Calling All Bakers!
On October 11 from 1 to 4 p.m., at the East River Bar in Williamsburg, 20 bakers will feed a crowd of hungry guests and an esteemed panel of Judges at one raucous, delicious, unforgettable party to benefit New York Cares.

Who Can Enter?
Anyone! Fierce & Sweet is open to professional and amateur bakers – anyone who enjoys bringing joy to others through baked goods and supporting an organization that is vital to the lives of thousands of New Yorkers.

What Kinds of Baked Goods Can Be Entered?
Any kind of sweet baked good is admissible: pies, cakes, cupcakes, tortes, strudels. It’s up to you.

What does it cost to enter?
Entry is free but you are expected to cover the costs of your own ingredients and handle transportation of your entry to the event venue.

How do I win?
Bakers will be judged at two levels – all the guests will be voting for Audience Award, and a small panel of celebrity judges will be choosing winners in each of these categories:

• Most Surprising Ingredients: For the most out there, unexpected combinations that nobody ever thought would taste good until YOU came along.

• Most Delicious: Enough Said.

• Sexiest Baker: Since you will be representing yourself we hope you’ll get into the spirit and dress up to attract more attention to your “goods.” And let’s face it, sex sells.

• Best Presentation: For the most beautiful, elegant, complicated, or outlandish presentation.

• Best “Green” Goodies: Milk from Queens? Eggs from Brooklyn? Butter from Jersey? Baked in a repurposed hub cap?

Who are the Judges?

• Dalia Jurgensen, executive pastry chef at Dressler and author of Spiced: A Pastry Chef’s True Stories of Trials by Fire, After-Hours Exploits and What Really Goes on in the Kitchen
• Rich Muszynski, owner of Ricard Chocolat
• Theo Peck and Nick Suarez, competitive cook off gurus

How it works
Fill out the Baker Registration form here. You will be asked to enter your Baker Stage Name and the name of your entry (with as much detail to entice the audience as possible). If you know you want to enter but you are not sure yet what to make, enter “TBD”. The deadline to submit the name of your baked good is Monday, October 5.

When you arrive on the day of the bake off, consider bringing a helper to assist you. You will need to staff your booth for the duration of the event (1 to 4 p.m.) and serve up your goodies. The more you make, the more bites you can distribute to the guests and the better chance you have of winning the Audience Award. The celebrity judges will taste your desserts and ask you questions prior to the arrival of the guests.

Once the guests arrive, we hope you will do your best to help us show everyone a good time by being enthusiastic about your goods. You can wear a costume, you can bring a dancing assistant. Anything goes. It’s not fair, it’s for charity!

And remember: the more guests you invite, the better chance you have of swaying the vote! And the audience vote can be swayed by effective campaigning.

How much are tickets for non-baker guests?
For a $20 donation, guests will gain access to all the treats and one ballot.  Additional ballots will be on sale for $1 each.  100% of proceeds will go directly to New York Cares.

What we will provide for you:

• Tables, serving plates, sporks, and napkins
• All marketing for the event

What you will provide:

• The baked goods in as large a quantity as possible. We are expecting 150-200 guests. Try to bring enough for 1-2 bites per guest

What you get:

• Free entry to the event plus one additional comp for a guest or helper
• Links to your website if applicable
• The satisfaction of knowing you helped us raise funds for New York Cares.

Deadline for Entry:
There are only 20 spots available – first come first served.

Publicity:
Fierce & Sweet will be actively publicized on the Fierce & Sweet blog, by New York Cares, and by Brooklyn and Manhattan food-centric blogs.

About the organizers and how to reach us:
Fierce & Sweet is conceived and organized by two New York Cares junior board members. Don’t hesitate to call us with any questions you have about entering: fierceandsweet@gmail.com.

Hayley Downs
Hayley Downs is a documentary filmmaker, producer and non-profit fundraising consultant. She is currently in production on Swamp Cabbage: a dark and sweaty documentary based on her childhood experiences growing up in eccentric backwoods Florida.

Katie Hustead
Katie Hustead conducts research on climate change and environmental issues, and develops products to help clients adjust to living in a carbon-constrained world.  She adores New York Cares and has been reading to seniors on a monthly project for seven years.