After considering every cake from banana to German chocolate at Tuesday’s open class home products cake competition, judge Kelly Hurley gave the title of grand champion to Ann Wildermuth for her angel food cake.
Not only was Wildermuth’s cake delicious, but Hurley noted that it was probably the best angel food cake she’s had in her 45 years of baking.
Wildermuth said that she makes an angel food cake for the fair every year.
“It was actually the third cake I made for the competition,” she admitted, “but I guess that means the third times a charm.”
Hurley gave the title of reserve champion to Karla Johnson for her chocolate cake with peanut butter icing.
“I’ve been making cakes for over 20 years,” Johnson said, “the recipe I use for the chocolate cake is one I make for my dad a lot. It uses Dutch processed cocoa.”
Along with her reserve champion title, Johnson won many other awards for her baking, with six of her cakes earning ribbons in their individual classes.
The home products show also recognized winners for the best cookies, candies, and breads, all judged by Heather Miller, a baker for Sweet Aromas in Bellefontaine.
In the cookie competition, Susan Weikart was recognized as reserve champion for her chocolate cookies, while Beth Lantz won grand champion for her thumbprint cookie.
“The recipe I use is one that I got from a cousin who has since passed away,” Lantz said.
“Its raspberry and almond with a drizzle on top.”
Not only were Lantz’s cookies a hit this year, but she shares that she’s had success with them in past years too.
“I haven’t entered the competition in years, but these cookies previously won awards at the Ohio State Fair,” she said.
The competition for champion candy went to Anita Green for her turtles, while the reserve champion award went to Karen Wisse for her buckeyes.
“I used a classic recipe that I found online and I entered the second batch I made,” Wisse shared on her success.
The champion and reserve champion for breads were won by cousins and competitors Barb McKeen of West Liberty and Terri Mees of DeGraff. The two share that this is the first year that they’ve gone head to head in any category, while both have been baking since they were little.
Mees’ glazed cranberry scones earned her the reserve champion title, and McKeen’s recipe for Lumen Blueberry Bread earned champion.
“I’m surprised by how well my bread did. I found a recipe that uses raspberries but my family and I prefer blueberries, so I changed it up a bit,” she said. “I made two loaves and entered the second one, but that just meant my grandkids got to eat the first one for breakfast.”