Let Them Eat Cake Pro-Am Baking Extravaganza at Leon & Lulu in Clawson

Jessica Grate, Royal Oak, left, samples the dark chocolate pomegranate mousse tart made by professional baker Sarah Williams. Twenty-four contestants entered desserts ranging from vegan chocolate cupcakes with cherry filling to Mexican wedding cake in three categories -- professional, amateur (home), and student.

Sarah Williams' dark chocolate pomegranate mousse tart won the prize in the professional division.

Leon & Lulu co-owner Mary Liz Curtin, left, samples a honey lavender grapefruit cupcake as she chats with home baker Haven Yerke, Redford, who won the amateur division with the treat. “Today is a celebration of sugar,” said Curtin.

Honey lavender grapefruit cupcakes from winning home baker Haven Yerke are topped with grapefruit buttercream and candied fruit.

"I was ready for summer, so I made it happen in a cake," said professional baker Rita Stephenson, 31, Ferndale, as she arranged samples of the eye-popping Summer Lemon White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Torte.

Desserts, like Rita Stephenson's Summer Lemon White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Torte, were judged on taste, appearance and originality.

Sharon Hill, Royal Oak, digs into a piece of Summer Lemon White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Torte made by Rita Stephenson in the professional category.

Home baker Nailya Weber, 26, calls for more plates as she slices up pieces of her 7-layer Russian chocolate cake, made from a family recipe. She is from Toledo.

Home baker Erin Mullen, left, Clawson, chats with guests Lynne Kaleita, Royal Oak, and Linda Eppinger, Clawson, over her strawberry cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes. The event also served to raise funds for the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, which netted a donation amounting to 10 percent of the shop’s sales take Sunday.

Monica Lara, left, her son Max, 12, and husband Wilfrido, from Troy, sample the baked goods of Nothing But Crumbs Catering baker Cheryl Flynn, who made chocolate peanut butter bars, lemon bars, and caramel apple cheesecakes. Bakers had to provide 100 tasting samples for guests.

Nothing But Crumbs Catering baker Cheryl Flynn, left, chats with judges Sue Selasky, a Detroit Free Press food writer, and Detroit News features writers Melody Baetens and Kate Lawson.

Taiesha McCoy, Madison Heights, eats a lemon thyme cupcake topped with blueberry buttercream made by student baker Dana Paglia.

Lemon thyme cupcakes topped with blueberry buttercream made by baker Dana Paglia won the student division. The frosting was made using the chef's homemade blueberry jam.