Jun 10, 2014 3 min read

Bakers, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and get ready for three baking contests at the Jacktown and Greene County fairs.

The contests feature apple pie, angel food cake and treats made with chocolate. Judges select the best entries on the first day of the fair. The winners will receive cash prizes and a chance to compete in state contests held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

For the 11th annual INCREDIBLE Angel Food Cake Contest, participants must prepare a cake made from scratch using eggs that were produced in Pennsylvania. A recipe must be submitted with the cake.

The contest is sponsored by Pennsylvania Egg Farmers and Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs.

Prizes awarded at both fairs will be $25, first place; $15, second; and $10, third.

There are two primary types of cakes – butter and foam (egg leavened). Angel food is a classic example of foam cake, and it is completely fat free.

Cakes will be judged on the following criteria:

• 30 points for flavor (smell taste and flavoring);

• 25 points for inside characteristics (texture, crunch and lightness);

• 20 points for overall appearance (surface, size and color);

• 15 points for creativity;

• 10 points for topping, icing or decoration.

Angel food works well with a variety of toppings and icings. Creativity is an essential part of the contest.

For the 2014 PA Preferred Chocolate Baking contest, contestants are encouraged to use as many Pennsylvania-produced ingredients as possible in their chocolate baking recipes.

The contest is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s PA Preferred program and the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs.

The cake should be submitted for judging on cardboard or a disposable plate, with a recipe listing ingredients and preparation instructions. Entrant’s name, address and phone number must be printed on the back side of all pages.

The contest is a preliminary competition that leads to the selection of the final PA Preferred Chocolate Baking blue ribbon winners each January at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.

First-place winners at the Farm Show are awarded a prize of $500 for the winning chocolate cake recipe and $250 for the winning chocolate cookie, brownie or bar recipe.

For the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest, pies must include at least 60 percent apples in the filling.

The contest is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs.

The pie does not need to be a traditional two-crusted apple pie, and it can have a variety of fillings. The entire pie must be submitted for judging in a disposable pan.

The recipe for the pie and pie crust must be submitted with the entry and it should be submitted on an 8 1/2-inch-by-11-inch sheet of paper. The recipe must include ingredients, quantities and preparation instructions. Entrant’s name, address and phone number must be printed on the back of all of the pages.

Entrants may not have won first place in the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie contest at any other fair in 2014 to participate.

The pies will be judged based on the following criteria:

• 30 points for flavor;

• 25 points for filling (consistency, doneness, moistness and flavor);

• 20 points for crust (color, flavor, texture and doneness);

• 15 points for overall appearance;

• 10 points for creativity.

For more information on entry requirements or a list of rules, call Melody Burns, Jacktown Fair, at 724-428-3617 or Terri Laird, Greene County Fair, at 724-966-7447.