Connecticut’s Old State House Celebrates Election Season with Annual Election Cake Bake-Off

On Saturday, November 5 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm, Connecticut’s Old State House in Hartford will host its first in-person Election Cake Bake-Off, a competition featuring entries from professional bakers and pastry chefs from across the state. 

Inspired by the Early American custom of celebrating Election Day with the traditional Hartford Election Cake, this festive Bake-Off invites chefs to submit their modern interpretation of the traditional spice cake, which will be judged on taste and creativity of decoration.

This year’s judging panel includes Stephanie Webster, founder of the foodie website CTBites, food blogger David Milton of @thedamgram on Instagram, the sous chef of Sift Bakery in Mystic, former Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, and 2022 Connecticut Kid Governor Makhi Etienne-Modeste. 

The winning baker will have their cake featured in a statewide publication and on social media, along with other to-be-announced prizes.

Connecticut’s Old State House hosts this annual event each November to draw attention to state and local elections and encourage voter registration. For the first time, the public is invited to view the judging and participate in election-themed festivities throughout the building. Guided tours will also be available for visitors who would like to see the restored National Historic Landmark which once housed all three branches of Connecticut’s state government.

This is the first year that Connecticut’s Old State House has hosted the event for professional bakers and pastry chefs with an in-person judging event. In previous years, the competition has been hosted online for home and amateur bakers to make their own Election Cakes.

Bakers who would like to participate may contact Nicole Sousa at nicole.sousa@cga.ct.gov or 860.522.6766, or can apply directly here: bit.ly/ctosh2022bakeoff. 

Connecticut’s Old State House is a National Historic Landmark building which served as a home to all three branches of Connecticut state government from 1796 to 1878. Museum exhibits highlight some of Connecticut’s most important stories of freedom, democracy, and civic action, from the Amistad and Prudence Crandall trials to the Constitutional Convention of 1818.  Today, Connecticut’s Old State House is operated by a public/private partnership between the Connecticut Office of Legislative Management and The Connecticut Democracy Center.  It currently serves as a history museum, gathering spot, and place of civic exploration for thousands of local, national, and international visitors each year. For hours and admission rates, visit ctoldstatehouse.org.

The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) provides people with a lifetime pathway to active citizenship and the tools to take civic action in their own communities. The CTDC seeks to inspire people of all ages to engage in civic life and strengthen their communities. Learn more at ctdemocracycenter.org.