Cake of Hungary 2024
MÁKVIRÁG, the creation of confectioner Alfréd Kovács from Vác, won the title of Cake of Hungary 2024. The competition for the Sugar-free Cake of Hungary was won by the confectioners Ádám Novák and László Csonka from Szeged with their creation "Green Raspberry".
The Hungarian Confectionery Trade Association organized the 18th edition of the Cake of Hungary competition this year. The competition celebrates the national holiday of August 20, also known as St. Stephen's Day, the symbolic birthday of Hungary.
Every year, the Trade Association invites entries for the competition to be made with popular Hungarian flavors and fruits, using only strictly high-quality, natural, and healthy ingredients.
The 2024 competition was announced under the theme "Superfood" to draw attention to Hungarian ingredients with rich nutritional value. Entries were invited for new, creative cakes with the characteristic, defining flavors of the ingredients listed in the following baskets of ingredients, which are considered to be Hungarian "superfoods", and of which at least two ingredients had to be used in the cakes entered:
- berries: blueberries, blackcurrants, rosehips, blackberries,
- cereals, seeds: hemp seeds, linseeds, spelt, millet,
- vegetables: beetroot, pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes,
- oil seeds: walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts.
Other recommended ingredients were: sea buckthorn, chokeberry, blackthorn, honey, poppy seeds, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, prunes, blue grapes, dark chocolate, and oats.
The winner is chosen each year through a three-round judging process. In the first round, the judges will taste anonymously; in the second round, they will taste the finalist cakes again and make professional suggestions for improvement. In the final round, the contestants have to prepare the cakes live in the Trade Association's workshop in the presence of the judges, who will then score the preparation process and re-evaluate the cakes.
Winners of the 2024 Cake of Hungary competition
Cake of Hungary
The winning cake for this year is MÁKVIRÁG, made by Alfréd Kovács of Édes Vonal Confectionery in Vác. This cake has a light almond-flour poppy seed sponge, soft white chocolate cream, and a crunchy candied black sesame layer. The sweet flavors are balanced by the spiciness of poppy seed liqueur and the tartness of blackcurrant.
The second place was awarded to the "Rigófütty" cake made by Sándor Fodor (Habcsók Confectionery, Budapest), while the third place went to the "Fekete gyöngy" cake, created by Ádám Novák and Noémi Domonkos (REÖK Artisan Confectionery and Café, Szeged).
Sugar-Free Cake of Hungary
Every year, the Egy Csepp Figyelem Foundation and the Hungarian Confectionery Trade Association organize the Sugar-Free Cake of Hungary competition in parallel with the Cake of Hungary competition. This year's winner was the "Green Raspberry" cake, created by Ádám Novák and László Csonka, pastry chefs of Reök Artisan Confectionery and Café in Szeged.
The pistachio mousse is complemented by raspberry jelly and rose water. Pistachios add crunch and flavor to the white chocolate and sponge cake, topped with rosewater-infused raspberry jelly and dried rose petals. A slice of "Green Raspberry" has 232.4 kcal of energy and 10.5 g of carbohydrates, making it a good choice for diabetics.
Similarly to previous years, the winning creations – the birthday cakes of Hungary – will be available for purchase from August 19 in the Magyar Ízek Utcája (Street of Hungarian Flavours) in the Várkert Bazaar and hundreds of confectioners' shops across the country. The list of confectioners will be available from August 17 at cukraszat.net and is expected to grow daily until August 19. To protect the quality of the cakes, recipes will only be made public from the end of 2024, until then only members of the Hungarian Confectionery Trade Association will be allowed to make them.
Photos source: Facebook pages of Hungarian Confectionery Trade Association and Reök Confectionary
