By Marilyn Miller
“It’s all about public voting right now. It doesn’t matter about the cakes…it’s all about the public.” That “voting” takes place on Facebook. And today, Candice Monzingo Davis, a professional baker for five years, known for her knock-out wedding, birthday and specialty cakes, is trying to become the 2023 “Greatest Baker” in the good old USA – without lifting a mixing spoon.
“The Greatest Baker” competition is presented by Buddy Valastro, known as the “Cake Boss.” According to the competition’s website, Buddy is “a beloved pastry chef and TV personality with a passion for crafting awe-inspiring cakes. In addition to having the chance to meet Buddy as the 2023 Greatest Baker, the winner will gain access to an exclusive workshop and Q&A with the Boss himself.”
That’s in addition to $10,000 in moolah, AND a spread in the international “Bake from Scratch” Magazine! But, for Candy, it’s all about the fun…Well, maybe not ALL about the fun. A trip to New York to meet Buddy for questions-and-answers about the baking profession rank right up there.
Right now, Candy is ranked third in her “group” of competitors, and she must remain in the “Top Ten” to make it to the next leg of competition. Pretty good for a young mother who worked as a professional nurse for 23 years before drastic back problems left her unable to “stand on my feet or pull on patients.” After several surgeries, she was forced to quit work.
“I had been a nurse and a mama for 23 years…since I was 21. I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Candy said. “I was depressed.” She stayed on the couch a long time, watching a lot of television, and that is when she discovered Buddy Valastro, the “Cake Boss.”
“I thought, at least it could be a hobby,” she said, of her decision to take up cake baking to get her off the couch. “I tried and tested, tried and tested…sent a lot of cakes to the ER (for eating by the staff).” Those were the edible ones. Her “failures” were quickly disposed of the old-fashioned way…in the trash can.
“I do love it though,” she acknowledged. “In a way it saved me. I love Jesus with every inch of my heart, and He said this is how I’m going to help you. I started baking. I found a purpose. I got up off the couch and got into the kitchen!”
Her cheerleading squad was formed when she made a special birthday cake for her daughter, Cassie. “It actually looked pretty decent,” she recalled. “My mama (Peggy Monzingo) and my daughters pushed” her to take it to the next level – baking for the public. Although she lost her mother this year, the squad soldiers on. In addition to Cassie Monzingo, who is a hairdresser; she has daughter, Anna Grace Gardner, an RN; and stepdaughters, Ariel Davis and Alexis Davis. Oh, and she does have a stepson, Josh Davis. She is married to Kevin Davis, an RN, who is Nursing Manager for Claiborne Medical Center.
Candy misses her mother terribly. “She was such a huge cheerleader for me. God put this opportunity in my lap, and I got my cooking ability from my mom and my grandmother, Grace Miller.” She recalled that when she was just two years old, her grandmother put her on the counter-top next to her and had her stir the cornbread batter. “I’m still stirring,” she laughed.
“Those two strong women taught me to love Jesus and so much more,” Candy said, “I have so many feelings about both of them.” She recalled a time when a colleague asked her for her recipe for the crust that she used on her homemade peach cobbler. It was her mother’s recipe.
“I told her, no, it’s special, and I don’t share it,” she remembered. Candy has other “original” recipes that she won’t share, like the one for her vanilla cake. “I take a recipe and work with it until I think it’s as it should be. I love everything about baking. Even macaroons, although they are so finicky.”
Candy loves baking so much because “it makes people happy,” she said. “The reason I was a good nurse was because I loved people. But Jesus put me on this new path (or I wouldn’t have done so well).”
The “Greatest Baker” Competition continues through February 2024. “It’s been fun,” Candy said, “I’m going to take the small wins. But meeting Buddy Valastro would be a dream come true! Whatever happens, God is going to continue to bless me.”
As for second place, AZ food critic, Melissa Anaya, will select one qualified baker to join her for a visit to her favorite bakery, and a one-page article in “Bake from Scratch” Magazine.
Voting for a favorite baker is more than giving someone an opportunity to become the “Greatest Baker.” Colossal.org runs the Greatest Baker competition as part of a fundraising campaign on behalf of DTCare, a 501 (c)(3) charity. Through DTCare, The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation provides financial and emotional support to families of children with cancer nationwide, and funds critical, cutting-edge childhood cancer research.
While one vote is free, the voter can denote funding starting at $10 (10 votes) and go from there. All monetary votes generate a donation to The Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation. Sounds kind of like having your cake, and eating it, too!!