Local bakeries and candy makers are competing for the chance to win the African penguin chick seen here. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.

Local bakeries and candy shops are competing for a sweet prize: the chance to name one of the Maryland Zoo’s endangered African penguin chicks.  

Six businesses – Codetta Bake Shop, Cake by Jason, Diablo Doughnuts, Goetze’s Candy Company, Mouth Party Caramel, and WAFFIE – have entered their penguin-themed artwork made entirely out of desserts in “The Great Penguin Bake Off.”

This season, 11 endangered African penguins have hatched at the zoo, according to the zoo’s Facebook page. Eight penguins have already been named: Mochi, Brookie, Custard, Churro, Eclair, Pound, Strudel, and Cannoli.

For the bake off, Federal Hill’s Codetta Bake Shop entered a cheesecake with shortbread crust topped with a chocolate cupcake, covered in vanilla and black cocoa buttercream. 

Codetta Bake Shop’s penguin cake. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.
Codetta Bake Shop’s penguin cake. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.

Diablo Doughnuts, located in Baltimore’s Brooklyn neighborhood, created a chocolate-dipped doughnut with sprinkles and candy pieces, designed to look like a penguin.

Diablo Doughnut’s penguin doughnut. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.
Diablo Doughnut’s penguin doughnut. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.

Baltimore-based Goetze’s Candy Company used their Oreo caramel creams to sculpt penguins with candy wrapper scarves. 

Goetze’s Candy Company’s Oreo penguins. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.
Goetze’s Candy Company’s Oreo penguins. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.

Timonium’s Cake by Jason fashioned a “penguin bakeshop” scene, with penguins making a variety of desserts and the “head chef” penguin next to a wedding cake with a penguin couple on top. 

Cake by Jason’s penguin bakeshop scene. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.
Cake by Jason’s penguin bakeshop scene. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.

WAFFIE – a specialty waffle shop in Hampden – created a penguin waffle stack painted with liquid chocolate and marshmallow fluff. 

WAFFIE’s penguin waffle tower. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.
WAFFIE’s penguin waffle tower. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.

Mouth Party Caramel, a caramel shop in Timonium, entered vanilla caramel penguins dipped in chocolate.

Mouth Party Caramel’s chocolate-dipped caramel penguins. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.
Mouth Party Caramel’s chocolate-dipped caramel penguins. Photo provided by the Maryland Zoo.

The public can vote for their favorite artwork now through March 21. The business with the most votes will help the zoo’s penguin care team name one of the new chicks.