WBA - Wisconsin Bakers Association - Mystery Ingredient Challenge

Mystery Ingredient Challenge

Rules & Information

To succeed in the Mystery Ingredient Challenge, competitors must produce a cohesive "Coffee Dessert Flight." The flight must showcase three distinct dessert formats, each highlighting a different profile of the mystery ingredient - coffee.

Competitors will prove that coffee is more than just a morning pick-me-up—it is a versatile, complex ingredient capable of bridging the gap between bitter, sweet, acidic, and earthy.

Dessert # 1 - “Cold Brew” featuring a chilled or frozen element

Dessert # 2 - “Dark Roast” featuring the smoky, toasted, and bitter depth of a dark roast.

Dessert # 3 - “Botanical” focusing on coffee as a fruit rather than just a roasted bean.

Competition Details:

Competitors must provide dessert samples for our panel of experts. Each entry will be evaluated on taste as well as appearance. To help the judges appreciate your vision, a short written description (including the inspiration behind the flavors) is required for each entry.

College Students and Industry Professionals are invited to compete in our Baking & Cake Decorating Competitions at the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo!

All competitors must either represent a licensed food service facility (bakeries, cafes, grocery-stores, restaurants) or be a college student currently enrolled in a Baking & Pastry Arts or Culinary program (certificate or degree).

Each participant will receive a complimentary registration to attend the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo!

Registration & Entry Fees:

The early registration deadline for all of the bakery competitions is Friday, February 13, 2026. The standard registration deadline is Friday, February 27, 2026. All entries must be registered in advance. Late entries may be allowed if space permits but will be charged a $50 late fee per entry.

Early registration allows WBA and WRA Members to take advantage of the lowest entry fees - starting at $30!

Early – WBA and WRA Members – $30
Early – Not-Yet Members – $45
Standard – WBA and WRA Members – $45
Standard – Not-Yet Members – $60

To register, please click here

Skill Level:

Baking & Pastry Arts or Culinary (College Student)
Industry Novice (Up to 2 years experience)
Industry Professional (2+ years experience)

Rules:

Desserts are judged on appearance and taste. Points will be given for neatness, originality, creativity, colors, and degree of difficulty. Click here to view a blank score sheet for this competition.
Each dessert must be made from scratch.
All ingredients must be edible and shelf stable.
Only edible decorations and embellishments are allowed. Use of inedible decorations may result in a penalty score or disqualification.
Use of platters or boards is allowed for display only but will not be judged. Entrant is responsible for returning to pick-up any personal items.
Entries must be exclusive work of the entrant and may not have been entered in any previous WBA competitions.
Only individual entries are allowed. Team entries are not allowed.
All work must be done offsite. No decorating tools, equipment, cake, icing, base, stand, or materials will be provided by the competition, aside from table space for display.
Desserts must be already baked, assembled, decorated, and ready for viewing when participants arrive. Minimal adjustments, repair, and additions of embellishments will be permitted within the allotted set-up window.·
Judging will be held at the Wisconsin State Fair Park Expo Center at the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo on Wednesday, March 11th.
Business cards or logos may be placed on display following completion of judging.
Entries may be set up on Wednesday, March 11th between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM. Any entries delivered after 8:30 AM will not be judged, but placed for display purposes only.
A short anonymous description of each entry is encouraged but not required. The purpose of this description is to better inform the judges of the entrant’s vision, process, materials and technique that may not be obvious from viewing the finished product. This is also where any specific theme or backstory of an entry can be briefly explained. If including a description, please bring along a typed/printed copy to display next to your entry (250 words or less) or email your description 72 hours in advance of the competition to jessica@wibakers.com. This document will be available for review during the judging process. Please do not include any competitor or organization name(s) anywhere in the summary. Any photos showing competitor faces will be discarded.
All work will be done in a professional manner.
Entries may not be removed until 3:00 PM on Wednesday, March 11th. Anything left after 5:00 PM will be disposed of. We are not responsible for returning items to competitors! No exceptions.
The organizers have the right to use photographs taken of competitor’s displays.
A license and/or student ID number is required.

Judging & Awards:

Judging for the Mystery Ingredient Challenge will be held at the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo on Wednesday, March 11th by a team of qualified judges selected by the Wisconsin Bakers Association.
The judges will complete a comment sheet for each entry; copies of those sheets will be sent to each entrant within 10 days following the completion of the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo via your pre-registered email address.
Entries in each skills division are judged separately.
All judges’ decisions are final.
Winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 11th.
All entries will be judged professionally.
Awards will be given on a points-based system.
The highest scoring entry in the competition will receive a Best of Show Trophy.
Additional awards may include Honorable Mention, Bronze, Silver, & Gold Medals, People’s Choice, and Judge’s Choice.

Release:

The Mystery Ingredient Challenge is presented by the Wisconsin Bakers Association (WBA) in partnership with the Wisconsin Restaurant Association (WRA) at the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo. By entering the competition, the contestant fully releases all rights to photos, publication and other sources of media for all work produced exclusively for, during and in the complete time frame of the event. Contestant is subject to all registration fees, applicable taxes, and all other related expenses on behalf of him/her entering the above competition. Contestant agrees to abide by all rules set forth by the WBA for this competition. Contestant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the WBA and all sponsors from and against all claims, demands, costs, loss, damage, expense, attorney’s fees and liabilities growing out of, or arising from, caused or occasioned by his/her activities in the competition. Competition entry fees are non-refundable. All judges’ decisions are final.

Do you have any questions about the Mystery Ingredient Challenge?