Update: We have a winner! Thank you to everyone who voted. Click here to see who won!

The judges have spoken, selecting Nicole Sevcik as this year’s World Champion – and now it’s your turn! Our People’s Champion will take home a treasure trove of amazing prizes donated by our sponsors including a handmade People’s Choice belt made by The Lulu Bean, not to mention the pride that comes with being the popular favorite. As you look through this year’s finalists (these entries received the highest number of comments in the Flickr gallery) please keep in mind the official rules. My advice is to pay special attention to originality – the rules specifically bar the repetition of a design from previous years. (Note: Multiple Flickr comments by the same users and/or comments after the deadline were deleted/disregarded in the final count.) This system will allow you to cast only one vote per IP address.

So here they are with the original names and descriptions as written by their creators. Take a look, and cast your vote at the bottom of this post. Please note that the poll will close this week, 8/30 in the early afternoon. So get out there and campaign for your favorite entry! (Click the photos to see them larger.) Wondering why there are so many finalists? Here’s the scoop. 

Apex Predator Cupcake Cake (top left) – “My Name … is Randy Orton … (well no not really me but you get it…) These Cupcakes are like an RKO to your taste buds ! Spicy Chocolate Cupcakes filled with Salted Caramel and topped with Chocolate Ganache and assembled as a “cake” to hold a hand drawn chocolate Picture of the Viper himself. These Cupcakes remind me of Randy Orton, Spicy, Sexy, Caramely (now it’s a word) and a little dangerous !

The voices in my head told me that these cupcakes are legendary !”

Screw Fear, Drink Beer Cake (top right) – “This chocolate beer cake with chocolate buttercream filling topped with a sugar cookie decorated with royal icing and black food colouring is inspired by none other than beer-loving Stone Cold Steve Austin himself. And Austin 3:16 says this cake just whooped your butt!”

The Other Face of CM Punk (bottom left) – “CM Punk is my favourite wrestler (I know, I’m so individual) so  I wanted to make something to do with him. There are two things that identify a wrestler; their face, and their ring gear. I’m rubbish at making faces out of cake, so a bum it had to be! I wasn’t being a perv, promise. This is a lemony lemon cake, with lemony buttercream filled with lemon curd. Lemons are sour. So is CM Punk. All of the decoration is fondant.”

SummerSlam Cake (bottom right) – No description provided.

The Rocky Road Warriors Sugarrrrr Rrrruuussshhh!!!! – “I baked 2 chocolate cake mixes, let them cool completely, then crumbled them up in a giant bowl. To the cake, I added chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, and a big jar of marshmallow fluff. Since I’m terrified of the idea of carving a cake, I just greased my hands and sculpted the mixture like play-doh. I popped the cake in the freezer for a bit, before I started on the frosting and while I worked on the chocolate-covered sugar cone spikes. Then I piled up rocky road ice cream & sprinkles in middle of the shoulder pads.”

CM Punk Cakes – “We’re big fans of CM Punk in our house, so I wanted to do a little homage to him for the competition. I used vanilla cake mix for the cake itself, and chocolate for the cupcakes. I was able to make the arm shapes by making a sheet cake and  cutting out the shape I wanted. After frosting the whole thing together I used fondant (that I hand colored) to make the gauze and flesh. I hand painted Punk’s tattoos on using icing coloring, which was probably the most time consuming part of all of it. I also hand painted the “CM Punk” cupcakes. After we were done, we ate the WHOLE thing. I had such a blast making the cake, and I can’t wait to do it again next year!”

Jake the Cake Roberts – “Jake’s burlap bag is a homemade chocolate fondant covered, 3 layered dark chocolate cake filled with a fluffy whiskey caramel buttercream, Slithering out is the man himself atop the body of Damien, combined by using the knowledge of the darkside…”

Luna Vachon Daughter of Darkness Moon Pie Cake – “A dark chocolate devils food cake filled with marshmallow buttercream, topped with homemade marshmallow fondant, hand painted with food coloring, and chocolate moon pies around the cake! Crank up your Nasty Savage record and take a big mouthful of this badass cake!”

Cake Pop Battle Royal – “These cake pop superstars are made from crumbled vanilla sponge and cream cheese frosting combined, shaped into superstars and coated in creamy white chocolate. Plain chocolate chips were added to achieve different skin tones, finally fondant decorations were created to give the superstars their individual style. This 18 person Battle Royal features current and future legends…let’s get ready to rumble!!!”

“Oh what a whoop!” Legion of Doom Whoopie Pies (left) – “These whoopie pies were inspired by the iconic shoulder pads of Hawk and Animal. They are chocolate chip whoopie pies with cream cheese frosting inside and on top, coloured red to match the brightly coloured shoulder pads. Plain chocolate chips were added to the top to complete the classic road warrior spiked look. A doomsday device for the mouth!!”

Beer me Austin! (top right) – “Based on Steve Austin’s love of beer, this is a chocolate beer cake covered in blue fondant (it contains almost a can!) The pint glass on top is made of vanilla sponge and beer coloured fondant covered in cling wrap to make it look like glass, with a real beer can pouring into it (contents in the cake!)  It’s a real stunner!!!”

Mysterio’s Mask (bottom right) – “A chocolate cake with a high flying chilli kick! This delicious chilli chocolate sponge is covered with light vanilla cream cheese frosting, finished off with fondant detail for Rey Mysterio’s luchador look. Its 619 time!”

The Ultimate (Warrior) Cupcake – “This is a vanilla sponge cake made in a giant cupcake mould. The rainbow colours reflect the bright ring attire of the Ultimate Warrior. It is topped with vanilla frosting (because you can’t beat a classic!) and has fondant warrior masks to decorate along with various Warrior cut outs. Wearing face paint and arm bands while eating is optional!”

The Undercaker – “Celebrating the Phenom in 100% edible, dessert form!  The fondant-sculpted Deadman makes his trademark entrance upon a fondant-covered vanilla cake “stage” with buttercream icing.  Surrounded by an eerie home-spun cotton candy fog, plumes of “fire” (pulled isomalt sugar) shoot out in front of the gumpaste Titantron and fondant/gumpaste RAW backdrop.  Titantron Undertaker silhouette is hand-painted with food coloring.  Gumpaste guardrails keep out the riff raff, while the gumpaste/fondant WWE logo sits perched atop the cake.  After eating the Undercaker, you will Rest. In. Peace.”

The Jericake – “You’ve seen sweet after sweet for weeks, months now. And you’ve seen some of the best of the best out there in the wide world of wrestling desserts, but you have NeeeeeeVER. EVER. EEEEEVEEER seen a cake like This. With it’s decadent flavors and a design that speaks for itself, the Jericake canNot be ignored!

The bottom layer is a chocolate cake with a luscious strawberry swirl. Those above it are chocolate espresso vodka covered in dark chocolate espresso vodka shell then all three iced with mocha cream cheese frosting, then enrobed by black fondant hand-beaded with black and white Nonpareil sprinkles and edible silver glitter stars that shine in the light of several LED spotlights.

I used the strong flavors of the coffee to amp you up, then the sting of the vodka to knock you Back Down. Do you think you could handle the outrageous rich smoothness in this sexy beast of a cake?

Topping this whole sensation is a fondant figure of the most handsome man you’ve ever seen, basking in his delicious glory. If you know anything at all, you’ve already voted, and if you don’t, you’re doing it now. Don’t even pretend you don’t wish you could get your hands on the most perfect cake you’ve ever seen. One look at this and you’ll see I’m the Best In The World at What I Bake.”

Vote for your favorite now! A winner will be announced at the end of this week!

Update: The plug-in I use for this poll allows me to see who is clearing their cookies and submitting multiple votes from the same IP address. It also allows me to clear those votes from the final count. Contestants: if you & your supporters have been doing this, you will notice that your final score will be lowered tomorrow. C’mon you guys, no cheating.

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