Legendary chef and Nunez Coordinator of Culinary Arts & Entrepreneurship Ruth Varisco offers the following advice to community members apprehensive about entering a king cake in Nunez Community College’s King Cake Extravaganza competition:
“Whatever kind of food you love, savory or sweet, just bake it into a king cake!”
Chef Ruth and the Nunez Culinary program will host the 2025 King Cake Extravaganza Feb. 27 from 12 p.m.-2 p.m. in the Student Testing and Career Counseling Center on the Nunez campus. Half competition and half celebration, the Extravaganza serves up an eclectic variety of king cakes each year that prove the versatility of the traditional Mardi Gras treat.
As usual, the King Cake Extravaganza will feature both savory and sweet divisions. And as usual, Nunez Culinary students will cook up some wildly creative takes on king cake. What’s new this year is the expansion of the competition to invite amateur bakers from the community, from Nunez’s faculty and staff, and even professional bakers.
Everyone who wishes to try their hand at baking a king cake is encouraged to enter their creation in the King Cake Extravaganza competition. Winners chosen by Nunez’s panel of local celebrity judges will receive trophies crafted by local metal artist Luis Colmenares.
Each additional cake submitted also adds to the variety available to the Extravaganza’s guests. An entry fee of $15 entitles guests to one slice of every cake they would like to sample, while supplies last. Nunez’s Student Government Association will also provide jambalaya.
Submission is free to enter a king cake in the competition. The link to enter the competition can be found at Nunez.edu.
