North Branch woman’s Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake wows judges

Mary Yelland of North Branch took top honors at the 2025 All Things Chocolate Baking Competition held Wednesday, Jan. 29 – opening day of Zehnder’s Snowfest in Frankenmuth. Her Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake took top honors in the Cake category and then bested first- and second-place finishers in the Cookies and Brownies categories to win the grand prize.

This year, more than two dozen bakers took part in the annual event that is sponsored by Michigan Sugar Company’s Pioneer Sugar brand in partnership with WSGW and Le Creuset.

Here is a list of the participants and top three finishers in each category:

Cookies

First Place – Sydney Merrihew, Frankenmuth, Triple Chocolate & Cream Cookies.
Second Place – Lois Spruytte, Richmond, Dark Chocolate Drizzled Toffee Almond Sandies.
Third Place –Joan Gerhardt, Saginaw, Chocolate Lava Cookies.
Marilyn Spannagel, Unionville, Boozy Cranberry Chocolate Fudge Cookies.
Divya Paul, Troy, Chocolate Butter Cookie with Hazelnut Ganache.
Katie Reder, Midland, Chocolate Peanut Butter Crème Pies.
Alice Verbeek, Vassar, Chocolate Raspberry Squares.
Mary Yelland, North Branch, Heart of Fudge Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies.
Linda Schmidt, Kawkawlin, Peppermint Surprise Chocolate Cookies.
Carol Kammer, Macomb, Triple Chocolate Cherry-Nut Cookies.

Brownies

First Place – Mary Lou Reiffer, Grand Rapids, Orange Kissed Chocolate Brownies.
Second Place – Katie Reder, Midland, Bottoms Up Brownies.
Third Place – Genevieve Connors, Rochester Hills, Peanut Butter Dream Brownies.
Carol Kammer, Macomb, Can’t BEET These Brownies.
Pamela Hornbacher- Retzler, Caro, Chocolate Dream Brownies
Syndney Merrihew, Frankenmuth, Cookies and Cream Brownie Cheesecake Bars.
Gaelen McNamara, Okemos, Layered Mocha Brownies.
April Cutter, Applegate, Raspberry Cream Cheese filled Brownie Tarts.
Carol Socier, Bay City, Raspberry-Jalapeno Brownie Pizza Supreme.
Amy Cremer, Shelby Twp., Salted Caramel Brownies.

Cakes

First Place – Mary Yelland, North Branch, Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Extravaganza.
Second Place – Naomi Toben-Matthews, Ypsilanti, Decadent Chocolate Cherry Dream Cake.
Third Place – Pamela Hornbacher-Retzler, Caro, Chocolate Raspberry Torte.
Marta Dmytrenko, Novi, Cappuccino Kissed Cheesecake.
Angel Coakley, Saginaw, Chocolate Cake.
Divya Paul, Troy, Chocolate Hazelnut Cake.
Pamela Gilbeau, Frankenmuth, Chocolate Lavendar Cake with Lavander Butter Cream Frosting.
Jorden Wischman, Caro, Gluten Free Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cake.
Melissa Kildow, Grand Blanc, Pistachio Praline Chocolate Cake.
Melissa Chzanowski, Howell, Schwarzwalder Kirch Torte. (Black Forest Cake)

All participants took home a gift bag filled with a variety of gifts, including white granulated, Golden Light Brown, and Confectioners Powdered Pioneer Sugar.

Michigan Sugar Queen Isabella Stoutenburg, Queen’s Court Attendants Addison Hagen and Kinzlee Karst, and Michigan Sugar Ag Programs & Education Manager Lindy Richards were also on hand running the prize wheel and helping judge the categories.

To see all of the delicious recipes baked up for this year’s competition, click here.