The Food Network sent me and my competitors to New York on January 28th to visit the set of Sesame Street to prepare for the next Challenge we're doing in this spring. It's a Sesame Street themed Challenge and we are all making a muppet cake. Our Challenge will be filmed at the Food Network studio on March 25th.
From the left, this is Roland Winbeckler (one of the pioneers in American cake decorating and an incredible cake artist. Remarkably, this will be Roland's first Challenge), Mike McCarey (a master cake sculpter, a Challenge multi-winner, and my hero), Marianne Carroll (incredibly creative cake designer and a Challenge veteran). I'm up against some tough competition, but I can't wait!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizq1uWhYPxm6RRu9EoZ0GJLZId9facgOHske2VWKdPnWsTyr8oTNzlLHrRfy_QA-smDWHJoA7EQK9EbDoisVld1Sc8F2z2UErFrlGto_iADulfX91KHo1CjUVFLPKtVNRAQFelmg-mkW_J/s320/street+lamp.jpg)
Me on the Sesame Street stoop.
I'm making the Elmo cake for the Challenge. Each of us interviewed our muppet. This is me during my interview with Elmo. After the interview was over Elmo called my 4 year-old daughter, Stella, in Dallas. She LOVED it!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ZNIsdkJE9qNJ5DQFYzNUAxgHhgWm0eeXARqbDNPl7OewPltlBkPM12t0Cl9TSzissvIqjPTRXviN7bb64n6927jO9HGnM8bsT1RrTFYmxuBjrx7xCeKzZo2ld8NKJURXpGdBihZd1ul5/s320/safe+elmo+and+Lauren.jpg)
Here's Marianne interviewing Cookie Monster. What a cute couple!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGfetaEk6u2AOkP4kDRAD_dnr2AThblmG_GGoG3KJGFbESJ_LqCNwGI_MhSyZaMXWoIQpdJwvpqBHstjoa23rvtTwLj2T2hyY_RZi5gBTNAhjInFJLpoKfZ9by4K8EFE7TzlIJPYmYtCe/s320/cookie+monster+and+marianne.jpg)
Roland interviewing Oscar. This was a hysterical interview! Even the cameraman was having trouble holding the camera still. We were all laughing.
Mike interviewing Big Bird. He even prepared a custom "knock-knock" joke for Bird.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3sKag0XSMog1dHDStwDhACpC4Ji-DS3uSjhBEKY2U-3yVpApIp0B7XMJtyUEpAfk0XxyT14o8LV3SZkaGvwpFpbk17dHKSoDGjvlp04Cx1qtFex_j4eEx3gmtASfP8hnXTs_iIyRwtOV/s320/Big+Bird+Mike.jpg)
Roland snooping around Sesame Street. I'm sure there's some good stuff in that can!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHUrmDV6CB5WCDfGbGSVH9yvlN1w5qNBLLyjHZBqenHsw7rc4CZhkwf8fu8a7Px1JZl8uTJgRIUXoAKH6Q1ngHC4cOzvK0WG7682Wr6HinFxw9BGP0f2Twh4dwXP-iaF8AlPuZH4-5W7f/s320/roland+snooping.jpg)
Mike, Marianne and I wanted pictures in Big Bird's bedroom with his huge nest.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAROtGjmbBzPLKg8BwJx9X7DSFVPFZlfNEVeT-zq9UTQhfskFE7WH3lM5XXFN1pfm2USs_0nETnkY7By5bxoP7RHoUus0RsgcDs16Mx0nRfgqH78GFd5b6equ9vdUEA9m4zaAjVBL1gSiE/s320/Lauren+and+nest.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRqFlANtlvhrFIuvMxvwHBFMNWhgczOvvCa2LMfE6ZwFU4Nrd2X6JqtP5T9vilsFixZc869fp5QiM5eYfvYFsMELaQvNV2dLKHmPLcZmrGjaJiDPBEXmNxmpWQjMDMBC55YrjAeR00Lf3/s320/Marianne+falling+in.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cZGDY_WRQQ8gEyl11ETz0f-75ba_wyr37PKHtHLcj4w-O5KRDlpAaXlUMLJlNvtdkk6egMJ0sMem_fYLiTxMADBrdkHHoifTGJmZVgW-a9e4P5OI0OndzyM103IlL8nY7Y49rlGICAr7/s320/Mike+at+the+nest.jpg)
This was an amazing experience. I can't even explain how emotional I was all day. From Sesame Street to the brilliant cake artists that I look up to... I was overwhelmed!
Wish me luck for the Elmo cake I'll be making in March on the Food Network. All the cakes will be great. This Challenge will air sometime this year to head the 40th Anniversary of Sesame Street.
oh my goodness...
ReplyDeletethat is soooo cool.
I hope the Elmo Cake wins
I miss you already my love!! Had so much fun with you. Take care and keep in touch
ReplyDeleteI just found your site. I cannot express how excited I am to see your work on this Challenge. I was at a class Mike taught in Feb. and literally cried - tears filling my eyes - and got goosebumps when he told us a bit about his experience visiting Sesame Street. As a little girl it was my dream to work on Sesame Street - as an adult I stumbled into cake sculpting as a way to stay home with my young children. You're living my dream! I hope your experience on the Challenge was as fun & thrilling as I know it was stressful! La la la la to Elmo & to you!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Lauren, From a fellow cake decorator....
ReplyDeleteI thought you did an AMAZING job!!!! Elmo was MUPPERIFIC!
Me and my 3 children had been waiting for almost a month for that challenge to air - we made it a family night and all cuddled on the couch to watch it last night! My 6yr old was SO excited to see her absolute favorite buddy Elmo made out of cake! Elmo was spot on!!!! And the muppets you made out of Carrie, Peter and Keegan were Perfect! How on earth did you do that? I am a former graphic artist/Art director and have my degree in the arts - and I'm not sure that I could have done that! I'm so proud of what you did! We all love Mr. McCarey and his beautiful work - but we really thought your cake was the best! BRAVO BRAVO! And a BIG THANK YOU from my kids for bringing their imagination world to my cake world!
Please let me know if you start doing any classes or come out with a DVD. I'll be one of the first in line! :0)
Sincerely - Sharon, the Pink Ribbon Cakery (Wisconsin)
That was so genius the fact you rendered Keegan, Carrie, and Peter as characters as well...
ReplyDeleteOUTSTANDING I hope that you will someday compete with the likes of Charmaine Jones a.k.a Cake Diva, and Colette Peters.