Shavuot is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah and the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. It’s celebrated by Jews all around the world, and in Israel, it’s a time for learning, for restful time with family, and for delicious food, including cheesecake!
Cheesecake has become a traditional food for Shavuot, and what better way to celebrate than with a fun, family-friendly cheesecake contest? Come on, we can’t be the only competitive ones out there!
Image: Website / The Kitchn
For the past fifteen years my family has participated in (and won once!) our community’s annual contest, and this thing is no joke. Recipe development begins months ahead of time, trial runs eat up the week before the holiday, and the day of the contest – well, let’s just say there isn’t enough Lactaid in the world!
This holiday might celebrate the Ten Commandments but our Delicious Shavuot Cheesecake Contest has only one: have fun! Feast on our tips for how to organize a cheesecake contest that the whole family will enjoy:
Image: Website / Mama Knows Gluten Free
-
Squad up! Whether it’s a couples’ tournament, parents v. kids, every man for himself, or even sibling v. sibling (very Biblical for the holiday!), the right teammate can make or break your cake-making duo.
-
Arguably the most important step. Try to concoct something that calls in both the holiday, and the theme of the contest. Some honorable mentions from personal experience are The Chosen Cheesecake, The Prophets of Pastry, and Sinai Sweets. Extra points for more puns! But not Divine Deliciousness – that’s taken 😊.
-
Whether you're making traditional cheesecake or trying out a new recipe, there are plenty of ways to get creative and have fun in the kitchen. For a fun twist on the traditional dessert, try making mini personal cheesecake cupcakes! Simply divide your cheesecake batter among muffin cups lined with muffin liners. You can also experiment with different crusts, like graham cracker or cookie crumble. Don't forget to include a vegan option for that extra Tel Avivian twist.
Our Delicious recipe picks here!
-
This part can be a logistical nightmare, but with careful planning you’ll pull it off. If you’re doing the whole contest, start to finish, on the day of the holiday, make sure you give each team a designated prep space so people aren’t running into each other. A simple solution is to have the teams pick chilled or “no-bake” recipes for their cheesecakes so there’s no fight over oven temperatures. Or, do it like we do and have people bake at home, and then run the contest potluck style.
-
The Shavuot Cheesecake Contest is a democracy (cake-ocracy?) and every vote counts! Print each team a set of first, second, and third place tokens so there can be no throwing the vote. This is serious, people. We don’t joke about our dairy. Place a bowl for the votes next to each cheesecake and have each team place their tokens in the bowls corresponding to their first, second, and third place picks. First place is worth three points, second is worth two, and third is just one point. Add up the votes in each bowl, and declare your winner! One cheesecake to rule them all!
Our First Place Cheesecake
My family won the contest with an orange zest cheesecake, featuring homemade candied orange peel and a bourbon sauce. We know, we outdid ourselves.
Not a cheesecake fan? Check out our Delicious picks for some Shavuot-worthy dairy here. These specialty spots bring a whole new meaning to the Land of Milk and Honey!
Happy baking, and happy Shavuot!
