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The Aloha Roll took First Place at the state fair.

Forty-five finalists from across the state of Virginia came to the State Fair in Richmond this month in the hopes that their angel food cake creation would win the Virginia Egg Council-sponsored Best Angel Food Cake Dessert Contest.

Here are the three top place winners, along with a description of their dessert from the egg council:

First Place - Aloha Roll by Vince Dobyns of Hampton:  This flavorful angel cake is rolled, filled and garnished with so many wonderful Hawaiian flavors, it’s easy to see how it got it’s name AND how it won the 2009 competition. It is so colorful, it’ll easily be the focus at a dessert buffet and will totally shine, when served during the Christmas holidays.

Second Place - Berry Citrus Punch Bowl Cake by Deanna Persinger of Raphine: This fabulous trifle is so impressive – great flavor, gorgeous, and so creative – a real winner!

Third Place - Matthew's Key Lime Angel Food Cake by Matthew Kelly of Crewe: This cake is just amazing – it packs such a powerful Key lime punch it takes you instantly to the tropics. The Key lime extract is the secret and it’s not available in everyday groceries. Check for it on-line at www.faeries finest.com.or other online sources. You won’t be sorry you went to the trouble to get it.

Read on to see the recipes for these winning cakes:

Aloha Roll

Cake:
1 ¾ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites, room temperature
¼ cup warm water
¾  teaspoons coconut extract
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 x 17-inch cookie sheet with sides or 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment or waxed paper.
In a food processor, spin sugar about 2 minutes until superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt and cake flour. Set remaining sugar aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites, water, extract and cream of tartar on high for 2 minutes. Slowly sift in reserved sugar, beating continuously until medium peaks are achieved. Sift some flour mixture in a dust over foam, then gently fold in. Repeat until all flour mixture is incorporated. Carefully spread into prepared pan.
Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry. Cool 45 minutes to one hour in pan*, while making this filling/frosting:

Filling/Frosting
1 4-serving size instant pistachio pudding mix
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon green food color
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained (add more if you love pineapple)
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped with 3 T. sugar OR 8 oz. carton Cool Whip
1 tsp. pineapple or coconut extract
½ cup coconut, shredded
½ cup nuts, chopped (walnuts, pecans or pistachio)
½ cup maraschino cherries, well drained and chopped
Mix pudding, milk and food color. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Fold in pineapple, cream and flavoring.
Spread a layer of frosting over cooled cake. Start to roll (roll from long side if a thinner roll is desired), removing paper as you roll. Transfer to platter. Frost outside with remaining topping. Sprinkle with coconut, nuts and cherries. Refrigerate. Serve cold.
*Most cake rolls are flipped out onto a powdered sugar dusted tea-towel; paper removed; and cake rolled to cool. This cake does well cooled in the pan, but needs to be completed just as the cake is cool enough so frosting doesn’t melt, but not stone cold, or it may crack.

Berry Citrus Punch Bowl Cake

The cake:
1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups egg whites (10-12 large), brought to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oven rack in lowest position.
Sift powdered sugar and flour together three times; set aside.
Add cream of tartar and vanilla to egg whites and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
Sift a fourth of the powdered sugar/flour mixture over beaten egg whites; fold in gently; repeat, folding in the remaining mixture by fourths. Pour into an ungreased 10” tube pan. Gently cut through batter with a knife. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert cake; cool thoroughly in pan. Loosen cake from pan; remove cake.

The Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1//2 cup water
1/4 cup Triple Sec liqueur
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Combine all ingredients in a small pan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool in refrigerator.  Place in a squirt bottle.

The Citrus Custard:
¼ cup chilled unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
3 large whole eggs
½ cup Triple Sec liqueur
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. orange extract
2 tablespoons each lemon and orange juice
1 tsp. each, lightly packed, lemon and orange zest
Over double boiler, whisk together all ingredients (except zests) until mixture has thickened to the texture of a loose pudding. Remove from heat; strain; add zests. Place in refrigerator to cool.

The Fruit:
2 pints large blackberries, washed and dried

The Topping:
32 oz. Dannon Natural vanilla yogurt
½ tsp. scraped vanilla bean
Whisk together yogurt and vanilla bean; strain.

The Assembly:
Cut cake into ¾” cubes. Place entire cake on bottom of a large, clear, glass punch bowl. Squirt the syrup all over the cake pieces. Layer custard, fruit and topping. Garnish with berries, lime/orange curls and mint leaves.  Cover; chill; and serve chilled in punch cups.  Serves 15 - 20.

Matthew's Key Lime Angel Food Cake

Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups sugar, divided
12 large egg whites, room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Key lime juice
1 ½ teaspoon Key lime extract*
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sift flour and ¾ cup sugar together five times.
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Add Key lime juice and beat until stiff peaks form. Continue beating, sprinkling in remaining 1 cup of sugar, beating until sugar is blended. Add extract and mixing at low speed, sprinkle in the flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Gently pour batter into an ungreased 10” tube pan (with removable bottom). With a spatula, cut a square through the cake without lifting it.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Invert pan until cool then remove from pan.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 ½ teaspoons Key lime extract*
1 Tablespoon Key lime Juice
2 cups heavy cream
Whip cream cheese until smooth, adding half the sugar, the extract and lime juice.  Whip at high speed until blended.  In a separate bowl, whip the cream until light and fluffy, gradually adding remaining sugar (do not over-beat).  Fold whipped cream into cream cheese.

Frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Key lime extract*
Whip cream until light and fluffy. Add sugar and extract, beating just until mixed.

Assembly:
Cut cake into 3 layers. Spread one third filling onto the bottom layer. Replace middle layer and spread one third filling onto this. Replace top layer. Frost entire cake with frosting. Use the remaining third of filling to decorate as desired.
Garnish: With lime slices or peels
*If you don’t choose to order Key lime extract on-line, substitute this much extra Key lime juice.  The intense Key lime flavor will be replaced by a gentler lime taste.

Source for all recipes: Virginia Egg Council