Samantha Joslin CWPC®
Pastry Chef Instructor| Avid ACF Competitor Aspiring ACF Level 3 Judge Candidate
A portfolio of competition work and pieces created during professional employment demonstrating technical precision, structural integrity, and artistic storytelling in edible mediums.
Professional Biography
Samantha Joslin is a pastry professional and culinary competitor specializing in edible showpieces, wedding cake design, and artisan bread displays. Her work combines technical precision, structural artistry, and refined presentation, with a strong focus on craftsmanship and competitive excellence.
Throughout her culinary career, Samantha has earned recognition in multiple American Culinary Federation sanctioned competitions, receiving medals for both pastry and bread artistry. Most recently, she was awarded Gold Medal and Best in Show at the 10th Annual Rolland E. Schaeffer Culinary Classic for her chocolate showpiece work.
In addition to competition work, Samantha is passionate about mentorship, continuing education, and the advancement of professional standards within the culinary industry. Her portfolio reflects independently designed and executed works that demonstrate technical skill, creativity, and attention to detail across competitive and professional settings.
Samantha is currently pursuing Level 3 judging credentials through the American Culinary Federation in the categories of showpieces, wedding cakes, and bread displays.
Showpieces
Ember Bloom
Chocolate showpiece created for the ACF Columbus Annual Culinary Competition, earning a silver medal as a student. The design blends organic floral form with flame-inspired movement, using knife dipped petals and airbrushed gradients to evoke heat and energy.
Fairy’s Rest
Chocolate Show Piece created in spring of 2016 as an early study in sculpture design. Featuring a hand-sculpted fairy resting above a blooming flower, the piece explores balance, movement, and delicate detail.
Courage to Fly
A chocolate and pastillage showpiece created for the first Rolland E Schaeffer Culinary Classic in spring of 2016, earning a silver medal. The design features a chocolate base supporting a delicate pastillage birdcage, accented with hand-crafted flowers and dragonfly. This piece explores themes of growth and transformation while demonstrating control in mixed-medium construction and fine detail work.
Ocean in Motion
“Ocean in Motion” is a sugar showpiece created in spring of 2016, inspired by the movement and fluidity of the ocean. The piece incorporates blown sugar, pulled sugar, isomalt coral and sand casting, opaline tuile, and traditional casting techniques. It demonstrates early skill development in sugar artistry highlighting controle of multiple sugar techniques and a cohesive, movement driven design.
Guiding Light
A chocolate showpiece created for a practical exam, focusing on precision and structural detail. The design features hand carved brick-work and sugar-pane windows forming the lighthouse lantern. This piece highlights foundational skills in chocolate sculpting, demonstrating control in chocolate carving, texturing, and mixed-medium construction.
Wanderlust
Take a spin around the globe.
A chocolate showpiece inspired by the spirit of travel and discovery. A working marbled chocolate globe crowns a composition of stacked suit cases, detailed with hand-sculpted hardware including hinges, buckles, handles, and corner protectors. Complementary elements - such as a chocolate passport, plane tickets, and destination notes- enhance the narrative. The piece demonstrates advanced control in chocolate sculpting, finishing, and interactive design.
Flourish & Fly
Perhaps the butterfly is proof that you can go through a great deal of darkness and still become something beautiful
An award-winning chocolate showpiece that earned a gold medal and Best in Show with the highest professional score at the 10th Annual Rolland E. Schaeffer Culinary Classic. Inspired by growth, transformation, and migration, the design features a sculpted tree form encased in intricate piped chocolate iron work, with cascading butterflies symbolizing the monarch’s journey to Mexico for the winter.
The piece incorporates a hand-crafted quartz base composed of white, dark, milk, and colored chocolate, along with pallet knife flowers, piped milkweed leaves, and hand painted butterfly. Contrasting spray techniques are used to advance visual depth, with a velvet spray finish on the base and a smooth spray finish on the upper structure. This showpiece demonstrates advanced control in chocolate sculpting, piping, painting, and composition, while conveying a cohesive and meaningful narrative.
Two tier 30th birthday cake designed around a cohesive 1990’s theme. The lower tier features buttercream application replicating the iconic 90’s cup design. The top tier incorporates clean fondant work with precision-cut appliques representing recognizable 90’s pop culture elements.
A royal icing-finished sugar cookie topper, styled as a Game Boy Color, serves as the focal point.
Celebration Cakes
Two-tier celebration cake featuring a cohesive farm theme with all decor executed in modeling chocolate. Hand-sculpted elements include a barn and silo, tractor, livestock figures, hay bales, and landscape details. The lower tier incorporates a cow print finish with a structured belt accent for contrast and definition.
Single tier birthday cake featuring underwater theme executed in fondant and buttercream. Hand-molded fondant elements include turtles, shells, and coral,. Buttercream techniques are used to create movement and texture through piped seaweed and bubble effects.
Olaf from the movie “Frozen” sculpted in modeling chocolate
Great white shark made of rice crispy treats covered in modeling chocolate jumping out of the water sitting on a single tier buttercream cake.
Two tier cake for a western themed baby shower. Modeling chocolate was used to create the horns, eyes, and nose, while detailed buttercream piping was applied to form the texture of fur. Buttercream florals across the top and between the tiers.
Three tier celebration cake representing the transition from high school to joining the U.S. Marines. The cover is sculpted in rice crispy treats covered in fondant and includes a sculpted EGA (Eagle, Globe, Anchor).
Three-tier celebration cake featuring an underwater mermaid theme executed in buttercream, fondant, and chocolate. Fondant details include the coral inspired crown topper, scales, seahorses, seaweed, and wave accents. Cast chocolate mermaid tails brushed with luster dust add dimension and focal interest throughout the design. The bottom tiers ware finished in smooth buttercream rather than fondant.
A split-design wedding cake combining traditional bridal elegance with playful groom’s cake concept. One half classic white fondant with piped scroll work, drop string, and pearl details, while the opposite side showcases a groom-inspired tuxedo design with a sculpted jacket revealing the iconic Batman symbol beneath.
Wedding Cakes
Blushing Elegance
A five tier fondant covered wedding cake designed with soft blush florals, textured lace detailing, and metallic accents to create a romantic and refined presentation. Hand crafted gum paste peonies, hydrangeas, and roses cascade throughout the design, with delicate hand sculpted aunts incorporated onto the peonies for a whimsical natural element.
The top and bottom tier features royal icing lace applique created using a lace stencil technique, then individually enhanced and defined by hand piping for added depth and dimension. The central monogram was piped directly onto the cake and finished with hand-painted gold luster dust to compliment the brushed gold second and fourth tier. Pearl borders and balanced floral placement complete the elegant composition.
This cake earned a bronze medal in Category C-4 Wedding Cakes at the 5th Annual Rolland E. Schaeffer Culinary Classic.
Geometric Bloom
A contemporary fondant covered wedding cake featuring hand crafted gum paste succulents and hexagon accents finished with gold luster, gold leaf, and painted marbling for added depth and dimension.
The tiers were accented with hand painted brushwork using luster dust and food coloring, creating a modern design that balances bold geometric structure with organic floral elements.
Breads
Taste of Autumn
Created for an ACF-sanctioned competition hosted by The Culinary Institute of Michigan – Muskegon Campus, this bread display titled Taste of Autumn earned a silver medal in my first competition entry in the bread category. Inspired by comforting fall flavors and seasonal ingredients, the display featured browned butter sage milk rolls, pumpkin challah, apple sourdough, onion rosemary batards, cinnamon croissants, and maple pecan danishes.
This collection highlighted a range of artisan bread and laminated pastry techniques including enriched doughs, fermentation, hand shaping, and lamination. Warm spices, savory herbs, and autumn produce were incorporated throughout the display to create a cohesive seasonal theme while emphasizing both flavor development and technical execution.
Spring Brunch Bread Display
Created for the 8th Annual Rolland E. Shaeffer Culinary Classic, this assorted bread display featured a collection of brunch-inspired baked goods centered around warm spices and citrus flavors. The display included carrot cake challah braided into wreaths and served with cream cheese spread, traditional hot cross buns, streusel-topped coffee cake, and blood orange scones accompanied by house-made blood orange marmalade.
This display emphasized enriched dough techniques, flavor balance, and traditional bread production while exploring cohesive presentation and seasonal inspiration. Although this piece earned a certificate of participation, it became an important step in the development of my competition work and helped shape the more refined bread displays I created in later years.
Citrus Market First Concept
Created for Dorsey College’s “Cook Like You Mean It” Classic XIV, this assorted bread display was my first execution of the “Citrus Market” concept and earned a bronze medal. Inspired by the vibrant atmosphere of an open-air citrus stand, the display featured a variety of artisan breads and laminated pastries including orange bow tie croissants, lemon pepper sourdough, jalapeño lime bagels, and citrus danishes.
This display focused on flavor pairing, fermentation techniques, lamination, and cohesive presentation while incorporating fresh citrus elements throughout the market-inspired design. This first interpretation of the concept became the foundation for future refinement and growth, eventually evolving into a gold medal-winning display two months later.
Citrus Market
Created for the C-5 Assorted Bread Display category at the 9th Annual Rolland E Shaeffer Culinary Classic, this gold medal -winning display was inspired by the bright flavors and colors of fresh citrus at the market. The presentation featured a variety of hand crafted breads and laminated pastries including cream cheese danishes topped with brûléed grapefruit, jalapeno lime bagels, lemon pepper pecorino sourdough, and orange striped bowtie croissants.
