The orange-flavored cake with butter-cream icing took a month to make and five hours to transport by station wagon to New York City. "It caused quite a stir on the causeway," says Danvers, Mass., baker Cile Bellefleur-Burbidge, 67 (above, center). "It arrived with plenty of prayers—especially over the Triborough Bridge." Bellefleur-Burbidge's prayers were answered. Standing tall (three feet) among 32 finalists, the Victorian-style creation nabbed first prize (a trip to Paris) in the Ultimate Wedding Cake competition, held at Christie's East auction house May 25. Another prize went to Arturo Diaz, 40 (above, left), whose Irving, Tex., clients insist that he sign his confections. Manhattan's Martin Howard, 30 (above, right), won in the nontraditional category for his chocolate beach scene. Charles Rosselli, 28 (right), of Shirley, N.Y., didn't win anything, but with his bouquet of 500 hand-molded sugar blossoms, he did enhance his image as a baker. Says he: "I once made a cake shaped like a behind for a guy who had an operation."
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