Ruiqi's bold-flavor vertical layer cake, built from black sesame sponge wrapped around Thai tea Swiss meringue buttercream, with sesame caramel shards around the top edge and an asymmetric dark chocolate drip down one side. Ruiqi confessed in the tent she had 'accidentally put 100 grams more sugar into the sponge' than intended and aimed to balance it by pulling sugar from the buttercream. Ruiqi is a news editor from Palo Alto who plays competitive pickleball and throws pottery.