CAKE decorators battled it out Bake Off-style in a trial of marzipan and icing.
House honours were at stake in the cake decorating contest staged annually at Barnard Castle School.
Competitors were judged on their designs, execution and teamwork with cakes taking on a variety of forms, ranging from a candy cane to a red nosed reindeer, polar bear to a celebrity star.
Students efforts were judged by director of studies Michael Truss who said: “Everyone did extremely well against the clock and there was very little to choose between them.”
Marwood house’s stocking took the honours, with Durham’s calendar taking second place and Dale and Longfield coming joint third.
Headmaster Alan Stevens said: “One of the great strengths of our school is the house system and the cake decorating contest brings out the competitive spirit of students to good effect. The best element of the cake decorating competition is that students can actually eat the proceeds of their efforts.”