Election Day celebrations in Hartford, Connecticut, have a long association with cake. The tradition dates to 1771, when the colony was among the few places where residents could elect their own officials. Elections were marked by parties, parades and community gatherings, often featuring cake.
Connecticut’s Old State House hosted its fifth annual Election Cake Bake-Off on October 26. Professional bakers and pastry chefs were asked to make nonpartisan, election-themed cakes celebrating American democracy. Judges assessed the entries for presentation, creativity and taste. The winner’s cake was named Connecticut’s official Election Cake of 2026, and its baker received a commission to make the Old State House’s birthday cake in 2027.
This year’s winning entry came from a mother-and-daughter team led by Sophia Grestini of Amy’s Cakes LLC in Cheshire. The four-layer cake alternated sweet lemon blueberry and traditional spiced sponge, with red, white, blue and gold decorations. Its details included an “I voted” pin, a ballot box, an American flag, fondant donkeys and elephants, and a bald eagle sculpted from frosting.
Election cakes in the eighteenth century were far larger and more fruit-cake-like than today’s entries. Old State House events and outreach manager Nicole Sousa said historic recipes could call for 30 quarts of flour, 10 pounds of butter, 14 pounds of sugar, 12 pounds of raisins, three dozen eggs and more than a quart of wine or brandy, enough to serve large crowds. A reduced recipe later appeared in Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery, widely recognized as the first American cookbook.
Sousa said the bake-off aims to bring enjoyment back to Election Day and connect the occasion with participation in the country and community.
Sources: NPR News.