KINGSTON, Jamaica – After winning the inaugural Jamaica Observer Christmas Bake-off on Thursday, Pamela Bunting revealed that the top prize was the gift she had wished for this holiday season.

“I’ve been singing for the whole of my baking journey this Christmas that I need a new stove because my oven isn’t working properly. And here I am now, the recipient of this fabulous Frigidaire stove,” Bunting, beaming with excitement, told OBSERVER ONLINE.

The competition, which culminated at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in St Andrew, had five contestants vying for the top prize of a Frigidaire five-burner convection stove, a year-long supply of cooking gas from Gas Pro, gift baskets from J Wray and Nephew and a cash prize of J$200,000.

Each cake was judged based on four categories: flavour – capturing the essence of the Jamaican fruitcake; aroma – positive impact and overall experience; appearance – aesthetically appealing and texture – the cake’s consistency and feel. They were also graded from a score of five, with five being the highest.

But it was Bunting that nailed each category. She attributed her baking prowess to the times she spent helping her mother bake English pudding when she was a child. Since then, she has expanded her reach to family and friends.

“But, I didn’t really do any baking after that until I had my daughter and I decided that I was going to make her birthday cake and it flopped major and I said I’m going to make sure I conquer this baking art. So, by her second birthday, I really rolled out a masterpiece if I must say so myself,” she said.

“And from there, I started doing birthday cakes for all my friends, for their children’s birthday parties and then everybody wanted Christmas cake and I never baked Christmas cake. So, I said I’m gonna have to try and figure out a recipe that I liked and tapped into that…” she added.

Meanwhile, Latoya Newell-Irving finished second, winning a cash prize of J$100,000, while Trevanne Donegal-Porter was third and collected a cash prize of J$50,000. The other contestants were Sandra Samuels and Jovan Walker.

Yanique ‘Curvy Diva’, who was a judge during the competition, said despite not being a lover of sweets, she had a great time judging the competition. In addition, she extended congratulations to the winner and praised the contestants for showcasing top notch cakes.

“It was really really fun. I’m not a person that loves sweets and all of that; I’m more a savoury person…” she told OBSERVER ONLINE. “Congrats to the winner, Miss Bunting. It was a wonderful, wonderful experience and I’m a little ‘nice’ because the rum was very nice in the cake. So it was a good morning.”

The Jamaican fruitcake has been one of the island’s long-standing traditions during the Christmas season. It includes ingredients such as dried mixed fruit, red wine, brown sugar, browning, spices, vanilla, and molasses. It is traditionally served with a glass of sorrel.