KA 2010 Cake of the Year

marilynfl

Moderator
So this year, the county fair "powers that be" decided to switch things up. They came up with the idea that all contestants entering the cake option have to make the same cake. They chose one of King Arthur's Cake of the Year winners.

They chose this one:

Since the fair isn't until the end of September, I decided to bake a test version. Well, HALF a version because, let me tell you, this is NOT a cheap cake to make. The raspberries alone will cost between $10 and $15. Then there is cream cheese, butter, eggs, chocolate, Dutch cocoa, LOTS of powdered sugar and, of course, the $6 bag of KA flour, who sponsors this contest. After running the cost analysis (result: it's EXPENSIVE!) I supplied the extension field office running this contest with my data and the opinion that they may not get many entries. They reluctantly agreed that I was correct, but had already posted the contest criteria on the website and fair publications. See...this isn't a $10,000 or $25,000 winning contest. This is a $25 winner's purse, unless you have the best entry out of all the categories and then it's $25 and a KA gift certificate.

I made my test version and absolutely HATE the icing, which is just lots of powdered sugar and fat. I swear, once you've made real buttercream icing (French, Italian, Swiss) you simply can not go back to powdered sugar. It's too sweet...it's too cloying...it's too...too.
But I have to use it.

Here is the half version (one 8" cake split into two layers...final version will have 4 layers). I also hate the fresh raspberries...they look like mutant cone-heads.

89C6697B-C5B1-49E5-B98B-358E8BBBE68A_4_5005_c copy.jpeg
 
So this year, the county fair "powers that be" decided to switch things up. They came up with the idea that all contestants entering the cake option have to make the same cake. They chose one of King Arthur's Cake of the Year winners.

They chose this one:

Since the fair isn't until the end of September, I decided to bake a test version. Well, HALF a version because, let me tell you, this is NOT a cheap cake to make. The raspberries alone will cost between $10 and $15. Then there is cream cheese, butter, eggs, chocolate, Dutch cocoa, LOTS of powdered sugar and, of course, the $6 bag of KA flour, who sponsors this contest. After running the cost analysis (result: it's EXPENSIVE!) I supplied the extension field office running this contest with my data and the opinion that they may not get many entries. They reluctantly agreed that I was correct, but had already posted the contest criteria on the website and fair publications. See...this isn't a $10,000 or $25,000 winning contest. This is a $25 winner's purse, unless you have the best entry out of all the categories and then it's $25 and a KA gift certificate.

I made my test version and absolutely HATE the icing, which is just lots of powdered sugar and fat. I swear, once you've made real buttercream icing (French, Italian, Swiss) you simply can not go back to powdered sugar. It's too sweet...it's too cloying...it's too...too.
But I have to use it.

Here is the half version (one 8" cake split into two layers...final version will have 4 layers). I also hate the fresh raspberries...they look like mutant cone-heads.

View attachment 2889
Well, it’s pretty, but I’m definitely with you…once you’ve gone over to meringue icing you just can’t go back. They are just too stinking good and make you realize that all those other icings you made all those years just can’t hold a candle to these others.

Also, having everyone makes the same cake seems really weird. What are they going to judge on, how long someone had the cake in the oven? Whether or not someone was able to follow a recipe, when the directions are all extremely specific? This was a really dumb idea on their part. I’d change it up and then claim, “inspired by”.
 
Has it been heard of before...........making exactly the same cake..........to win the prize? How very skilled/talented/experienced....must the judges be?

I do agree that your (US) raspberries are really to the point. Ours, are much more well-rounded.

(but I would eat a piece of that without any convincing)
 
So this year, the county fair "powers that be" decided to switch things up. They came up with the idea that all contestants entering the cake option have to make the same cake. They chose one of King Arthur's Cake of the Year winners.

They chose this one:

Since the fair isn't until the end of September, I decided to bake a test version. Well, HALF a version because, let me tell you, this is NOT a cheap cake to make. The raspberries alone will cost between $10 and $15. Then there is cream cheese, butter, eggs, chocolate, Dutch cocoa, LOTS of powdered sugar and, of course, the $6 bag of KA flour, who sponsors this contest. After running the cost analysis (result: it's EXPENSIVE!) I supplied the extension field office running this contest with my data and the opinion that they may not get many entries. They reluctantly agreed that I was correct, but had already posted the contest criteria on the website and fair publications. See...this isn't a $10,000 or $25,000 winning contest. This is a $25 winner's purse, unless you have the best entry out of all the categories and then it's $25 and a KA gift certificate.

I made my test version and absolutely HATE the icing, which is just lots of powdered sugar and fat. I swear, once you've made real buttercream icing (French, Italian, Swiss) you simply can not go back to powdered sugar. It's too sweet...it's too cloying...it's too...too.
But I have to use it.

Here is the half version (one 8" cake split into two layers...final version will have 4 layers). I also hate the fresh raspberries...they look like mutant cone-heads.

View attachment 2889
OMGoodness - that is one helluva expensive cake (although very beautiful!!). I agree with you on all counts
 
Has it been heard of before...........making exactly the same cake..........to win the prize? How very skilled/talented/experienced....must the judges be?

I do agree that your (US) raspberries are really to the point. Ours, are much more well-rounded.

(but I would eat a piece of that without any convincing)
“…to the point…”.
Ha!
 
We are eating your peaches this year. Here I am living in peach country, my favourite fruit, and our peaches dribble in from the US. How sad it is that massive orchards fell to the weather....fires, floods, snap cold, and we have nothing. Such respect I have for farmers. And now, we have a national rail strike that is apparently costing $3-500,000,000 a day, mostly at a time when farmers have all kinds of harvesting being done.
 
Hi wigs,

Well, Hurricane Helene ix-nayed the fair, but I had already made the cake except for icing by Thursday when it hit. Waynesville was only supposed to get some minor wind damage, but....

I lost electricity/phone/everything for three days. Finished up the cake yesterday and today I drove it down hill to our electric co-op to be shared at the linesman's break room.

This sucker weighted in at 8 pounds! I added a raspberry coulis to the top and fru-fru-ed the rim with more of the filling. Raspberries have an edible gold powder on them.

So, no ribbon this year...just a lot of gratitude for the men and women who put themselves in danger to give us light.

IMG_3868.jpg
 
Hi wigs,

Well, Hurricane Helene ix-nayed the fair, but I had already made the cake except for icing by Thursday when it hit. Waynesville was only supposed to get some minor wind damage, but....

I lost electricity/phone/everything for three days. Finished up the cake yesterday and today I drove it down hill to our electric co-op to be shared at the linesman's break room.

This sucker weighted in at 8 pounds! I added a raspberry coulis to the top and fru-fru-ed the rim with more of the filling. Raspberries have an edible gold powder on them.

So, no ribbon this year...just a lot of gratitude for the men and women who put themselves in danger to give us light.

View attachment 2910
Beautiful! And to a much more worthwhile cause. 💜
 
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