Local Woman Takes Home Prize for Chocolate Cake

The following was submitted on behalf of the Kimberton Fair Committee.

A Phoenixville resident represented Phoenixville well at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Janel Flor, who won for best "Hershey's Cocoa Classic Chocolate Cake" at the Kimberton Community Fair, took fifth place in the state competition at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

The smell of chocolate filled the air as the “Hershey’s Cocoa Classic Chocolate Cake and Baking Chips Cookie/Brownie/Bar” contests were held at the 96th Annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg on Saturday, Jan. 7.  

Crowds of onlookers and hopeful contestants packed the Contest Stage area to watch the outcome of these two state competitions sponsored by The Hershey Company, the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs and the Department of Agriculture.

In order for contestants to be eligible this final bake-off, they had to previously win first place at a fair that is a member PA State Association of County Fairs. Locally, the Kimberton Fair is one of those. Out of the 114 local and county fair members, 101 conducted preliminary Hershey’s Cocoa Classic competitions during their 2011 fair season. More than 1,700 entries baked with Hershey’s products were exhibited at these fairs. The fairs then certified their winners to move on to the state competition in Harrisburg. 

This year’s Farm Show had 79 cookie-brownie-bar entries and 75 fairs chocolate cake entries. Each contest was judged by a five-member panel that included representatives from The Hershey Company as well as a cookbook author, a culinary instructor and the emcee who has been with the contest since its inception. Entries were judged on flavor, texture, inside characteristics and outside characteristics. 

There was the much anticipated Hershey’s Cocoa Classic Chocolate Cake contest.  Contestants were required submit a layered cake baked from scratch. The recipe had to include a minimum of a quarter cup of Hershey’s Cocoa in the cake batter, as well as Hershey’s Cocoa if the icing was chocolate. A separate panel of judges went to work tasting the entries and then announced the following 2012 winners: 

1st – Jayne Wenger from Lancaster County, representing the Elizabethtown Fair with her “Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Strawberry Sensation Cake"

2nd – Hannah Harris from Berks County, representing Oley Valley Community Fair with her “Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake”

3rd – Belinda Myers from York County, representing the South Mountain Fair with her “Super Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake”

4th – Maryanne Zeigler-Kern from York County, representing the Dillaburg Community Fair with her “Blackberry Hershey’s Chocolate Cake;" and

5th – Janel Flor from Chester County, representing the Kimberton Community Fair with her “Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake."

The competitions began with the Baking Chips contest, open to youth contestants ages 8-18. Contestants were required to submit an entry of six cookies, brownies or bars baked from scratch. The recipe had to include a minimum of half a cup of Hershey’s baking chips (any variety) in the batter recipe, as well as Hershey’s Cocoa if a chocolate icing or chocolate drizzle was included in that recipe. After two hours of judging and deliberating, the judges selected the follow 2012 winners:

1st  Place – Michael Zaffuto, age 13, from Jefferson County,  representing the Sykesville Ag & Youth Fair with his “Strawberry Shortcake Brownies”;

2nd Place – Dannah Robosson, age 11, from Fulton County representing the Fulton County Fair with her “Cherry-licious Brownies”;

3rd Place – Matthew Brown, age 17, from Lancaster County representing the Elizabethtown Fair with his “Peanutty Puppy Chow Brownies”; 

4th Place – Jada Yanek, age 12, from Northampton County representing the Allentown Fair with her “Choco-Cherry Nut Bars”; and

5th Place – Marlana Knab, age 10, from Blair County representing the Claysburg Farm Show with her “Chocolate Chip Brownies”.  

The Hershey Company awarded cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100 to the top three cake winners, and $250, $100 and $50 to the top three cookie/brownie/bar winners. 

Hershey also sweetened the deal by giving great prize packages to all the state contestants. The goodie bags included an apron, brownie spatula, measuring spoons and Hershey cocoa and baking chips.

Anyone interested in participating in this year’s preliminary competitions for the 2012 Farm Show can go online to www.pafairs.org to find a participating PSACF member fair in their area.