What to expect at this year’s Let Them Eat Cake extravaganza

Who wouldn’t want to eat copious amounts of delicious and unique cake while simultaneously helping a great cause? The highly sought after foodie event, Let Them Eat Cake, allows guests to do just that and much more all in one amazing evening. This year’s Let Them Eat Cake extravaganza will feature 22 competing cakes, plenty of refreshing beverages (both adult and kid friendly), special celebrity guests, live music, tasty bites and oh so much more. 

What to expect at this year’s Let Them Eat Cake extravaganza

The 2019 edition of Let Them Eat Cake is benefiting Variety, the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley, where teens and young adults with disabilities learn real job skills. “Variety Works is a vocational training service for young adults with disabilities. The whole purpose is to train the students and coach them at their position until they eventually have sustainable employment,” says Harry Giordano, Variety’s Development Director. 

Aside from benefitting a worthy cause, the event is an evening filled with fun, excitement and plenty of frosting. Top chefs compete every year in different categories to win prizes for their edible masterpieces. “The chefs take a lot of liberty and have a lot of fun and do incredible work. There are cakes that move, cakes that light up and cakes that speak to you,” says Giordano.  

Judging the tasty trial is a set of acclaimed judges including White House Pastry Chef Colette Peters, a surprise player from the Philadelphia Eagles and Marnie Manko from Philadelphia Style. The celebrity judges are joined by culinary professionals and folks of the industry, all of them are there to determine this year’s Best in Show winner based on taste, theme, aesthetic, creativity and use of ingredients. Additional awards are given for Best Tasting Cake, Best Design, Best Theme, Best Student Entry and Audience Choice Award.

Aside from the sweet treats there will also be savory bites available to munch on, plenty of adult beverages (Hendricks gin, Flying Fish beer, BlueBird Distilling vodka, wine and much more) and a coffee cart offering Perrier and treats served up by a few of the teens and young adults in the Variety program. 

But that’s not all. “While you’re getting your food on your also going to be seeing some amazing things happen in that ballroom,” says Girodano. Throughout the night there will be plenty of heartwarming surprises that will truly showcase what this incredible event is all about. “It’s all going to a good cause and 100 % of proceeds go to our kids. It started with just a few chefs but as the years have gone on it has morphed into a big foodie event. It’s exploded and I’m grateful for it.” 

What’s the icing on top of this already sweet cake? Guests will receive take-home containers to load up with cake and other treats, so the fun doesn’t have to stop once the event is over.  

If you go: Feb. 24, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Loews Hotel’s Millennium Ballroom, 1200 Market St., Philadelphia, $25-$45, varietyphila.org