Winning chocolate cake at Pa. Farm Show 2026 is chocolate chip cherry masterpiece

The chocolate cake contest was held Jan. 10 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Lainey Duncan of Greene County won first place Saturday in the Homemade Chocolate Cake Contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Her Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake wowed the judges in the annual competition.

The contest was held on opening day at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, which runs through Jan. 17.

Judges evaluated cakes on taste, presentation, consistency and other metrics. Baking contests are an annual tradition at the Farm Show and include apple pies and angel food cakes.

The chocolate cake contest was held Jan. 10 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Contestants compete at county and community fairs to become eligible to compete on the statewide level at the Farm Show.

Here’s Duncan’s winning recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cherry Cake

Cake:

2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 jar maraschino cherries, drained and cut in half
2/3 cup milk chocolate chips

The chocolate cake contest was held Jan. 10 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour bottom of three 8-10 inch round pans.

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into pans.

Evenly spread the chocolate chips and cherries amongst the batter in the pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.