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Home : Quarterly Archives : Volume 21 |
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Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society |
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Source: April 1983 Volume 21 Number 2, Pages 61–68 Queen of the Range - Murray's Cake Baking Contests Nearly two hundred of the Upper Main Line area's best cake bakers - and perhaps some of its worst, too - participated in the first annual cake-baking competition held in Paoli in January 1952. The competition was sponsored jointly by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation and by Murray's, an appliance store in Paoli, located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Circular Avenue with the Lancaster Pike, and what was then Route 202 to West Chester. The event was apart of the store's 15th anniversary celebration. "If you can bake a cake, you can win," Wayne Grubb, in charge of the affair, explained in announcing that the first annual competition would be held during the week of January 21st. Local women were invited to enter, either as individuals or as representatives of an organization. There were daily prizes, a Westinghouse Electric Mixer and Juicer, and a grand prize of "a new $369.95 1951 Westinghouse 'Commander' Speed-Electric Range". Each day's winner was also to receive all the cakes baked on that day. If a daily winner was representing an organization, an award of $25 was also made to the sponsoring group. A special contest was also announced for high school seniors taking home economics, with invitations extended to the home-ec classes of eight nearby public and parochial high schools. Included, in addition to Tredyffrin-Easttown High School, were Radnor, Marple-Newtown, West Chester and Downingtown High Schools; and St. Katherine's, St. Agnes, and Villa Maria. The rules were quite simple. Each contestant was to bake a cake of her choice, using her own recipe, "probably an old favorite and familiar one". All ingredients - flour, milk, eggs, shortening, spices and flavoring - and utensils - including measuring cups, spoons, bowls, mixers, pans, and so forth - were supplied by Murray's. If an entrant wanted to use a pan of a particular shape or her favorite cooking tools and utensils, however, she could bring them with her. Three baking periods were scheduled for each day, at 9:30 in the morning, and at 12:30 and 3:30 in the afternoon. With eight ranges available, it was possible to accommodate twenty-four contestants each day. After the winner was determined for each day, these daily winners were to compete in the finals for the grand prize, using the same recipe they had used to win the daily prize. Spectators were also invited, and for each member of a sponsoring organization present when its representative was competing a bonus of 25 cents was paid to the organization's treasury. The response to the contest "far exceeded" Murray's expectations. Within a few days entries began to pour in, sponsored by a number of local churches, women's clubs, hospital auxiliary groups, and other organizations. Among them were the Rebekahs, the W.S.C.S. of the Methodist Church, the Church of the Good Samaritan, the Family Circle of the Malvern Baptist Church, and St. Patrick's Mothers' Club, There were entries representing the Monday Afternoon Club, the Junior Women's Club of Malvern, the Sunshine Club of the Bell Telephone Company. The Paoli-Malvern Methodist Auxiliary, the VFW Auxiliary, the Upper Main Line Professional and Business Women, and the Valley Forge Council of Republican Women were all also represented, among many others. There were even mothers and daughters competing against each other. Despite the "flood" of applicants, Murray's promised "to make room for anyone who wants to enter". At this point, the competition took rather an unexpected turn: a number of local men also decided to take part. The entrants included many of the area's leading business and professional men, among them (with the special nicknames they soon received from the local press) bankers Clair "One Egg" Hughes, Charlie "Cake Walk" Gibb, Fred "Spongecake" Miller, and Everett "Whip It" Gottier; attorney Lou "Devil's Food" Lieberman; maintenance supervisor Chuck "Daisy" Thomas; grocer Bill "Cake Eater" Moore; blacksmith-mechanic Ken "Tizzy Lish" Sowden; doctor John "Sifter" Spangler; dentist John "Painless" Heineken; railroaders Norman "Spatula" Reynolds and Jim "Grasshopper" Brennan; druggist Bill "White Heat" Earl; mortician Eugene "Chiffon" Mauger; automobile dealer Jim "Angel" Matthews; and florist Phil "Batter" Mc-Donough, and o.thers. An entirely new dimension had been added! Special baking periods were scheduled on two evenings for the men. Spectators were again invited, but were "advised to wear splash-proof clothing" ! As it was described in an editorial in the Upper Main Line News, "The circus came to town last week. "No popcorn, no peanuts, nary a crack-jack - but oh what fun! "Murray's provided the sawdust ring, and once again proved the old fact that if you put a bunch of people together who WANT to have fun, they HAVE it! "We think it's remarkable that the response was so terrific from all over the County ... not just the Upper Main Line. Addresses of people who showed up for the fun list every local point plus Downingtown, West Chester, Kennett Square, Oxford, and even down into Delaware County. ..." The judges were qualified home economists and local dietitians. The cakes were judged on three counts: their external characteristics (worth up to 30 points), their internal characteristics (worth up to 40 points), and their flavor (worth up to 30 points). Consideration was also given to the special texture or other individual characteristics of different types of cakes. For the men's competition, men judges, including several local restauranteurs, were pressed into duty. With the large number of entries, the contest was extended to eight days, rather than the originally planned five, so that everone could compete. The eight daily winners were three women from Malvern, Mrs. William Allison, Mrs. Frank Santucci, and Mrs. Lewis Quann; two from Berwyn, Mrs. William Mechlin and Mrs. L. MacBeth; Mrs. Robert Brainbridge. from Wayne; Mrs. H. J. Schofield, of Larchmont (Newtown Square); and Mrs. Horace C. Boens Jr., from Broomall. In the final bake-off, the top prize went to Mrs. Quann, who baked for the Family Circle of the Malvern Baptist Church. She was named the "Queen of the Range" for her "Chocolate Midnight" cake. The winning cake, with its boiled icing, was made from this recipe:
"Cream shortening. Slowly add sugar and cream well together. Blend in beaten eggs. Slowly add hot water to cocoa and mix until smooth. Sift flour, salt, soda and baking powder together, add to creamed mixture alternately with the hot water and cocoa mixture. "Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350." The recipe for the boiled icing included
"Mix and heat from 5 to 7 minutes or until it holds a peak. Add marshmallow if desired." The student winner was Rose Carfagno, a senior at the Norristown High School. Her entry was a Devil's Food Cake, made from this recipe:
"Sift flour once, measure, then add soda and salt and sift together three times. Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each; then add chocolate and blend. Aid flour alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. "Turn into 9" layer pans, lined with paper and greased. Bake in moderate oven (350) for 30 minutes." For her seven-minute frosting, she used
"Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, water and syrup in top of double boiler; mix thoroughly. Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating constantly with rotary egg beater, for 7 minutes or until frosting will stand up in stiff peaks. Stir frosting up from bottom and side of pan occasionally with rubber scraper, spatula, or spoon. Remove from boiling water. Add vanilla. Beat 1 minute or until thick enough to spread." In the men's competition, the winner was John Cahaley, a Paoli postal worker, with George Donahue taking runner-up honors and Ken Sowden in third place. The recipes for the men's prize-winning concoctions, unfortunately or otherwise, do not appear to have been preserved for posterity! By the following year, the cake-baking competition had already become an eagerly anticipated "tradition" for both the man and women bakers of the area. Once again, most of the Main Line's prominent businessmen were represented, while invitations to compete were also extended to all the women's organizations in the vicinity. To avoid the early-morning bad weather that had hampered slightly the morning schedule the year before, only two afternoon sessions were scheduled for each day, plus the evening competition for the men. First place honors on the two evenings of competition were won by Bill McLaughlin, a local attorney, and Kenneth Hammonds, a minister. In second place were Phil McDonough, a florist, and Gerald Robinson, a state policeman, while third place honors went to Gerry Gasser, a student at Tredyffrin-Easttown High School, and Norm Reynolds, the stationmaster at the Paoli station of the Pennsylvania Railroad. On the more serious side, the women's grand prize winner, after the final bake-off, was Mrs. Robert Boyd, on Upper Gulph Road in Devon, who baked for the Valley Forge Council of Republican Women. Other daily prize winners were Mrs. Margaret Lewis, of Malvern; Mrs. V. R. Preston, from Paoli, Mrs. A. T. Brawn and Mrs. Mildred Raun, of Berwyn; Mrs. William Bradford, of Newtown Square; Mrs. Charles Reese, of West Chester; and Mrs. Harold J. Groff, of Lincoln University. Mrs. Boyd's winning cake was a spice cake, made from the following recipe.
"Sift first seven ingredients together four times. Cream Spry well. Add sugar and cream thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat at high speed until mixture changes color and turns light. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in four parts, blending each time thoroughly. "Spread in two greased and floured 9" pans. Bake 30 minutes at 375." The cake was topped with a seafoam icing, using this recipe.
"Mix together in double boiler. Cook over boiling water, beating constantly at high speed until icing stands up in firm point. Trim with finely chopped pecans." The grand prize winner in 1954 was Mrs. Frank Santucci, of Malvern, who had also been a finalist in the first year's competition. She represented the St. Patrick's Mothers' Club. The other seven daily winners, and thus also finalists, were Mrs, John Yergey, from Strafford; Mrs. Frank Sandora, of Paoli; Mrs. Lewis Pyle, from Chester Springs; Mrs. George Lewis and Mrs. Harriet Latissa, both from Newtown Square; Mrs. William Mechlin, of Berwyn (and also a previous finalist); and Mrs. Agnes C. Fanner, from Wayne. Men's honors were awarded to Kelly Barosky, of Phoenixville, who baked for the Mont Clare Fire Company, with Everett Gottier, from Malvern, and Norm Reynolds finishing "close behind". The winning cake in 1954 was a "Golden Chiffon" cake, which Rose Santucci made from this recipe,
"Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Make a well and add oil, egg yolks, cold water, vanilla, and grated lemon rind. Beat with a spoon until smooth. Put egg white and cream of tartar in large mixing bowl and beat until they form a very stiff peak. Whites should be stiffer than for an angel food or meringue. Do not underbeat. Pour egg yolk mixture tradually over whipped egg unites, gently folding with a rubber scraper just until blended. Do not stir. "Pour into an ungreased 10" tube pan 4" deep. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes, then increase heat to 350 for 10 minutes. Immediately turn pan upside down, placing tube part over neck of funnel or bottle. Let hang free of table until cold. Loosen from sides and tube with spatula. Turn pan over and hit edge sharply on table to loosen." For the butter icing, Mrs. Santucci used
"Beat egg whites until stiff and gradually add 2 i/4 cups sugar. Cream butter and add 1 1/2 cups sugar slowly, beating constantly. Combine mixtures and add lemon extract." A chocolate buttermilk cake, baked by Mrs, H. J. Schofield, of the Larchmont section of Newtown Square, won top honors in 1955. Also a previous finalist, Mrs. Schofield represented the Marple Township Women's Club in the competition. The popularity of the event was again indicated by the fact that 190 women entered into this fourth annual competition, which extended over seven days. The other finalists included Mrs. Frank Santucci (for the third time), Miss Wanda Turpin, and Mrs. Joseph Hovonietz, all of Malvern; Mrs. Herbert Brooks and Mrs. Grace Horton, from Paoli; and Mrs. C. E. Wiggins, of Coatesville. The top baker among the men entrants that year was Frank Columbo. The recipe for Ruth Schofield's chocolate buttermilk cake called for
"Cream sugar and butter thoroughly, add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition. Add melted chocolate and beat. Sift and then measure flour, and sift flour and salt together three times. Add alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and, last, the soda when it is fizzing with the vinegar. Fold in cake. "Bake for 25 minutes at 350." The cake was iced with a seven-minute frosting, after which a melted chocolate square was dropped around the edge of the cake. Because of a strike at the Westinghouse Corporation, the competition was not held in 1956. But in 1957 the annual event was resumed - for one more time. In this final competition, Frank Columbo was a repeat winner in the men's division, sharing first place honors with George Lewis, of Newtown Square, a Marple township ambulance driver. (Lewis' wife, incidentally, had been a finalist in the women's competition three years before, in 1954.) Also receiving recognition among the men's entries are the cakes of Robert Ruoff, a teacher at Bridgeport High School, and William Coulter, of the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli. For the women, the number of entries was limited to 144. The top winner was Mrs. William Bradford, of Newtown Square (another previous finalist), who baked for the Newtown Square Fire Company. The other finalists who were daily winners included Mrs. Ruth Jacobs, of Malvern; Mrs. V. R. Preston, of Paoli (and also a repeat winner); Mrs, J. Doran, from Downingtown; and Mrs. Mildred Kreible and Mrs. Leta Dobra, of Newtown Square. Miss Dorothy Oas, from Unionville High School, was the student winner. Noting the high number of chocolate cakes entered in previous years, Beatrice Bradford resolved to try a different type of cake for her entry. The recipe for her prize-winning "Blitz" cake called for
"Grate chocolate, reserve. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into mixing bowl. Add Crisco, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes until batter is well blended. (With electric mixer blend at low speed, then beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 inutes.) Add egg whites unbeaten. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes. "Well grease and lightly flour two 9" round cake pans. Place pecans evenly over bottom of pans. Spoon 1/4 of batter carefully into each pan, using about half of the batter. Sprinkle with the chocolate, half in each pan. Spoon remaining batter into pans, spreading carefully so chocolate is not disturbed. "Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 to 15 minutes before turning out. Cool. "Frost layers, nut side up. Spread frosting between and onsides of layer; frost only 1/2 inch around top edge of cake. Decorate with reserved 1/3 cup white frosting, thinned with 1 or 2 teaspoons water for easier spreading." The recipe for the frosting included
"Cook chocolate, granulated sugar and water in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat. Add egg yolks; beat. Cool. Cream Crisco and vanilla. Gradually blend in sifted confectioners' sugar. Reserve 1/3 cup of this frosting to decorate cake. Add cool chocolate mixture to remaining white frosting; beat until smooth," (Mrs. Bradford later reported that she actually did not follow her recipe exactly. It is her recollection that she "left out the part about reserving 1/3 cup of the thinned white icing to decorate the cake" and "just put on chocolate and let it go at that". In any event, it was obviously all right with the judges!) By 1958 Murray's was engaged in other promotions, and the annual cake baking contest was no longer held. But for five of the six preceding years the competition did, in fact, have the fun of a circus - as many of the area's best cake bakers, and perhaps some of its worst, baked cakes during Murray's cake-baking contests.
Murray's Appliance Store at Route 202 and Lancaster Av. in Paolias it appeared in 1952 TopSources Files of the Upper Main Line News; West Chester Dally Local News Conversations with Rose Santucci, Ruth Schofield, Beatrice Bradford, Catharine Boyd |
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