Looking for Blue Ribbon Cake Recipes
 

It's county fair time again. It seems like just yesterday that I asked the QBers this question: What's the best, blue ribbon worthy layer cake recipe? The fact is, with Covid and everything else, it's actually been a few years since I considered entering our County Fair Baked Goods Competition and posed this question to you all. I'm getting my courage up and I'm going to enter again this year. Here are some of the cakes that I'm considering:

Lemon Cake with tart lemon filling or?

Coconut cake with coconut covered frosting

Double Chocolate Cake with fudge frosting

That Killer Cake that I posted here a couple of months ago. (Sorry, I forget the name of it.)

Hummingbird Cake (I entered this last time)

Any other good ideas? Any recipe that you've tried already and found it to be excellent?

Thanks!

Minesota Choc cake, best chocolate cake out there. Just google, easy to find.

Yum! Tropit, I volunteer to be your taste tester!

I think I will go to this website and try making these to figure out what cake you should enter: https://morningchores.com/award-winning-cake-recipes/

Tres Leche Cake served with fresh fruit on top! I have BFF's recipe if you want it.

Thanks everyone. I'll look up that chocolate cake. Yes, I'd love the Tres Leche cake reipe, if it's not a bother.

I forgot to mention that they do not accept anything that needs to be refrigerated.

I have to say that last year there were NO entries in the "Layer Cake" division and very few competitors at all in the baked goods division. Our fair is very small, so I don't think that I'll have much competition this year...fingers crossed. Never the less, I do want to make something really good, moist, excellent crumb, can stand up to being on display, etc. I'm putting the challenge more on myself, then against the other possible competitors.

My Dau gets into it too, so we have fun doing it together. We may enter a couple of other categories too s/a biscuits, cookies, pies, etc. They also have a big gardener's section, but I have no idea what will be ready by then in the garden. My DH makes great beer and hard sparkling cider. The kids and I have really been pushing him to enter the "Home Brew" categories. Personally, I think that his cider is so good...it's like drinking Champagne. His beer is really good too!

I will not enter the quilting competition. There are 3 ladies that are amazing quilters and they enter every year. No way am I up to their level, but I do enjoy looking at all of their entries.

I've found a couple more recipes that I may try for the fair.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. (I've made this before and my family said it was top notch. I have my own recipe for this.)
Hot Chocolate Cake. https://thecakeblog.com/2016/12/hot-chocolate-cake.html
Hazelnut Latte Cake. https://maverickbaking.com/hazelnut-latte-cake/

I'm still into a simple, Lemon Cake. I'm going to try out this recipe this week. https://www.wellplated.com/lemon-layer-cake/

It sits out at room temperature. You can bring it in the day before the fair starts and they do the judging within a couple of hours...I hope. The cake will then be displayed for several days with any ribbons won. All of the baked goods look pretty sorry by the last days of the fair. They do not allow any entries that need to be refrigerated. I'm assuming that whipped cream is out.

I am on our local county fair board and I also judge other fairs in Open Class and 4-H. First of all thank you for entering. I hear so many people say that there is nothing to look at and at the same time find out that they do not enter anything. If you want a fair, people need to enter items.
I don't know your categories and rules so here are a few ideas: a classic from scratch Angel Food cake, chiffon cake, any flavor of a layer cake, petit fours.
Good luck and thank you for entering.

Thank you for those words of encouragement and cake ideas. I appreciate your inside knowledge about entering the fair. I hope that others will be inspired to enter their local fair too.

Some areas of the fair are full of entries, while others are not. I don't know why. At least I won't have a lot of competition in the Baked Goods department...LOL. I've only entered once before and I got a second place ribbon. The judge said that my cake tasted good and she was so glad that I displayed it on a cake stand, but I didn't present the sliced piece of cake correctly. I just didn't know any better and the instructions are minimal and vague. I hope that I get it right this time. I'm also going to embellish the cake a little more...get fancier in my decorating and frosting techniques. In other words, I'm going to try a little bit harder this time around.

I'm testing the lemon cake recipe today and tomorrow; making the sponge today and the frosting and decorating tomorrow. I'm only doing 2 layers for the test, but plan to make a 3 layer cake for the competition. It's too expensive to test the big version every time. I'm on WW, so most of the cake will be sent to my dau and her hubby. I'm just going to try a small sliver. Wish me luck. :)

So...yesterday was quite a day. I started testing this recipe for Lemon Cake: https://www.wellplated.com/wprm_print/33566/

I read through the instructions several times and read many of the comments from other readers. I hung my oven thermometer in the oven and preheated the oven to exactly 350 degrees F for about an hour before the cake pans were put in it. I used only the freshest ingredients and made sure that they were added at room temperature. I baked it for exactly the amount stated in the recipe and I didn't open the door. I tested the layers and they were moist, but not gooey....just perfect. In other words, I followed the recipe to the word.

The cake sponges came out OK. I think that they could have risen a bit more than they did, but the texture was soft and airy. This recipe does not call for any egg yolks and I feel that it was missing that component. The sponge was kind of like that of an Angel Food cake...white and fluffy on the inside, with brown, slightly tough, "crust" on the edges. It also did not have that much lemon flavor. I wasn't impressed.

But here's where it got interesting...When I made the sponges, the weather was pleasantly warm outside and the house was cool. However, the weather started to change and it became cloudy, smokey (fire up north of us,) and the house became quite warm and muggy from having the oven on all morning. I made the mistake of going ahead with the frosting of the cake. The frosting was lovely...very light and fluffy, especially for a cream cheese frosting, but because of the heat, it started to get a little soft. I should have put it back in the fridge for a few minutes, but I was almost done, so I went for it.

I frosted the cake and the frosting was getting everywhere. As I was wiping down the edges of the plate, there must have been some melting frosting on the bottom of the plate, because the plate of cake just took on a life of its own and spun right off of the counter, flipping, top down, plate up and landed on my Roomba that was passing by. The Roomba then carried it a few feet, where the cake then slid right off and on to the floor. The scene was so crazy and comical...I didn't know whether to laugh, or cry. I picked up the cake, which had separated itself from that thin, brown crust on the top of the cake, so only the frosting had touched the ground. I refrosted it and served it to my husband that evening. He ate almost the entire cake!

I'm trying a different recipe today: https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/lemon-cake-recipe/

Oh dear, one should not laugh at your mishap and mess to clean it up, but the way you told it is hilarious! One of the things that I have learned from judging 4-H (50% project 50% interview) is that the most things are learned when mistakes happen, so keep trying.
The recipe you are going to try sounds delicious. I would double check if they accept a cream cheese frosting as it is recommended that it is refrigerated.
Please let us know how you place at the fair. I am excited for you.

Oh...good point! Thanks. I entered a Hummingbird cake before and it had cream cheese frosting, so I think I'm OK, but I'll double check.

I know, I was horrified when the cake slipped off the counter, but it became obsurdly funny, watching my Roomba, (We call it "Li'l Roo",) go scooting off with the cake riding on its back. I could have laughed, or cried. I chose to laugh. :)

Oh Tropit, that's hilarious. Sometimes tragedy and comedy go hand in hand. Thanks for the laughter this morning. Glad your hubby liked the cake. I would have done the same thing.

Yesterday, I tried making this recipe: https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/lemon-cake-recipe/ and I found it to be a much better recipe than the first one. I had never tried the "reverse creaming" method before and the crumb of the sponge came out very good...moist, tender, soft edges, etc. The frosting was also really good. The curd was much more tart than I am used to and I didn't think that it was sweet enough to hold up to the rest of the cake, but that's an easy fix. I didn't do the drip on the frosting. It's been overdone lately, so I thought I'd just to a pretty, ombred, spiral swirl, stating with a pale green and then yellow, light yellow, ending in creamy white. I liked the look, but it might need a little extra decor next time, such as lemon slices, or sugared leaves.

As for other possible improvements...
The DH thought that the crumb was too dense, but I didn't think so. That being said, I may try adding a couple of stiffly beaten egg whites to the next, trial cake batter and see what happens. I'm also going to try making a lemon syrup and brush it on the sponge layers for some extra, lemon flavor. I'm also considering spliting each layer into 2 layers, so that I can incorporate more lemon curd. I definitely need to make the lemon curd sweeter.

Overall, I was happy with the cake and it survived and made it to the cake stand in one piece this time. :)

I made a lime cake once that had me poke holes with a drinking straw so that the glaze would permeate the cake better. It's a thought for your lemon cake. I love tart! and would try your cakes.

This cake testing exercise is getting expensive! I've gone through over a dozen lemons so far at $1 a piece, 6 or 7 cream cheese packets at $2.59 a box, pounds of butter...I lost count. Then there's the pounds gained by eating the cake...yee gads!

I made some lemon syrup last night to brush on my next set of cake layers. I used the rinds from some of those squeezed lemons that I kept from the last experiment. I was thinking that frozen lemonade might be good and cheap way to make syrup, but I think that I have plenty now.

So much for deep cleaning the kitchen.

I remember a boiled-lemons recipe using almond flour instead of all purpose flour. People would be surprised that it used the whole lemon! https://www.quiltingboard.com/vbulle...e-t314626.html

I'm still experimenting with the lemon cake. I think that I'm going to switch frostings from a cream cheese/butter/lemon/confectioner's sugar recipe to a Italian meringue/butter/cream cheese/lemon curd recipe. I've tried it once and it turned out fabulous! It's supposed to hold up at room temperature and the egg whites supposedly get cooked in the process. There's also a Swiss meringue version that definitely has cooked egg whites and that may work out even better.

I cannot eat another bite of cake.

I don't know if this is too late or not, or if you are committed to a lemon cake, but The Ultimate Oreo Cake from the Brown Eyed Baker would be a real good entry because it showcases a number of techniques. It calls for a cream cheese filling that could be replaced with one of your other white frostings that doesn't need refrigeration.
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/cooki...eam-oreo-cake/

Oh, thanks. I'm not totally committed to the lemon cake yet, but it's starting to get close to entry time and experimenting is getting expensive, so at this point, I think that I'll stick with what I know and have practiced. However, my dau is thinking of entering, so I'll pass the recipe on to her. She loves Oreos, so I know that she'll like it. :)

Tropit, if you decide to use lemonade concentrate, please taste it first. I made a lemonade pie this past weekend and the husband wanted to know what the flavor was. We all agreed that the concentrate is not the same as when my mother made the pie many years ago. I have some of the filling left and I'm going to add some lemon extract to it to see if that improves the flavor. The filling is just 6 oz. of lemonade concentrate, a can of Eagle Brand milk and 16 oz. of Cool Whip.

I'm saving the recipes you've used to try them myself. I love anything lemon.

Huh...interesting. I think I'm going to stick with fresh lemons. Thanks for that heads up.

"The filling is just 6 oz. of lemonade concentrate, a can of Eagle Brand milk and 16 oz. of Cool Whip."
That sounds good!

So, today I'm working on my final draft of my Lemon Velvet Cake. I have to turn it in on 09/19, so I'm making the sponge today and freezing the layers on cake boards. I've done this before, so I know it will still taste fresh. I might also work on the lemon curd filling. I need to make it just a little thicker because it tends to ooze out between the layers when the cake is cut. I could add one more egg yolk to the curd, or perhaps add some corn starch blended with a little water. I'm not sure what I'll do yet. The frosting, which also freezes well will be made tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.

Oh, that lemon cake sounds fabulous! Best wishes on your entry.

Thanks! I made the frosting today...Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting...very lemony. I might make a second set of sponge layers. The first set seemed a bit fragile and might crack after I put it together.

Corn starch doesn't freeze well. It breaks down and gets thin.I understand you can use arrowroot, which I have used. I gave the things I used it in to my sister, so I'm not sure it worked in the dishes I sent her.
However, I've used canned cream soup in dishes I wished to freeze and they broke down. Campbell's cream soups contain both corn starch and flour and they definitely break down and get thin after freezing..

bkay

edit: The decoration that will do the most to make an impression is to use a piping of frosting around the base of the cake. It's described as "anchoring the cake to the plate".

Tropit, your story of the flying cake was hilarious! Thanks for the laugh.

I'm not much of a cake maker, but I do enjoy eating it! Good luck at the fair.

Thanks for all of the good words of encouragement everyone. Everything except the lemon curd is in the freezer. I'm putting it together on Tuesday and taking it down to the fairgrounds. I'll try to take some pix to show you all. :)

Good luck we'll keep our fingers crossed for you.

Good Luck today!!

Thank you!!!

So, I have to submit my cake today, by 8PM. I got up early and put most of the cake together and now it's chilling in the fridge. I just have to add some decor, cut it in half for the presentation and cut a smaller slice to put on a small plate.

It's a half hour of driving on a windy road, so hopefully, I won't have a smashed up cake by the time that I get there. My dau lives right next to the fairgrounds, so I may do the final prep and any touching up at her house and just walk the cake over.

I took pix during the final essembly. I'll try to crop and post them here today, or tomorrow with some explanations on what I've done. The judging is at 9AM tomorrow, but I won't know if I have won anything until the fair opens on Friday. Fingers crossed.
:)

Well...I entered it. The judging was yesterday, but I won't know anything until the fair opens tomorrow. The cake came out OK...not fabulous looking, but we all thought that it tasted great. It got a little beat up bringing it down there. I kept the air conditioner on full blast all the way down to my dau's house. I then had to cut it in half and decorate it, pack it up and bring it to the fairgrounds. I was having an arthritic flare up that day, so I drove it over and hobbled to the back of the fairgrounds to hand it over. I was in so much pain just doing that. The frosting was slightly damaged, but nothing serious. I then went back to my dau's house, collapsed in a chair and then spent the night. I also slept all day yesterday at my house. I'm feeling much better today.

I took some pictures of the process of putting it together for all of you. I'll post them today.

Here's a step-by-step of what I did to make this cake:

I baked 2 layers of Gold Cake, but changed the vanilla out to lemon juice and added lemon zest. Note that I cut my cake board in half and rested the cake on both halves, with a space in the middle. This is because the fair only wanted 1/2 cake, + a slice on a separate plate. Having that gap on the cake boards made it easy to cut in half and move half to another plate.

Each layer was brushed with lemon syrup and also lemon juice for added flavor.

Lemon curd was used as a filler in the center.

I used a cream cheese frosting to which I added lemon zest, juice and extract.

The cake was crumb coated and put in the fridge for at least a half an hour.

I then added another layer of frosting and decorated it by spinning it on the cake turntable, while pressing gently against the cake with a dinner fork. You can see some thin, or shady spots in the pic, but honestly, you could not see that in person. It looked pretty good! It then went back into the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up.

I had some lemon leaves so I frosted them (a little too heavily) with sugar and made a couple of lemon peel roses.

The cake made the journey down the hill to my dau's house, where I cut the cake and put it on these lovely plates from the Dollar Store. It's no big deal if I don't get them back, but I do like them.

I had to put plastic wrap over the cake, which damaged the frosting design a little, but otherwise, it came through OK. I don't know how well the frosting held up sitting in the home arts building, waiting to be judged. I hope that it didn't melt too much.

I'm sorry, but I forgot to take a pic of the finished cake entry...augh! I completely forgot. I was so worried that I would be late entering it. There were a lot of entries this year. I was surprised! My kids said that they had been advertising on the local radio station to get more people to enter, so I guess that was a success. I did not see how many cakes were entered, but I'm glad that I didn't go for the cookie category. There were tons and tons of cookies. I'll know how I did tomorrow and let you all know...for better, or worse.

Here's more pix

Those pictures are luscious! Love the fork/spin and decorating! I would choose your lemon dessert.

And the winner is..........ME!!!

Best of Division!

Thank you for everyone's tips and following along with this project.

I'll send over a pic of the purple ribbon, just as soon as I can get it off of my DH's phone.

Way to go Tropit!!!! Your pictures are great, too. Thank you for the step by step... I am so excited for you!