Want to be a part of a baking dream team?

We’re so lame here when it comes to baking.

Admit it, you’ve never been served a satisfying slice of homemade devil’s food cake in any local kitchen.

Never in all your travels across South Hampton Roads has a home cook ever plated up a piece of first-rate carrot cake. And you’ve never tasted a coconut cake at a church social that left you praying for more.

Based on the origin of the entries in the cake competition at the State Fair of Virginia, you might think that no cook in our area can concoct a blue-ribbon-worthy cake. For whatever reason, few amateur bakers from South Hampton Roads enter the competition, a Virginia tradition held each year in Richmond.

Last fall, I judged the fair’s cake division. It was one of the happiest days of my life. The entries were scrumptious. But frankly, I couldn’t help but think of a few local cooks who could wrest a ribbon or two from their westerly neighbors.

I suspect there are far more.

So here’s the plan. This fall, we’re going to bring home some blue.

The Pilot is assembling a South Hampton Roads State Fair 2008 Dream Team aiming to, ahem, bake the competition.

The contest is open to all amateur cooks, not just Virginia residents. No mixes are allowed, but the recipe need not be original. The execution, however, must be sublime.

The Pilot’s Dream Team categories will include:

-Pound cake – uniced

-Angel food cake – uniced

-Coconut cake

-Chocolate-iced layer cake – white or yellow batter

-Caramel iced cake

-Devil’s food cake

-German chocolate cake

-Carrot cake

-Novelty cake – that’s a creation that uses “novel” ingredients. Entries in this category last year included a “gateaux aux raisins,” a “chocolate stout” cake and the “orange satin cake” that won the grand prize rosette and the title of “Greatest State Fair Cake.”

At the fair, which runs Sept. 25 to Oct. 5, a first-place win in each category nets the cook $5 and a blue ribbon. Second gets $3 and a red ribbon. Third gets a yellow ribbon. The  first-place cakes from each category go fork to fork for the title of “Greatest State Fair Cake.” It’s tough to win that grand prize – last year we had to call in a tiebreaker judge.

Throughout the process, we’ll print stories about our competitors’ progress, provide tips and workshops on baking and I’ll give frequent updates on my blog at www.HamptonRoads.com/blogs.

Once the Dream Team is selected,we’ll feature it in stories and print winning recipes after the fair is over – if the bakers are willing to share.

So strap on your apron, South Hampton Roads. Let’s show the rest of the state that we flatlanders can flat-out cook.

If you don’t already have a favorite recipe, we’ve included a basic one to get you started. Consider it a sort of blank baking canvas that you can tweak to make your own competition-worthy cake.

We’ve also included the recipe for local pastry chef Emi Ostrander’s fig cake, pictured above, to help you get your creative juices flowing.

DREAM TEAM SCHEDULE

Keep these dates in mind:

-July 28  If you are interested in competing, call our taste test line by this date at (757) 446-2334 or e-mail tastetest@ pilotonline.com. Include the category you want to enter and your contact information, including phone number and e-mail address, if you have one.

Aug. 4  Bring us a finished cake, and a panel of the finest local bakers and pastry chefs will select the top cakes in each category. Winners will comprise our dream team. The pros will also give tips to make the top cakes even better.

Sept. 5  Entry forms are due to the state. We’ll help you complete the forms and pay your entry fees. If you want to see more about the state fair and its contest categories, or just get general information,  go to www.statefairva.org, click on the state fair logo, and then the competitions link. The cake contests are under “2008 Family Favorites.” 

Sept. 25  Deliver your Dream Team cake to The Pilot’s Norfolk office at 150 W. Brambleton Ave. between 4 and 7 p.m.

Sept. 26  The Pilot will deliver the cakes to the state fairgrounds for judging.

Lorraine Eaton, (757) 446-2697, lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com.