For Cathryn and Mark Williamson, you'd think the art of baking is something they'd have down to a tee, but according to the husband and wife duo, that's not the case.
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"We can still have absolute disasters," Mr Williamson said.
"Six lots of cupcakes I made, and they still weren't any good for a prize... Three lamington cakes and I've had first in Lamingtons before and they didn't get a prize," Mrs Williamson added by way of one example.
But the perfectionism paid dividends for the couple, with Mrs Williamson's chocolate sponge cake winning first prize at the Royal Sydney Easter Show, while Mr Williamson's jam roll also placed in third. Both entered in multiple categories.
However, despite finishing first, Mrs Williamson would still have people know there were some aspects of her winning cake that she wasn't happy with.
"I wasn't happy with my chocolate sponge, one of them was a bit lopsided, and obviously the judge didn't see that," Mrs Williamson said laughing, who also finished third with her marble cake and slice, as well as getting a highly commended for her almond bread.
Mr Williamson, however, who says he is one of only two men in NSW currently qualified to judge CWA cookery contests, said that while the cake's presentation was important it was still surplus to its taste.
"There could be two cakes that are both quite good, one might be ahead on texture and baking and things, but at the end of the day, if the other one tastes better then it's more likely to be awarded the first prize," Mr Williamson said.
The Williamsons, who both work with the Salvation Army, have both been separately interested in baking from early childhood, drifting away from it before rediscovering their passion for it competitively as adults.
"When we lived in Queensland there was five shows within six weeks, so we entered all of them," Mrs Williamson said.
"We often do crazy things like turn up at a show with 20 cakes because we enter as many as we can," Mr Williamson added.
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