Readers: Here’s the thing.

We really enjoy covering community events in northeast Johnson County. But there are events we like. And there are events we love. And it’s time to formally declare last night’s Cub Scout Troop 3291 Blue and Gold Banquet at Colonial Church a fixture in the latter category.

Because swinging by that event meant we got to lay eyes on a feast of edible creativity the likes of which we simply hadn’t encountered before.

Made up of 43 1st-5th graders from Prairie and Belinder Elementaries, the troop holds a “two men and a cake” contest each year in which the scout and a male relatively — dad, grandfather, uncle, etc… — bake a cake without any help from a mom.

The theme of this year’s contest, and the Blue and Gold Banquet, was Star Wars. And what these young troopers came up with…well, it would make even a Rancor smile. (Sweet Star Wars reference, Senter).

He were go:

Chewbacca was a popular subject for the task at hand, and I really like the way these bakers used a variety of marshmallows for the details. Those teeth are convincing. But I’ve also got to give a special shout out to these guys…:

…for the ingenious idea of using shaved coconut to mimic the gnarlyness of Chewy’s coat.

Storm troopers were a fixture among the cakes as well…:

…with this entrant cleverly combining Cub Scout troop activities with storm trooping:

Some entrants paid exquisite attention to detail, as in the case of this scarily realistic Ewok:

While others took a more abstract, elemental approach, as in this rendering of Princess Leia’s head:

Appetizing, perhaps it is not, but I had a special spot in my heart for this entry, depicting the trash compactor in which Han, Luke, Leia and Chewy get trapped in A New Hope:

Okay. I think we can all agree that every single one of these is pretty amazing. But you’ve really got to hand it (HAHAHAHAHA!) to the team that came up with the idea for this jelly roll cake, which honorably depicts the severed Wampa arm from The Empire Strikes Back:

Please note the jelly oozing from the shoulder end…

The attendees at the banquet also got a special surprise: Star Wars enactors from the 70th Explorers Garrison showed up at the end to hand out slices of cake and pose for pictures (thanks to Kory Lewis for this pic):