Matsubara Wins $10K From Food Network

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We were pleased to hear from one of the subjects we’ve featured in our occasional “First Person” feature.

Jennifer Matsubara, who was profiled in our June 2, 2008, issue after several appearances on The Food Network, is the owner of Shelby Lynn’s Cake Shoppe in Springdale.

On Dec. 8 in Denver, Matsubara won the “Blind Date Cake” Challenge and received one of those giant novelty checks for a very real $10,000 prize.

Matsubara tells us the challenge entailed several bachelors using information from a bachelorette to create a cake. The bachelor whose cake best fit her won the date. Matsubara’s cake featured sugar tiles and diamonds and reflected the bachelorette’s interest in sports with a football, basketball, chicken wings and pizza.

The topper was a model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Matsubara said the show should be airing in late April.

The Food Network isn’t done with Matsubara. She will fly to New York in January to meet with an as-yet unnamed fashion designer to create a cake to match the new clothes.

Matsubara will view the clothes and meet with the designer, then fly to Denver in March to make the cake and film the show.