Is it Cake? Mandy Clifford Takes Home 5th Straight Best of State

Is it a purse? A steak? Is it a skate? Or is it cake?

In 2026, West Jordan's own Mandy Clifford took home her 5th Best of State in a row for Designer Cakes.

Her first claim to fame came nine years ago when she made a cake look like a French Bulldog wearing a party hat. A personal hobby for family and friends suddenly earned her an invitation from Food Network to a cake competition in Denver.

"You never can tell what people are going to find valuable and want to reach out to give you those kinds of opportunities," Clifford said.

This first competition was exciting and intimidating. "I had never done an internal structure before," Clifford recalled. "My teammate and I did really well, but we did not make it past the first round, which was okay by me because I was terrified to have to put together an internal structure and build a cake around it and have that all be filmed."

Since then she has been on Food Network's Holiday Wars and The Big Bake. She also appeared on a Canadian Baking Show, bringing home first prize.

Her cakes have appeared in magazines such as Satin Ice, Cake Masters and Utah Valley Bride.

When it comes to Best of State awards, it isn't just successful businesses and people who are awarded, but those who are constantly improving, expanding and giving back. Each of Clifford's cakes is better than the last. She has attended classes, conventions and tested her own techniques by simple trial and error.

Her persistence earned her international recognition as a finalist two years in a row at the American Cake Awards, a convention and competition that covers Mexico, the United States and Canada. The second year, she took home the Best Sculpted Cakes award.

"Starting off with just my own kids' birthday cakes, into doing TV shows and finding a cake community and then being internationally recognized has been such a crazy adventure," Clifford said. "Here I am talking to you about cakes that I've made. I've been on TV, been in different magazines and all of these crazy things and won Best of State. I honestly didn't think that being a cake artist was a thing you could choose when you're a child. That wasn't a dream that I wanted to realize until it just happened."

One of her most recent and viral cakes is her "purse cake," made entirely from buttercream, cake, and fondant with just a little stabilizing poster board. It is 100% wearable and edible. You can catch a glimpse on her social media, but you may have a hard time telling which is her bag and which is her cake.

When the cake flour settles and the awards sit on the shelves, the ultimate reward to Clifford is the personal reactions she gets from clients and onlookers. "When a client comes and picks the cake up or when I go and deliver it, bystanders stop me and take pictures of it and they're always asking, 'Is that cake? What is that?' They're so excited to see it. They're just amazed."

See more of this West Jordan cake artist and her creations by following her on Instagram, Facebook or watching for her new YouTube shows. You can also find her business and creations on her website: https://www.mandyscustomcakes.com.