ORANGE — Waves of local residents turned out on Sunday to determine the area’s best baker at the region’s sixth annual Cupcake Wars, an event featuring hundreds of elaborately designed and flavorful cupcakes for the judging. 

The line stretched well out the door of the Orange American Legion right from the start of the event at 1:30 p.m. The baking competition, which is based off of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, amassed 29 contestants across four categories this year — professional, amateur, under 18, and children under 7, a new division.

The annual theme for this year’s competition was “around the world.” The diversity in both the cupcakes and the locations represented at the event were fitting. Helene Holmes, who led the event alongside her daughter Abigail, said bakers came from as far as New Hampshire to compete.

“Because I put in on Facebook … we’ve gotten so many bakers from all around,” she said.

Each baker made at least three dozen cupcakes, plus samples, from scratch and provided them to the judges, who were sequestered to maintain anonymity. Designs ranged from subtly designed to outlandishly elaborate, with some even matching a broader presentation of the “around the world” theme.

“I want to travel around the world and I thought, ‘you know what? I’m going to do a travel theme based on just traveling around the world,’ and I figured I’d dress up like the captain of an airplane to fit the theme,” said a costumed Paula King, who operates Sweet P’s Creative Cakestry, a home bakery for friends and family in Orange.

King, who competed in the professional category, presented both white almond pistachio cupcakes and chocolate mousse cupcakes decorated like seashores and adorned with travel-themed symbols. Despite the light and playful presentation, the self-proclaimed “cake snob” said she bakes her cakes as “a gourmet dessert,” with the key making them moist and not too sweet. Her approach paid off, as she placed third in her category for best overall cupcake, people’s choice and judge’s choice.

“I feel like I’ve brought my A-game this time,” she said.

Orange resident John McHale, who competed in the amateur category, stood out in the crowd with an all-green Irish-themed table. He baked cupcakes to match, using chocolate Irish cream and Irish buttercream frosting.

“It’s not just for looks,” McHale said. “It goes down to the taste.”

Altogether, there were 14 professional, nine amateur and six child contestants competing Sunday. There were a total of nine judges, with three judges scoring each division.

Town Administrator Matthew Fortier, who judged the professional division, reported a wide range of quality in the 14 cupcakes he sampled, with some being “above and beyond” and others being, “quite frankly, not really up to par with what we were expecting.”

“It’s really about the whole cupcake coming together,” he said. “We do think the ones that did the best were unique in appearance and presentation, but also stood out flavor wise. … If it doesn’t meld well as a total product, then the scoring will be impacted overall.”

Jonathan Cole, who judged the amateur division, said while all of his category’s entries were at least “decent,” moistness and icing quality are tough-to-master attributes that separate a top-tier cupcake from the rest.

He added that all quality aside, the bake-off was a great way to bring generations of people closer together.

“It’s fun seeing old and young come together and everyone enjoying it.”

Holmes said this year’s Cupcake Wars raised more than $1,500, a record total across the event’s six-year history. Funds will be put toward Ralph C. Mahar Regional School’s after-prom party.

The winners in each category are as follows:

People’s Choice, youth

■First: Kayleigh White

■Second: Destiny Thibault

■Third: Aurore LaMarche

Best Overall Cupcake, youth

■First: Kayleigh White (first-ever perfect score)

■Second: Destiny Thibault

■Third: Destiny Thibault and Aurore LaMarche

People’s Choice, amateur

■First: Denise Burgess

■Second: Stephanie Smith

■Third: Barbie Downing

Best Overall Cupcake, amateur

■First: Barbie Downing

■Second: Denise Burgess

■Third: Mary Carey

People’s Choice, professional

■First: Caitlin Hart, Caitlin’s Creations

■Second: Michelle Johnson, Butter Me Good Bakery

■Third: Paula King, Sweet P’s Creative Cakestry

Best Overall Cupcake, professional

■First: Lori Preisinger, Nothing Fancy Cakes and Dessert by Lori

■Second: Fran Bates and Lisa Ann Sargent, Over the Top Bakery

■Third: Paula King, Sweet P’s Creative Cakestry

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.