On Sunday afternoon, the Kellogg Center bustled with bakers and hundreds of chocolate lovers tasting truffles, tortes and teacakes.

Chocolate and sugar butterflies, toads, images of Mayan gods and feathers adorned beautiful confections in the MSU Museum's rain forest-themed 17th Annual Chocolate Party Benefit. The event was an effort to raise money for care and preservation of museum collections.

"It sort of brings the world to our campus… helps us to better understand society and culture," said communications manager Lora Helou.

Vendors at the event included East Lansing's Caruso Candy Inc., How Sweet It Is Fudge & Candy Co., and A Piece O'Cake.

Four professional chefs judged the ornate and entirely edible masterpieces in the middle of the room.

The meticulously sculpted first prize piece " Paradise: A Birds Eye View" won first place. The majestic milk chocolate "Waiwai (Mayan) Goddess" and "Birth of Theobroma," which took the form of a Mayan god atop an enormous textured white chocolate bowl, were among the creations.

This was sugar artist Linda Fedewa's first year participating in the benefit. Fedewa and her husband own A Piece O'Cake, 4966 Northwind Drive, in East Lansing. Fedewa, a cake fanatic, was stunned when she was diagnosed with Celiac disease, a genetic disorder. People with Celiac disease cannot eat gluten, which is found in wheat, rye and barley.

"It has made us very, very good at making gluten-free cakes," she said.

A Piece O'Cake is the only bakery in town to offer a variety of gluten-free products, Fedewa said.

"We wouldn't send anything out of there that didn't taste fabulous," she said.

Fedewa won an award for her Divine Dark Chocolate Torte. She also had a rain forest cake and two petite cakes that were designed to look like luxurious fabric.