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2017 LOGAN COUNTY FAIR
LINCOLN DAILY NEWS
July 30 - August 6, 2017 Page 245
Cake Classic warms a cool damp day and tempts the taste buds
Sunday marked the last
day of the Logan County
Fair in Lincoln. Weather-
wise the week had been a
pretty good one with lots
of events and activities
taking place in days
that were warm but not
sweltering. On Sunday
the temperatures cooled
down considerably with
a light rain on again – off
again throughout the day.
That kind of weather can
set the mood sometimes
for baking, so it may have
been an added ingredient
to this year’s very
successful Cake Classic.
The baking order had
been decided on Friday
at the ‘qualifying round’
judging. Because Angel
Food and Chiffon Cakes
take the most time to
prepare, bake, cool and
plate, the two contestants
with those recipes would
be the first to bake. With
three ovens, there would
be two groups of three
working, then the final
group would be only one
person. A drawing was
held to see who would
take the next five baking
spots.
Darlene Crider and
Hannah Crider would do
the Chiffon and Angel
Food, respectively. The
first number drawn then
went to Joyce Conrady,
who would be baking a
Red Velvet Cake.
The next three contestants
were Daniel Crider with a
Chocolate with chocolate
frosting, Jackson Johnson
with a Spice Cake, and
Carlene Carter with
a White Butter Cake.
Jeanne Runyon drew the
last number and would be
the solo baker on stage
at the end of the day
with her German Sweet
Chocolate Cake.
For the bakers this was
serious business, mixed
on occasion with a little
fun and comradery. It was
not uncommon to see the
bakers talking and sharing
while they worked, and
maybe secretly spying a
little on their competitor’s
progress.
For Joyce Conrady, this
was her first time to enter
the Classic. On Friday she
had won both Angel Food
and Red Velvet categories
at the first round judging.
She chose then to bake
the Red Velvet on
Sunday. Hannah Crider
had also entered an Angel
Food on Friday, and was
offered the opportunity to
bake the same cake again
on Sunday.
On Friday, Jackson
Johnson was not a
competitor. Because
the Cake Classic calls
for seven entries, and
because the money raised
at the Sunday evening
auction goes to the 4-H
Foundation in Logan
County, it was important
to fill that slot. A call
went out for someone
who would be willing to
bake a spice cake.
Jackson Johnson is a
recent addition to the
4-H prominent Crider
family having married
Rebekah Crider last year
in the late fall. Rebekah
is a superintendent at
the Cake Classic this
year, so she couldn’t
enter, but Jackson could,
and did. On Sunday he
admitted that the cake
he was working on was
only the second cake he
had ever baked, with the
first occurring the day
before. None the less, as
he pointed to his mother-
in-law and to his wife, he
observed that they were
the best bakers ever so he
had great coaches and a
really good recipe.
With time running down
on the clock, cakes one
through three in the oven,
and cakes four through
six on the mixing tables.
Jeanne Runyon began
doing some early prep
work off to the side,
hoping to speed up her
mixing time when it
became her turn to go on
the stage.
When asked if drawing
the last number was a
big disadvantage she
chuckled, perhaps a
little nervously, and said
she always seems to do
this, she is the one who
most often draws that
last number. One might
note though that while
Jeanne’s cake was the last
to go in the oven, it was
also the first to go on the
judges table.
While her cakes were
cooling, she noted that
she was going to go ahead
and dress them while they
were a bit warm. The
frosting for all the cakes
can be made
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