Cupcakes, cheesecakes, brownies and other sweets are on the menu at a new pastry shop in Old Sacramento, Huggiebears Sweets and Treats. The business, which opened July 18 at 904 Second St., was born of the recipes from owner Jim Austin, whose cheesecakes and other desserts have won numerous awards at the California State Fair and county fairs for his amateur baking. Store Manager Jason R. Clark said he and Austin talked about the recipes and about bringing the baked goods to a wider audience. “I figured the rest of the world needs to be exposed to the delicious treats we were making,” he said. Those treats include an orange creamsicle cheesecake, fresh brownies and a number of cupcakes

On June 23, amateur bakers will be given the opportunity to compete in the Cake War: Battle Cupcakes competition at the 10th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge. Three amateur competitors will go up against three professional cupcake masters in a three hour competition, in which participants create an original cupcake and display that will be adjudicated by event guests and a professional judging panel. To determine which three amateur bakers will get to compete live at the Sacramento Chef Challenge, Cakegrrl.com and INALLIANCE have come together for a video challenge. Candidates have been asked to show off their stuff in a 3-5 minute video that highlights “why you and your cupcakes are the

What’s cooking in Bryan Widener’s small Oak Park kitchen? Hundreds of donuts a week, with variations like “The Dude,” a white Russian Bavarian cream filled with white Russian glaze; a spicy cinnamon chocolate glazed, chocolate blended with cinnamon and chili flake and a maple bacon donut, which has bacon pieces mixed into the donut dough, glazed with maple syrup and topped with a small strip of bacon. He and wife Dannah O’Donnell began baking donuts in May 2010 and called their joint venture Doughbot. The couple is fascinated with donuts and robots. Widener attended the Institute of Technology’s culinary school in Roseville and graduated in 2006 from the culinary arts specialist progra