ECC Culinary Arts students face Harper in cupcake competition

Cindy Capps and duo Sarah Connelly and Samantha Skog will represent Elgin Community College in a head-to-head cupcake taste-off against students from Harper College at the Hoffman Estates' International Food Tasting Festival on Thursday, Nov. 20. The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Stonegate Banquet and Conference Centre, 2401 W. Higgins Road.

Capps' creation is a honey cake with whiskey cream and candied pecans. Connelly and Skog will enter a spiced gingerbread with pumpkin mousse cupcake.

Sponsored by Tate & Lyle Splenda, the challenge awards $1,000 and $500 scholarships to the two student teams who best utilize Splenda sweetener and receive the popular vote by attendees. This is the third cupcake showdown between the two schools. ECC students won first place two years in a row.

Tickets for the event are $20 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information on the event, visit visithoffman.com.

ECC's Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program consists of the culinary degree curriculum, pastry/baking degree curriculum, and the restaurant management degree curriculum. Culinary arts and restaurant management students at ECC also gain real-world experience at Spartan Terrace, the student-run restaurant where they prepare and serve elegant cuisine for dinner and lunch service under the guidance of their instructors. Visit www.elgin.edu/spartanterrace for more information.

For more information on ECC's collection of culinary, pastry and hospitality management courses and degrees, visit www.elgin.edu/culinaryarts.