants.

As the competition winner, Natalie received a cheque for Eur500, whilst second placed Daniela Azzopardi and Claire Metadi Stride in third place received Eur350 and Eur150 respectively. The top three placed contestants were also given a KitchenAid Artisan 4.8Litre Mixer each.

All other participants, including the ones who did not make it to the final, received a KitchenAid apron and utensils, together with a certificate of participation.

At the end of the final, Pierre Zammit, Chief Operations Officer at Forestals Consumer, said "We are very pleased with the response from cake baking and decorating enthusiasts. The twenty cakes participating in the final reflected the significant amount of time and dedication put in by all contestants.

The plan is to make this competition an annual event. So we look forward to seeing even more fantastic culinary creations next year," concluded Zammit.

KitchenAid is the number one brand among the best chefs in the world. It is widely regarded as the favourite choice for all those who are passionate about food and gourmet cooks willing to achieve professional results and bring stylish design to their surroundings.

For more information about the range of KitchenAid appliances visit the Forestals showroom in Mriehel. Web: www.forestals.com|Tel: 2343 6000