Master level cake decorator Lori Cossou, owner of Lori’s Creative Cakes and More in Oswego, proved once again she is one of the best cake decorators in the nation.

She was grand champion in the wedding cake division at the Grand National Wedding Cake Competition and Oklahoma Sugar Art Show Saturday and Sunday in Tulsa.

For nine years Cossou has participated in the national competition, and seven of those years she has placed in the top four, competing against decorators from California, New Mexico, New York and even Sri Lanka and Peru.

“The first year I went, I had never seen cakes like this, and I got a certificate of merit for competing,” she said. “The next year I got second, the next year third and I took the grand prize in 2002. I placed first in 2003, second in 2004, and first in 2005, plus I got best in division and best of show.”

Last year, Cossou dropped from the top four to 13th, but she said she did not expect to place well that year.

“I had surgery, because I had five ruptured tendons in my right hand and couldn’t do all the string work I usually do,” she said.

This year, as a tribute to her surgeon, she did a lot of string work in hopes she would take the cake, so to speak.

“It felt amazing,” she said. “It’s the only competition I ever go to because it is the biggest in the U.S. There were about 75 competitors in this part of the competition.”

The theme this year was Hollywood Glamour, and Cossou’s cake, “A Tribute To Elegance,” was elegant to say the least, decorated to represent the classic white gown with black and white applique flowers that Audrey Hepburn wore as she stood in William Holden’s arms.

“I chose Audrey Hepburn from the movie ‘Sabrina’ for my inspiration. I created a five-tier cake that was decorated with a lot of string work and floral applique design. I also made skirting of icing that resembled her dress. Everything is icing, including the Audrey Hepburn day lilies,” she said.

Atop the highest tier of the cake sits an Oscar Award, Grammy Award and Audrey Hepburn’s Hollywood Star – all made of sugar. Decorating the cake table, covered in black satin and gold, were also satin-like gloves holding a flower, a mirror with a monogrammed “A” and a program from the movie, also all made of sugar.

“I started in June, but didn’t start keeping track of my hours until September. In September, I logged over 150 hours, if that gives you any idea,” she said. “I felt good going in and everyone that saw the cake, said, ‘You’re going to win.’ I was proud of it, but you just don’t know. Even after I got to the competition and saw everyone else’s cake, I was still positive, but you never know what the judges are looking for. There were four judges. One was from New York, one was from somewhere else in the U.S. and two were from England.”

With each top win, Cossou’s name becomes more renowned. She went to New York in 2005 and did a cake for Bride Magazine, and it was then displayed in Grand Central Station.

She also has been featured on the Food Network. A cake similar to the one she made for the contest she would not sell for less than $10,000.

So why is this decorator who has earned a reputation nationwide living in the small town of Oswego?

“Money’s not at the top of my list, and I don’t want to live in a big city. Everyone says, ‘If you moved to Kansas City or Dallas you could make a lot of money,’ but I don’t care about that,” she said. “But I am planning on starting to teach. Next month I am going to start traveling more and teaching. In November I am going to Sugarland, Texas, to do a demo, and then in the spring I am going to go back down and teach a class for a lady that has a shop that sells supplies.”