Tag: best recipe

2026 Minnesota State Fair Special Baking Contests

Be a Baking Champion: Compete at the Minnesota State Fair’s Annual Baking Competition

New in 2026: Land O’Lakes Shortbread Contest & More!

Minneapolis-St Paul, MN – June 23, 2026 – The Minnesota State Fair will be here before we know it. For many Minnesotans, that means it’s time to showcase their baking skills and compete for cash prizes and blue-ribbon bragging rights.

With more than 80 baking categories or “classes,” the Minnesota State Fair’s annual baking competition celebrates the best cookies, cakes, breads, pies, and more. Don’t miss the new Land O’Lakes “Best-Ever Shortbread” and Blue Ribbon “Savory Scone” special contests.

Registration is open now and closes Tue, Aug 4, 2026, 4:30pm CT. The event’s pre-Fair drop-off date/time is Sat, Aug 22, 2026, 9:30am to 1pm CT (Creative Activities Building, Minnesota State Fairgrounds), with winners announced Thu Aug 27, opening day of the Fair. In the same Creative Activities Building, display cases will showcase the best of the best all days of the Fair (Aug 27-Sep 7).

Land O’Lakes “Best-Ever Shortbread Contest”

From traditional to totally creative, all styles, flavors, and shapes of shortbread qualify for this contest. Just be sure to use the beloved Land O Lakes brand of butter. We want to see a huge variety of entries. Wow the judges with a standout flavor, buttery aroma, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and a beautiful presentation. A unique mix of shortbreads will win, with $350 in prizes split among top three winners ($200/1st, $100/2nd, $50 3rd), plus bonus prizes for all “best-in-class” cookie winners. Looking for inspiration? Check out these Millionaire Shortbread Bars and Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints, then brainstorm what you’ll bake for the contest.

Land O’Lakes Live Event: Thu Sep 3

Join us for a live baking event featuring Land O Lakes® Butter in the Cambria Kitchen on Thu, Sep 3, 2026. The day begins with a 10am meet/greet session featuring 2026 Land O’Lakes shortbread contest winners. Then, Jackie Thesing @SweetGirlTreatsMN showcases a to-die-for Browned Butter Toffee Pecan Cookie recipe with live demonstrations at 11am, 12pm, and 1pm. Enjoy complimentary tastings while supplies last.

Blue Ribbon Group “Savory Scone Contest”

It’s time to put the spotlight on savory scones, like tomato/basil, cheddar/chive, or prosciutto/gruyere. Bake your best outstanding scone (circular, square, or triangle) that looks, tastes, and smells fantastic. A unique mix of scones will win. Awards: $200 1st, $100 2nd, $50 3rd (gift cards), plus bonus prizes for quick bread “best in class” winners. As a warm-up, try these Cheddar Scallion Scones from King Arthur Baking Company, or these prize-winning Parmesan & Chive Scones.

Key Dates to Remember

Competitors Register by Tue Aug 4, 2026, 4:30pm
Drop-Off Day is Sat Aug 22, 2026, 9:30am to 1pm
Land O Lakes® Butter Demos, Cambria Kitchen, Thu Sep 3, 10am to 1:30pm
View Winner Displays Aug 27 to Sep 7 in Creative Activities Building

First Time Participant or Need a Refresher?

Go to the Competitions/Creative Activities/Baked Products section found here at MNStateFair.org to sign up.
To find all baking rules, regs, open classes, and any special contests, be sure to download the Creative Activities/Baked Goods Premium Book Section. Jump to pages 12-14 for the special contests.
For extra guidance and frequently asked questions, go here.
Ultimately, be sure your registration clears and you receive an email confirmation. Save that email, just in case you need it later.

Dubai Chocolate Coffee Cake

Dubai Chocolate Coffee Cake, is an award-winning creation made by Minnesotan, Maram Falk, who took first place in our Blue Ribbon Group Coffee Cake Contest at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. Her recipe combines three batter layers (one cardamom, one chocolate, and one pistachio). She marbles them together and sprinkles a chocolate/cardamom crumble on top before baking.

The topping features the Middle Eastern dessert, knafeh, a nod to her Palestinian ethnicity, while the cardamom cake recognizes her husband’s Swedish heritage. Crushed pistachios, chocolate ganache, and pistachio cream are the cake’s finishing touches. This winning entry blurs the boundaries of the coffee cake category, something the special contest encouraged.

First Blue Ribbon Win for Maram Falk

Maram is an engineer and project manager by day, and hobby baker in her spare time. While she has placed in prior years at the fair, this is her first blue ribbon win. She credits French pastry chef, Bruno Albouze, for the marbling technique she used. She tested various temperatures for baking and settled on 330 degrees F. As a result, the cake stays moist and the marbling intact.

State fair baking judge Maureen Fischer said about the entry: I loved the beautiful appearance and taste of this coffee cake which has a warm spice (cardamom) added to both the crumble and the cake. The crumble topping included pistachios and knafeh which gave it a lot of texture, without being overwhelming, and a green and chocolate drizzle brought it all together. The cake was deliciously moist and had great visual appeal with pistachio (green), white and chocolate cakes ribboning around each other.

Dubai Chocolate Coffee Cake: Best Out of 80 Entries

Maram won out of 82 coffee cakes delivered for judging; 152 people had registered. As the first place winner in the Blue Ribbon Group Coffee Cake Contest, Maram wins a $200 shopping spree from King Arthur Baking Company. Additionally, Maram takes home a Blue Ribbon Group apron, plus of course a blue ribbon and all the glory that comes with that honor.

Maram shared what inspired her entry, by noting, “Dubai Chocolate is the current social media craze but it has been around for a few years now. It features an ingredient (knafeh) that is significant to my family’s Palestinian ethnicity. I wanted to make this coffee cake about my and my husband’s cultures being “married” so it is a marbled cake featuring the knafeh and his Swedish heritage in the cardamom cake.”

Baker Tips

Find Maram’s Blue Ribbon Group Coffee Cake Contest winning recipe below. Bake like a blue ribbon winner with these helpful baking tips:

When you butter the pan, apply a thin layer on bottom and sides of pan, using a pastry brush. Add parchment paper to match bottom of pan and butter that too. As a result, your cake is less likely to stick, and will release more easily from the pan.
Use freshly ground cardamom, prepared in a spice grinder or by mortar and pestle). The already ground kind is not strong enough to be aromatic or have the desired flavor in this coffee cake.
If mixture begins to separate, use a double boiler to gently heat the bowl, or a kitchen blow torch over the mixture, to emulsify.
Buy knafeh, unbaked, from a local bakery, if available. If not available, try phyllo dough. Maram used an air fryer to make it crisp. A toaster oven, regular oven, or pan on stovetop are back-up options. Maram got her knafeh and her pistachio cream from Goden Nuts in Columbia Heights.
The base layer is the cardamom cake, on purpose, as it is the most dense, and that structure is needed at the bottom.
The less typical 330 degrees F works here to keep the cake moist and the marbling intact.
Add a green drizzle, in addition to the ganache for a color accent, using pistachio cream, white chocolate, and a splash of heavy cream.

Additional Winners

The Blue Ribbon Group Coffee Cake Contest had impressive runners-up too. Jen Walker won 2nd place and a $100 prize for her Blueberry Corndog Coffee Cake. Joanne Holtmeier took 3rd place and a $50 prize for a Tiramisu Twist Coffee Cake. Some of the other standouts were a chocolate cherry version and one with pumpkin, cranberries, and pepitas, and an almond one with candied fruit.

Special Award Coffee Cake Winners, each taking home a $25 King Arthur Baking Company gift card, are:

Karen Cope for her apple coffee cake, Kimberly Maize for her ring-style coffee cake
Michele Seyward for her pull-apart coffee cake, Marilyn Johnson for her square coffee cake,
Sean Johnston for his Bundt-type coffee cake.

You may recall Seward won our Kowalski’s Markets Best Chocolate Cake Contest with this stunner.

Look for all these winning entries, plus hundreds more, all on display in the Creative Activities Building during the entire fair (Aug. 21 to Sept 1, 2025). In addition, discover more award-winning recipes at BlueRibbonGroup.net and BlueRibbonFoodies on Instagram and Facebook.

Mocha Cake & Cupcakes

Mocha Cake & Cupcakes: If you want to be a blue ribbon baker, bake this Minnesota State Fair 1st place winning recipe. The batter has both freshly brewed coffee and espresso powder in it, plus cocoa powder. As a result, the cake’s flavor is out of this world. The thick, rich and creamy buttercream frosting is phenomenal as well.

Dahna Jacobson, a repeat winner in multiple divisions, absolutely loves this mocha cake recipe, originally a cupcake recipe from the Brown-Eyed-Baker. She adapted it into a layer cake.

The mocha chocolate cake immediately became Dahna’s go-to recipe and she went on to win multiple Minnesota State Fair ribbons with it, including one in 2023. Ten years in – 2014 was her first year competing – and she already has 12 ribbons total, including 3 blue ribbons, mostly for various cakes, but also quick breads. Dahna keeps photo boxes celebrating her achievements, like this one.

About her state fair baking experiences, Dahna shared, “I’m most proud of my first ribbon because I entered a single cake that year and really didn’t expect to win. I had never entered any baking competitions prior. Also, my first blue ribbon has a funny story. When I arrived at the fairgrounds, my white cake had shifted and was smushed on the side… I rushed home and made a fresh batch of buttercream and re-frosted the cake and it ended up winning first place!

TV News Appearance

We invited Dahna to showcase this favorite mocha cake recipe of hers on KARE 11 News (NBC-Minneapolis St Paul), live at the fairgrounds. Here’s a link to her appearance. Find it here.

This mocha cake & cupcakes recipe makes one double layer cake, 32 cupcakes, or about 64 miniature-sized cupcakes. You simply adjust the pans and baking times for the different versions.

Put this is the must-make pile for your next home-baking adventure. It’s a winner!

-Cyndi

p.s. Love the buttercream? Try these, also cupcakes, or type in “buttercream” as a search option for numerous more options.

2024 Minnesota State Fair Blue Ribbon Special Contests

2024 Minnesota State Fair Special Contests To Feature New Fresh Salsa, Nutty Cookie, Mighty Muffin Recipe Contests

Minneapolis-St Paul, MN – July 22, 2024 – With over 75 baking and cooking categories at the Minnesota State Fair this year, home cooks and bakers will have many ways to win in the kitchen, including $1,000 in prizes in Blue Ribbon Group special contests and awards. The annual and much beloved tradition of blue ribbon baking and cooking returns!

There’s a new Fresh Salsa contest thanks to Bushel Boy Farms, a Nutty Cookie contest from the Blue Ribbon Group, and a Mighty Muffin contest from 3 Cricketeers. The general/classic baking categories (divided into “classes”), range from 28 types of bread and 21 types of cookies, to 12 different kinds of cakes, and 3 pie flavors, plus international and gluten-free baking divisions. Let the games, er… Minnesota State Fair Blue Ribbon Special Contests BEGIN!

Register by Tue July 30, 2024, 4:30pm; All Special Contests & All Baking Categories Take Place Sat Aug 17, 2024

Rally time is now! Look for these new special contests, each with $100 to $200 for first place, plus runner-up prizes and special awards. Registration is now open. It closes Tue , 2024, 4:30pm CT. Open to Minnesota residents only. All contests happen Sat August 17, 2024, drop off 9:30am to 1pm, Creative Activities Building. Winners announced Thu August 22, 2024. Having trouble finding what you need to participate? Drop us a line here.

Bushel Boy Farms “Fresh Salsa Recipe Rally”

Make a fresh-tasting, crowd-pleasing salsa with premium, locally grown Bushel Boy Farms tomatoes as the star ingredient. Bushel Boy’s tomatoes are grown right here in Owatonna, Minnesota at their high-tech greenhouses and picked at perfect ripeness. Combine them with other ingredients for a masterful and award-winning homemade salsa (refrigerated, not processed/canned). Present with your favorite chips for dipping. $350 in prizes await the top 3 winners, plus bonus prizes for canned salsas (Class 1245 & 1246). Find recipe inspiration @BushelBoyFarms on Instagram & Facebook.

Join Bushel Boy Farms to celebrate opening day of the fair, Thu August 22, 2024. They will take over the Cambria Kitchen to showcase fresh tomato creations and salsa contest winners, plus offer complimentary samples and other giveaways throughout the day.

Blue Ribbon Group “Nutty Cookie Contest”

Come compete in the “Nutty Cookie Contest” from the Blue Ribbon Group. We want a creative variety of nut-centric winning cookies. Make your tasty treats with your favorite nuts, from peanuts and pistachios to almonds and cashews. Any nut goes and any type tracks. They can be classic or creative: think biscotti, nut clusters, butter pecan shortbread, monster cookies, and more. Wow the judges with your outstanding cookie, how it looks and what they experience biting into it. A unique mix of cookies will win. Prizes are $200, $100 and $50 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, respectively. Find inspiration @BlueRibbonFoodies on Instagram & Facebook.

Join us Sun August 25 at the fair for our Nutty Tarts & Treats event (Cambria Kitchen, Creative Activities Building). In the meantime, find a fantastic sample recipe to make here.

Mighty Muffin Recipe Contest

Make your 3 Cricketeers Mighty Muffin entry with 3C’s Pure Cricket Powder (1/4 cup or more) and additional ingredients known to give you power and energy, such as nuts, seeds, oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate. Awards: $100 (1st Place), $75 (2nd Place), $50 (3rd Place). Find their online store at 3 Cricketeers. Use code StateFair2024 for free shipping on your first order. Share your creative process by posting on Facebook or Instagram. Tag #3cricketeers

Join 3 Cricketeers on Fri August 23 for a day of demos and free tastings (Cambria Kitchen, Creative Activities Building).

Special thanks to our prize partner and all-around amazing baking company:

Key Contest Dates to Remember

Competitors Register by Tue July 30, 2024, 4:30pm
Drop Off Day Sat Aug 17, 20, 9:30am to 1pm
View Winner Displays & Recipe Demos Aug 22 to Sep 2 in Creative Activities Building

First Time Participant or Need a Refresher?

All registration goes through the Minnesota State Fair competition department. Registration is free! Once you’re signed up, there is no obligation if you later can’t participate. Go to the Competitions/Creative Activities/Baked Products section at MNStateFair.org to sign up (under the Participants tab).

Minnesota State Fair Blue Ribbon Special Contests: Quick-start tips:

Find all baking rules, regs, open classes, and cool special contests here and be sure to download the Creative Activities/Baked Goods Premium Book Section. Jump to pages 12-14 for the special contests, page by page.
Sign up for the Competition Department email list here and be sure to choose “Creative Activities” as your email list.
Create your online account here (then be sure your registration clears and is confirmed by email).
For step-by-step guidance: go here (for a written tutorial) or here (for a video) For FAQ (frequently asked questions) go here.

Minnesota State Fair Blue Ribbon Special Contests: Resources are aplenty, but if you still have questions, never hesitate to ask. The state fair competition office can be reached 651-288-4417 or competition@mnstatefair.org. We are available too, at statefairteam@blueribbongroup.net.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Black Bottom Cupcakes: Any time I come across a recipe for something I grew up baking with my mom, I’m filled with warm fuzzies and food cravings. Lots of no-bake cookies and “strike-it-rich” cakes come to mind. Imagine my delight then, when I bought this Guittard Chocolate Cookbook.

I was blasted to the past with these “Black Bottom Cupcakes.” They were a go-to treat in my family, bigtime. I was thrilled to make them again after all these years.

This “cake-meets-cheesecake” dessert is so absolutely fabulous. I couldn’t even wait until they fully cooled to dig into one. It is definitely a winning recipe!

Warm, melted chocolate chips inside a tangy cream cheese filling, all surrounded by a rich and tender chocolate cupcake. There’s something about this ingredient combination that is marvelous. As a bonus, these cupcakes are incredibly easy to make!

Easy Bake

Once you prep the batter, divvy it up in a lined cupcake tin.

Whip up the cream cheese filling. Add that on top of the chocolate batter.

After about 20 minutes in the oven, you get your Black Bottom Cupcakes.

Thank you Guittard for taking me and my taste buds back in time. This one is blue ribbon worthy for sure! Their recipe was my inspiration, but I changed a few things. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and added almond extract. I also upped all the amounts of cocoa, cream cheese, and chocolate chips. Coffee creamer came in handy when I didn’t have whole milk. Plus I made a few other minor tweaks.

Black Bottom Cupcakes is a forgiving (translate: very easy) recipe, so it is a fun one to make with kids. Grab your ingredients and get baking!

-Cyndi

p.s. The Guittard Chocolate Cookbook is filled with fabulous recipes. I give it a thumbs up and hope you buy it. Here’s a link.

SPLENDA LOW-TO-NO SUGAR SHOWDOWN 2023

SPLENDA LOW-TO-NO SUGAR SHOWDOWN

Baking Contest Seeks Best Low-To-No Sugar Pies, Cookies, Cakes, Breads, Chocolate Desserts, Citrus Sweet Treats

Minneapolis-St Paul, MN – June 20, 2023 – Watch for the Splenda Magic Baker “Low-To-No-Sugar Showdown” 2023 state fair recipe contest series this summer in 6 different cities in the Midwest and two southern states. If you love cakes, cookies, pies, and other sweet treats but prefer them with little to now sugar, this competition is for you!

$350 in Prizes at Each of 6 Fairs

Six prominent state fairs will host the contest, including Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, and Arkansas. Prizes are $200 for 1st place, $100 for 2nd place, and $50 for 3rd place. Judges choose winners for the best flavor combinations, taste and aroma, among other criteria.

The pop-up events will feature giveaways of Splenda Magic Baker, the brand’s new zero-calories, zero-sugar sweetener, while supplies last. Splenda Magic Baker comes in 16 ounce bags. It measures and tastes like sugar. Use it 1 to 1 for replacing sugar. You can find recipes and baking tips at Splenda.com.

Six Fairs – Six Sets of Prizes

Here’s a quick run-down of when each fair is, a link to their competition department, their contest theme, register by date, contest date, and location at the fairgrounds. Most fair’s require advance registration, which bakers do, directly with each fair’s competition department.

Wisconsin State Fair Runs 8/3/23 – 8/13/23 Competition Info (Sunny Skies & Summer Pies Theme), Registration closes 5/31/23, Contest Day 8/4/23, Grand Champion Hall
Indiana State Fair Runs 8/28/23 – 9/20/23 Competition Info (Cookie Theme) Registration closes 8/5/23, Contest Day 8/5/23, Indiana Arts Building
Iowa State Fair Runs 8/10/23 – 8/20/23 Competition Info (Cookies, Cakes, Pies or Breads Theme) Registration closes 7/8/23. Contest Day 8/12/23, Elwell Family Food Center
Minnesota State Fair Runs 8/24/23 – 9/4/23 Competition Info (Chocolate Desserts Theme) Registration closes 8/1/23, Contest Day 8/19/23 (Pre-Fair), Creative Activities Building
State Fair of Texas Runs 9/29/23 – 10/22/23 Competition Info (Cakes & Pies Theme) Registration closes 10/10/23, Contest Day 10/10/23, Creative Arts Building
Arkansas State Fair Runs 10/13/23 – 10/22/23 Competition Info (Citrus Sweet Treats) Registration closes 10/1/23, Contest Day 10/18/23, Arts and Crafts Building

For questions about competing, contact the fair’s entry office or the Blue Ribbon Group here. If you can’t compete at any of the above 6 fairs, don’t fret. Read below about our bonus prizes for low to no sugar state fair winning recipes.

Want to Win Year’s Supply of Splenda Magic Baker Sweetener?

Bonus Prizes for Sugar-Free Winning Bakers at ANY Blue Ribbon Group Top 30 Fair

We invite you to compete in any general baking class/category at ANY of our top 30 fairs for a shot at winning a year’s supply of Splenda Magic Baker ($96 value). To qualify, use any Splenda product and place 1st, 2nd or 3rd at your fair, in any general baking class/category. Then submit your details, winning recipe, and photo here by 11:59pm on October 13, 2023. We will choose up to 6 winners: 1 for each of 6 U.S. regions, if applicable: Midwest, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, Pacific, or Rocky Mountain regions. Winners will be chosen and contacted by year-end, by 11:59pm on December 31, 2023.

Good luck to all the participants!

This post was originally published June 20, 2023 and was updated July 13, 2023.

Rainbow Soba Noodle Salad

This rainbow soba noodle salad combines colorful produce (zucchini, yellow squash, snow peas, carrots, cabbage, and spring onions) with a flavorful ginger sesame dressing. It’s a winning recipe. In fact, we’ve been calling it one of our favorite “winner for dinner” creations.

Sensational Soba Noodles

I made this salad a few weeks ago after hitting a couple of my go-to farmer’s markets: the Lyndale Market, and Mill City farmer’s market. I got a boatload of vegetables plus these great buckwheat soba noodles from Dumpling & Strand, “Noodlers at Large.” Their artwork is awesome too.

These soba noodles are gluten-free and cook up in seconds, like 120 seconds. I really had only used them in one other recipe, a “fast food” one where I thawed some frozen peanut dipping sauce–I had made a quadruple batch last time around and put half cup portions in freezer bags–and simply mixed it in with some noodles and a tiny bit of water. It is like a 2 ingredient salad. Like I said: fast food.

This time however, I imagined something with a bit more heat and a lighter, vinaigrette-type dressing. That’s how this rainbow soba noodle salad came to be. I love the chili oil in it. It goes great with the sesame oil/liquid aminos combo. Well, the salad turned out delish and was a BIG winner at dinner. I had hosted a potluck party. I marinated and cooked some tempeh to go on top of the soba salad. Together those two elements make a vegetarian main dish for some, and a hearty side dish for others. By the way, I’ll have to share the tempeh recipe another time. I wasn’t able to snap any photos this time around.

I will definitely be making this rainbow soba noodle salad time and time again. It was so easy and flavorful. I hope you enjoy it soon too, and that you enjoy the rest of your summer!

-Cyndi

Best-Ever Chicken Satay

Without a doubt, this Best-Ever Chicken Satay recipe earns its title. The recipe makes the most delicious chicken I have ever tasted. Serve it with my spicy peanut sauce and you will think you have takeout from your favorite Thai restaurant.

I make this almost every week and have started making quadruple batches of the marinade to keep on hand. This has been going on for months. Plus, any time I serve it to family, friends or bring it to a potluck, it disappears fast. It’s my most requested recipe for everyday meals as well.

Step By Step

Check out this picture tutorial that walks you through making this best-ever chicken satay, step by step.

Fresh garlic. Fresh ginger. Fresh lime. Lemongrass. Pepper flakes. Curry. Cardamom. Such great flavors. Mix all that with some fish sauce, soy sauce, olive oil, and agave, and you got a completely delicious way to season your chicken. This is something you could make in bulk also and freeze. As a result, you’ll get dinner on the table fast. Tip: If you want to reduce the sodium, swap out the soy sauce and use liquid aminos instead. Bragg’s in my favorite. I also love the coconut version as well.

Once you have the marinade ready, you add it to your chicken. I like to use a sealable or disposable plastic bag. Glass and metal dishes work great also.

I usually let it marinade overnight but 30 minutes works too; then, it’s ready whenever you are.

This is where uniform size pays off. Cut the chicken breasts in matching sizes. As a result, each will bake at the same rate, all coming out tender and delicious.

You will definitely want to also make the spicy the peanut sauce shown below. Again, you will want to make this is bulk also. It is addictive, in a good way! Find the recipe here!

Enjoy!

-Cyndi

Pineapple Coconut Cream Pie

This Pineapple Coconut Cream Pie is a 1st place winning recipe from the State Fair of Texas. It’s an all-time favorite from our archives, from a 2016 pie contest. Bake like a blue ribbon winner with this recipe. You will wow your friends, family, and your taste buds.

If you have never made a pineapple coconut cream pie this is a terrific recipe to start with because it’s got a great crust recipe and straightforward instructions for the two layers.

We did a test run and absolutely loved its flavors and its texture. The crust ingredients come together nicely and nothing beats a homemade pie crust. This version uses butter flavored shortening. If you prefer a butter/lard crust, try this one here.

Tip: use a pre-made refrigerated pie crust if making your own sounds too intimidating. It’s okay if you need a time-saving shortcut.

The filling in this pineapple coconut cream pie is sweet, rich, fruity, thick, and lush. The meringue whips up in a easy breezy wonderful way. It is velvety and that’s a good thing. The toasted top gives it a picture-perfect finishing touch.

Sue Rainey: Queen of the Crust

This award-winning recipe comes from Sue Rainey, a long time baking contest participant at the State Fair of Texas. Sue’s friends call her the “queen of the crust.” Baking is an art and her talents are plentiful.

Her top tips for perfect, flaky crusts: handle the dough as little as possible and use the least amount of flour you can when rolling it out. Sue also favors the intensity of vanilla from Mexico. She goes through giant bottles of it during her busiest baking times of the year: the State Fair of Texas and the year-end holidays.

Sue originally titled her creation “Paradise in Texas Coconut Pineapple Pie.” One taste and you’ll be in paradise yourself.

Enjoy!

Cyndi

Great Chocolate Cake Contest Winner: MN Blackout Cake

The Kowalski’s Great Chocolate Cake Contest Winner at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair was this phenomenal “MN Blackout Cake.”

With its three layers, pudding filling, chocolate drip, and decoration, this cake is a chocolate lover’s dream come true. It’s intense color and flavor are going to wow you, just like it did us and the judges.

Replicating it as we did, takes time, but every bite makes it worth the effort.

Kudos to Michelle Seywerd who was the Great Chocolate Cake Contest Winner at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair with this inspired creation.

Michelle’s husband loves Guinness chocolate cake which was her first idea of what to enter. Then she recalled the notorious Brooklyn Blackout Cake. Michelle’s winning recipe is a twist on it. She used this recipe as her base and then adapted a Food Network pudding filling. She added the fun chocolate shards on top too. We were shocked to learn Michelle had barely baked a cookie before the pandemic but really got into it with her daughter, who was a toddler at the time. They started with basic baked goods, watched a lot of YouTube channels, and worked up to more challenging recipes. “It’s been quite a journey,” Michelle shared.

Decadently Dark Cake

In her own words, Michelle describes her MN Blackout Cake here:

A decadently dark cake perfect for the dark chocolate lover in your life! I created a twist on the classic Brooklyn Blackout Cake by featuring black cocoa. Black cocoa is used to give Oreos that distinct color and flavor. Here, I’ve featured chocolate in 4 ways – layers of moist cocoa cake, filled with black cocoa pudding filling, dripping with a semi sweet chocolate ganache, and topped with intense dark chocolate shards. The result – the boldest and richest chocolate flavor possible without use of food coloring. Enjoy with a nice glass of cold milk! Thank you!

Baking Tips: Great Chocolate Cake Contest Winner

Some random tips we got from Michelle and learned along the way, are these:

You’ll want to double the cake portion of the recipe if you want to recreate Michelle’s 3-layer version she won with at the fair. You’ll have an extra single layer that works great to taste and decorate separately. We did crushed salted peanuts on ours (4th unused layer) and loved it. You could also go for a 4 layer cake, but that’s mighty big.
If you opt to not double the cake and don’t want extra of the pudding filling, you’ll want to cut that recipe portion in half or do 2/3. The thick filling layer makes this cake a show stopper in our opinion. I would eat that pudding filling as a solo dessert. It’s that good.
We got our black cocoa from King Arthur and loved the results. Get yours here.
Using black cocoa over the buttered parchment helps the cake keep its intense color.

With chocolate drip, if you’re starting with a chocolate bar (versus chocolate chips), chop it into small pieces until they’re about the size of chocolate chips. You’ll get a smoother, more efficient melt.
If you can’t find 90% cacao chocolate, use 100% (2 ounces) and semi-sweet chocolate (1 ounce) as a substitute.
When we did the chocolate drip, we started with the edge. We worked by the spoonful for more control and to get the drizzle/drip look we wanted.
Michelle says this cake is not a fast one to make, but the payoff is totally worth it.

We invite you to re-create the magic of this MN Blackout Cake. Be sure to share on social media and tag @blueribbonfoodies. We want to see what you’re baking!

Enjoy!

-Cyndi