The Kentucky State Fair is still on the schedule for 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic means there are massive rules change: only livestock categories are allowed.
This means for the first time in years, there will be no "Your Favorite Cake" competition, nor any of the other Blue Ribbon winning food categories. Judges will not be going down a line of a dozen folding tables tasting cakes and other baked goodies and comparing notes.
No comments this yeah on an icing that is too gritty, or a cake too dry. No complementing the layers just right on that cake or a great filling on another.
But even though there isn't a cake category this year, you can still enjoy some of Kentucky's greatest hits with the most recent "Your Favorite Cake" winners.
Last year, Barbara Alt's "Chocolate Bourbon Ball Cake" took home the blue ribbon, with judges praising the balance between the chocolate, bourbon and nutty praline flavors in the cake.
"Whether or not you like bourbon or liquor in your food, you'd like this cake because it's subtle," judge Kathy Byrnes said at the time. "It's enough you can tell it's there, but it's not overwhelming."
In 2018, the coveted blue ribbon went to Rebecca Middleton's "Choco Mint" cake, which earned admiration for its mint green frosting and piping and the "refreshing mint scent" that emanated from the dish.
It was only the second time Middleton entered the "Your Favorite Cake" category, though she's been entering the culinary competitions at the State Fair for more than a decade. She comes from a long line of good cooks, so winning was "an incredible accomplishment."
"My favorite ice cream is chocolate chip mint ice cream so I kind of wanted to mimic that," Middleton said of her 2018 masterpiece.
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In 2017, the winner was Robyn Dale's "Bourbon Cream Tipsy Cake," which was so good it left some judges temporarily speechless. The extravagant floral decorations didn't push this cake to the top: it was the way the bourbon flavor balanced with the cake itself and the clean "mirror glaze" icing.
Dale said the glaze tastes better than fondant, which is traditionally used to give a cake a smooth appearance. And the competition's judges agreed.
"People get excited about a really good cake," judge Elizabeth Coots previously said. "It's hard to make a really good cake. You have to get the texture right, and the icing adds another level of difficulty — no pun intended."
Take a look below at the recipes for these Blue Ribbon-winning State Fair cakes and give them your best shot. The 2020 Kentucky State Fair runs from Aug. 20-30 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. For more details on what is open and what precautions are being taken amid the coronavirus pandemic, visit kystatefair.org.
Dahlia Ghabour: 502-582-4497; dghabour@gannett.com; Twitter: @dghabour. Support strong journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.
Chocolate Bourbon Ball Cake with Praline Crunch Frosting and Bourbon Ganache
Baker: Barbara Alt. 2019 Kentucky State Fair Blue Ribbon winner for "Your Favorite Cake"
Bourbon Cake
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3-ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 2-ounces sweet baking chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup instant espresso coffee powder
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
Bourbon Ganache
- 12-ounces dark or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons bourbon
Praline Crunch Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped and toasted
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whipping cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
For the Bourbon Cake: Preheat the oven to 325- degrees. Prepare pans by spraying with cooking spray, lining with parchment paper and spraying top of parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine two chocolates. Microwave uncovered on 100% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave uncovered for 30 seconds more; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.
In a 2-cup measuring glass, combine instant espresso powder and boiling water. Stir to combine. Add enough cold water to coffee to measure 1 1/2 cups. Stir in the 1/2 cup of bourbon.
In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla.
Alternate adding flour mixture and coffee mixture to chocolate mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan, spread evenly. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on rack.
Brush top and side of cake with 2 tablespoons of bourbon.
For the Bourbon Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a bare simmer over low heat. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Add bourbon.
Set aside and allow to cool until thickened to spreading consistency, in or out of the refrigerator.
When the ganache is almost thick enough, start making the praline crunch frosting.
For the Praline Crunch Frosting: Roast pecans in a 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once.
Bring butter, brown sugar and cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add toasted pecans and stir gently for 3 minutes or so until frosting begins to cool and thicken slightly.
Assemble the Chocolate Bourbon Ball Cake: Level each cake layer by cutting off the domed top with a long serrated knife, if necessary. Place on level flat side down on a cake board or plate. Spread a small amount of ganache evenly over top of later, followed by approximately one-third of the praline crunch frosting.
Position the second layer on top and press to adhere. Repeat with ganache and one-third of the praline crunch frosting.
Place top side up and repeat with small amount of ganache and last third of the praline crunch frosting. Put a crumb coat on the sides of the cake and refrigerate for 15 minutes, then frost with remaining ganache, reserving some if you would like to add any decorative details or borders.
Bourbon Ball Garnish
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 2 1/2 tablespoons bourbon or to taste
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 15 whole pecans toasted and cut in half
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons shortening
Toast pecans in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown.
Combine butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in an electric mixer on medium speed until fully combined. Add salt and bourbon and mix until just combined. Place mixing bowl in the fridge for at least one hour.
Take half of the mixture out of the fridge and scoop into very small marble-sized balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Place baking sheet in the freezer for at least one hour or overnight.
Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave for up to 3 minutes at 50% power. Stir every 30 seconds until fully melted.
Take half of the bourbon balls out of the freezer. Use a toothpick to dip frozen balls in chocolate. Place each on parchment paper and top with a pecan half.
Repeat with the other half of balls. Chill in refrigerator until set.
CHOCO MINT CAKE
Recipe from Rebecca Middleton, 2018 Kentucky State Fair Blue Ribbon winner in the "Your Favorite Cake" competition.
Cake Layer
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon mint extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together to combine, then sift into mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and mint extracts. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix well. Add boiling water to the batter. Mix on low speed until well combined. Divide the batter evenly between three cake pans and bake at 300 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes on a cooling rack.
Mint Frosting
- 2 cups European butter (softened)
- 1 cup shortening
- 12 cups powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon mint extract
- Green food coloring
- Bag of mint chocolate pieces
Beat the softened butter and shortening together until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth between each addition of powdered sugar. Add water, vanilla and mint extract to the frosting and mix until smooth. Add a few drops of green coloring to the frosting.
When the cakes are cooled, use a serrated knife to remove the domes from the tops of the cake layers so they are flat. Place the first layer of cake on your serving plate. Spread frosting onto an even layer on top of the cake, then sprinkle up to a 1/4 cup of mint chocolate pieces on top and press into the frosting. Repeat same on second layer. Top the cake with a third layer of cake. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting. Pipe a swirl border of frosting around the top edge of the cake. Sprinkle additional mint pieces over the top of the cake, if desired.
BOURBON CREAM TIPSY CAKE
Recipe from Robyn Dale, 2017 Kentucky State Fair Blue Ribbon winner in the "Your Favorite Cake" competition.
Cake Layer
- 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup bourbon cream liqueur
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon bourbon extract (can purchase from Bryants Cake and Candy)
Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-in pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, bakingpowder and salt; set aside. Combine eggs, bourbon creamliqueur and extracts. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add half the bourbon cream mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a metal spatula. Bake cake about 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then cut offcrown of the cake (the part that rises above the pan) and lightly coat the top of the cake with additional bourbon cream straight from the bottle. Turn the cake out on the rack, baste the bottom of the cake and let cool completely. Slice the cake through the center, creating two layers. Refrigerate or place in freezer to finish on a different day.
Mousse Layer
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 packets whipped cream stabilizer
- 15 ounces white chocolate
- 3 cups cold heavy whipping cream (or 1 carton non-dairy cream substitute)
- 1 cup bourbon cream liqueur
- 4 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 tablespoon bourbon flavoring
Mix the gelatin and water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to bloom. Place 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream on the stove and bring to a boil. Pour over the top of the white chocolate. Add gelatin and mix until the chocolate and gelatin are both smooth and dissolved. Remove from stove. Add bourbon cream,bourbon and flavoring, stir until incorporated.
Whip remaining cream with whipped cream stabilizer until soft peaks have formed. Addone third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mix and stir until lightened. Add the remaining amount of whipped cream in thirds and fold with a spatula until no white streaks remain.
Place bottom 1/2 of cake layer in10-inch springform pan, making sure there is an empty space completely around the cake. Cover the cake with a couple cups of mousse. Add second layer and repeat, covering all surfaces of the cake. Place into the refrigerator or freezer until set (about 2-3 hours).
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (3 packets)
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (about 15 ounces)
- food coloring, if preferred
Stir gelatin and 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a small bowl and let sit 5 minutes to bloom.
Cook sugar and 3/4 cup water until sugar is dissolved andmixture is clear. Add condensed milk, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to bubble. Add bloomed gelatin and stir until dissolved.
Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stirring constantly, until melted. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Color with food coloring as desired. Let cool, stirring occasionally to stop a skin from forming, until the glaze is just cool enough to touch (about 10-12 minutes).
Set a chilled, smoothly frosted cake on a cake pan or overturned bowl set inside a rimmed baking sheet or large tray to catch drips. Pour colored glaze over, sweeping back and forth across cake as you pour, to form a smooth appearance. Let glaze drip about 10 minutes, then clean up the edges with a small offset spatula or butter knife. Transfer the cake to a serving platter and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
Using a warmed sharp knife, cut cleanly through the cake, wiping the knife with a warm, damp towel between each slice.
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