Election cake is a sweet civic tradition dating back to 1771. The annual Election Cake Bake-Off at Connecticut's Old State House in Harford, CT, has continued the election cake celebration for more than 250 years. Barbara Glassman Dell hide caption
Election day can be described in many ways: stressful, overwhelming, anxiety-inducing — and the list goes on.
But in Hartford, Connecticut, it's a piece of cake — specifically a mutli-tiered red, white and blue patriotic cake decorated with an American flag, stars and a bald eagle made entirely of frosting.
This masterpiece won the annual Election Cake Bake-Off at Connecticut's Old State House in Harford, CT. Nicole Sousa, the events and outreach manager at the Old State House, told Morning Edition about the Bake Off and rich tradition behind it.
Election cake first appeared in Hartford, in 1771, when the northeast United States was still a collection of 13 original colonies. Connecticut was a pioneer in early self-government, and it was one of the only regions who could elect their own officials.
"It was definitely something that Connecticut, as a colony and then later as a state, celebrated and really felt attached to," Sousa said.
So, election day was joyous. It was marked with parties, parades and community-wide celebrations — often involving cake.
But election cakes looked nothing like they do now. At that time, the iconic cakes resembled a tough, fruit cake, often soaked in alcohol.
The winner of this year's winner of the Connecticut Election Cake of 2026 was a mother-daughter duo led by Sophia Grestini of Amy's Cakes LLC in Cheshire, CT. Barbara Glassman Dell hide caption
Plus, this cake definitely couldn't fit in your modern fridge. In the eighteenth century, Sousa said the cakes were made using 30 quarts of flour, ten pounds of butter, 14 pounds of sugar, 12 pounds of raisins, three dozen eggs and over a quart of wine or brandy. Sousa said the massive cakes were baked to feed huge crowds of celebrating voters.
Writer Amelia Simmons featured a scaled-down recipe for traditional election cake in American Cookery , which is widely recognized as the first American cookbook.
More than 250 years later, Connecticut's Old State House hosted its fifth annual Election Cake Bake Off on Oct. 26. Professional pastry chefs and bakers were challenged to create a deliciously non-partisan, election-themed cake that inspires voters and celebrates American democracy.
"They're in it to win it for sure," Sousa said. "But they're also in it for the love of Election Day, the love of baking and the love of the idea of election cakes."
A panel of judges scored the cakes based on presentation, creativity and of course taste. The winning confection was crowned the official Connecticut Election Cake of 2026, and its baker received a commission to make Connecticut's Old State House birthday cake in 2027.
This year's winner was a mother-daughter duo led by Sophia Grestini of Amy's Cakes LLC in Cheshire, CT.
Their cake had four layers, alternating between sweet lemon blueberry and traditional spiced sponge flavors. The exterior was covered in red, white, blue and gold accents and featured iconic election day symbols like an "I voted" pin, ballot box and American flag.
On the second tier, handcrafted fondant figures of a donkey and elephant represented the two major political parties. Perched atop the masterpiece was a bald eagle sculpted entirely from frosting — guarding the cake from danger, or at least wandering forks.
Sousa said the cake was delicious, but, most importantly, the bakers had fun making it. She called the event joyous.
"That's what we're trying to do with the election cake contest — we're trying to bring that joy back to Election Day," Sousa said. "It should be fun, it should be a way to show that you're contributing to your country and part of your community."
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