Minersville Woman and Her Boilo Cakes Need Your Vote to Win National Contest

A Minersville baker and her unique boilo cakes needs your vote as she advances in a national contest.

When Chris Helman saw information about a national baking contest on her Facebook feed, she figured, why not?

Helman is known locally for her specialty cakes, cupcakes, pies and other baked goods she creates from scratch through her part-time business, Batter Than the Rest!.

Her “regular” job is Marketing and Customer Relations at Schuylkill Medical Center East, Industramed.

The 2023 Greatest Baker contest includes a category called Baking from Scratch, a perfect fit for her. So, she entered.

This online competition is presented by TV’s Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro. In addition to vying for the title of Greatest Baker, funds raised from the contest go to support the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, which supports fighting childhood cancer.

Helman, herself, is competing for a $10,000 cash prize, a 2-page spread in the prestigious Bake from Scratch magazine, and an exclusive chat with the Cake Boss himself, Valastro.

This contest features a social component. To advance, Helman needs your votes.

“Initially, there were 55 people entered in that category,” Helman says. “Currently, I’m in third place.”

Helman will only advance to the quarterfinals in the contest if she is in first place in that category. Voting closes Wednesday January 3. To vote for Helman and her boilo cakes, visit this link.

She’s really hoping her unique boilo cakes will be her key to eventually winning the contest.

Helman says the recipe is influenced by the love of boilo here in Schuylkill County. Her husband, Rick, makes the boilo and uses a recipe for it passed down from his Uncle Henny and Aunt Helen who owned a bar in Minersville.

“He usually starts the boilo in November, to let it age. I then make tender little honey cakes, while they are baking, I prepare the boilo syrup which each little cake gets a bath in,” Helman tells The Canary.

She then gives them a drizzle of white chocolate to finish them off. Helman says her boilo cakes are best served warm with a quick warm-up in the microwave.

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