It's a Tough Job ...

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. I realize that judging scrumptious chocolate cakes doesn't sound like a daunting task. The tasting part is certainly easy enough. It's just picking the winner that's the trouble.

Fellow judge Lois Schlickau and I chose the winners in the Kansas State Fair C&H Sugar Chocolate Cake contest last Friday. I'm glad there weren't more than seven cakes. It would have made the decision even more difficult.

Denise Pounds of Hutchinson had the winning combination of yummy cake and unusual frosting. She is a perennial fair entrant. She wasn't at the judging to bask in her "crowning" with the first-place ribbon. (The third-place winner was a 15-year-old girl, so there's a wide range of people participating - from experienced fair entrant to novice!)

In a nationally-sponsored contest, I think judges are looking for something a bit unusual and not just a standard chocolate cake. The espresso powder in the cake enhanced the chocolate taste without overpowering it. Using C&H brown sugar in a meringue-style buttercream frosting was an unusual and tasty choice, which set Denise's cake apart from others.

Your mom told you not to judge a book by its cover. Same goes for state fair food contests. The contest isn't solely about outward appearance. In fact, that only counts 10 percent. (Scoring criteria for the cake is 40 percent aroma and flavor and 25 percent each for texture and grain. The frosting is split down the middle with consistency and flavor.)

Randy is eventually hoping for a taste test of his own on this cake. (OK, he'd be happy tasting any of these beautiful cakes! More recipes to follow ...)

Mocha Almond Toffee Cake

Cake:
18 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. C&H granulated sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups & 2 tbsp. cake flour, plus more for dusting pans
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup dutched cocoa powder
2 tsp. espresso powder
1 cup milk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure almond extract

Filling
3/4 cup Heath English Toffee baking bits, divided

Garnish
1 1/4 cups sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour three, 8-inch cake pans (Denise used square pans). Beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. Gradually sprinkle in sugar; beat until the mixture is fluffy and almost white, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating 1 full minute after each addition.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Combine the milk, buttermilk and flavorings in a separate measuring cup. With the mixer at the lowest speed, add about a third of the dry ingredients followed by a third of the milk mixture; continue until all the ingredients are incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl and mix 15 seconds longer until the batter is satiny.

Divide into 3 pans. Spread the top smooth. Bake for 23-30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick or when cake springs back in the center when pressed lightly. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Loosen sides from the pans and invert on wire racks to cool completely.

Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

5 large egg whites
1 2/3 cups packed C&H dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

Put egg whites, sugar and salt into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture registers 160 degrees, about 4 minutes.

Beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition. (Meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added.) Beat until frosting is smooth and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Assemble the cake:
Put the first layer on a serving platter or cake stand. Spread some frosting on the first layer. Sprinkle with half the toffee chips. Top with second layer of the cake. Put on additional frosting. Sprinkle with the rest of the toffee chips. Top with final layer of the cake. Spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, gently swirling on top.

Garnish: Toast almond slices in 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are just starting to brown. Cool completely. Carefully push the almonds onto the sides of the cake.

It Takes the Cake

"Baking is like washing--the results are equally temporary."

Author Patricia Briggs

I spent quite a bit of Friday working on a cake for Stafford's 125th birthday party. I added a trip or two to the field, along with making and delivering the noon meal for Randy & Jake, who are still planting wheat.

I can really relate to the quote from Patricia Briggs: The cake took hours to make and only a few minutes for people to devour.

But that's OK. My time investment paid off when my cake won the top prize at a contest over the weekend. No one was more surprised than I was.

Since the judges weren't judging on taste, I didn't figure I had any hope of winning. Baking I can do. Decorating is not usually my forte.

Nine of us entered cakes in the Friday night contest to commemorate Stafford's quasicentennial.

I don't think it was necessarily my skills with a pastry tube, though I certainly spent enough time covering that sunflower with repeated strokes with a star tip.

Instead, I think it was more about the Burma Shave-style signs that decorated the back of the box. Several years ago, the Stafford Main Street committee installed small signs on U.S. Highway 50. There is a set for motorists who are heading into Stafford from the west.

But the ones on my "radar" - and my cake - were the six signs that line a ditch just past the Zenith Road on U.S. 50. I've probably been past them thousands of times since that's our normal route to Stafford.

I don't remember the Burma-Shave signs of the past. But our Stafford signs are reminiscent of the sign series that appeared from 1925 to 1963 in most of the contiguous U.S. Typically, six consecutive small signs would be posted along the edge of highways, spaced for sequential reading by passing motorists.

This use of the billboard was a successful advertising gimmick during the early years of the automobile, drawing attention from passersby who were curious to discover the punchline. As the highway system expanded in the late 1950s and vehicle speeds increased, it became more difficult to attract motorists' attention with small signs.

I took photos of Stafford's version of the signs and then made my own signs by printing wallet-sized photos and attaching them to sticks.

Just in case you can't read them: If our road signs ... Catch your eye ... Smile awhile

And stop to buy ... Stafford Main Street ... Gateway to Quivira NWR

Besides the signs, I took lots of photos of Stafford today and interspersed them with photos from Stafford's Centennial book. I decorated the cake board with these glimpses of Stafford's past and present.

I thought the photo of the marquee on the Ritz Theater was particularly timely. The movie "Going the Distance" will be shown next weekend. A celebration of Stafford's 125-year history has our little town "going the distance," too.

I also modified the centennial logo, changed the dates and made a big road sign of my own to stick in the middle of my sunflower cake among the chocolate frosting and chocolate chips I used to make the sunflower center.

There weren't many rules for the cake contest. About the only requirement was that it was to be a sheet cake.

I made a chocolate sheet cake for the base. Then I made a lemon poppy seed cake for the sunflower.

So I didn't have to freehand the text, I used molds and orange-colored candy melts to spell out Stafford and 125 and to make my pumpkins.

When I got there and saw the cakes, I sure didn't figure I would win. We have some talented ladies in our community.

The one below ended up getting second place. Laura, a former Stafford High School student, does cake decorating as a hobby from her home in Hutchinson. She constructed the Stafford County Museum out of cake, as well as Stafford's brick streets. I was impressed.

The third place winner was Sarah Marks, who was in Brent's high school class. She showed the evolution of transportation from the time Stafford was established in 1885. The covered wagon was on a "dirt" road. The next vehicle was on brick streets and the modern vehicle was on an "asphalt" highway, while a tractor plowed a nearby "field."

Another of my favorites was done by my friend, Arlene Lickiss, who truly is an artist. She didn't have to rely on candy molds for her decor. She drew the Stafford skyline by hand with frosting. Pretty impressive!

There was also a steam engine out of cake ...

A covered wagon pulled by oxen ...

And a schoolmarm and desk (neither from cake) complete with 125 pumpkins.

As you can see, I feel fortunate to have won the contest. The cakes were served prior to the Stafford homecoming football game.

And the next day, I got my $125 in Chamber bucks! I've already spent part of the loot at Paul's Grocery Store. That's probably where the bulk of my winnings will go.

I guess that's a fitting place to spend proceeds from a cake contest.

SHHHH! We won't talk about how much I spent on the sunflower cake pan or the chocolate molds. But, in my defense, I did come out ahead.

You will come out ahead, too, if you try these cake recipes. Both are from one of my favorite cookbooks, the 75th Anniversary Cookbook (1916-1991) from the Trousdale (KS) United Methodist Church. Enjoy!

Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup margarine or butter
4 tbsp. cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Sift flour, sugar and salt together. Bring to boil the margarine or butter, water and cocoa. Pour over flour and sugar mixture. Beat well. Add the soda to the buttermilk; add to mixture. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

Bake in a prepared sheet cake pan (15- by 10-inches). Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Start icing during the last 5 minutes the cake is baking. Frost as soon as the cake is removed from the oven.

Note: I sometimes add 1 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a chocolate cinnamon cake. I didn't this time.

Chocolate Icing

1/2 cup margarine or butter
6 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. cocoa
1 lb. (about 4 cups) powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I didn't use these this time since I wanted a smooth icing)

Heat margarine or butter, milk and cocoa in saucepan. Heat over low flame until butter is melted, but don't boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts (if desired). Mix well. Frost cookie sheet cake as soon as it is removed from the oven.

Makes 24 servings.

Poppy Seed Cake

1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 small package instant pudding (I used lemon)
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup milk

Note: The original recipe called for vanilla, butterscotch, pistachio or coconut pudding. I chose lemon, not one of the options listed, but it got good reviews from people who sampled it.

Soak poppy seeds in the milk. Beat all ingredients together for 4 minutes. The original recipe said to put the batter into a 10-inch prepared tube pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 55 minutes, if making the tube pan.

I used this mixture for my sunflower molded cake and cooked until it tested done in the center with a toothpick.

I frosted with a powdered sugar decorators icing, which I colored bright yellow with gel food coloring. I like this recipe because it uses part butter (or margarine), which gives it better flavor than frosting made just with shortening.

I used leftover chocolate frosting for the center of the sunflower, then decorated with chocolate chips.

Frosting

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla (I used almond extract instead)

Combine all ingredients. This makes enough to frost a layer cake. You can halve it for a 13- by 9-inch pan.