The whole thing was MJ’s idea and I only went along with it because it made her eyes sparkle like a mad scientist, which I found both cute and oddly – sexy.

I didn’t really think I had a shot because I figure most people who enter that sort of thing have been working diligently all year to perfect their recipe and I just made the same old cake I always make with no adjustment other than to make it in my mother’s oven because mine is tempermental and inconsistent for being a gas oven.

So, I have the third best poundcake in all of Maryland (this week).  There was a another competition last week where prizes were also awarded in this category.   So maybe I have the 6th best poundcake in all of Maryland.   Or rather, my grandmother does, since it is her recipe.  Whichever.  You may still refer to me as Award Winning Lex.

It’s been a very productive day. I’m waiting on it to cool so I can slice into it and have it with some creamery fresh butter. I can already taste it.

And it was so cute.. it was making crackling noises as it cooled!

What’s not to love about fresh bread that doesn’t need kneading!?

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

1⁄4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1⁄2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Yield: One 1 1⁄2-pound loaf.
Adapted from The New York Times.

ETA: This cake took 3rd place in the Poundcake Division of the 2008 Maryland State Fair

In my good spirits I’ve decided to divulge the recipe..

1. I cannot express how important it is that the eggs and butter are at room temperature. I also will recommend you use a good mixer for this. Heavy-duty is what my grandmother says. Scrape down the bowl regularly.

2. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Use Baker’s Joy if you trust it. I don’t.

4. Put the butter into the mixer. Turn it and let it run til it’s all smooth and silky.

5. Add the shortening – mix til uniform.

6. Add in the sugar one cup at a time.

7. Once that is incorporated, turn the mixer on medium-high and whip the shit out of it. You want to let it run until the mixture is no longer yellow-white, but all white. And fluffy – this takes about 3-5 minutes. Feel free to walk away for a bit. Watched pots and all that.

8. Add the eggs one at time, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl halfway through.

9. Add in the flavorings. I gave you my grandmother’s measurements, but I can’t make up my mind on this. I tend to go 2-3 teaspoons of vanilla and at least a full teaspoon of lemon extract and up to 1 1/2. I’ll say to taste.

10. Here is where some care needs to taken in terms of your mixing. If you overmix the flour, you’ll get a brick. It is called a poundcake but we still want a kind of lightness to it and being mean to the flour won’t get you anywhere good.

11. Add the flour one cup at a time, wait until it is almost incorporated before adding the next – Don’t worry so much about scraping down at this point. You want it mixed in as few passes of the paddle as possible.

12. After adding the last cup, only mix it a few passes. Most of the flour should be mixed in, it’s okay if it’s not. It’s thicker than you’d expect for a cake batter. Don’t trip.

13. Take the bowl off the mixer and add the soda. Using your spatula, fold the soda into the batter, lifting from bottom to the top – be gentle, but thorough. It’s gonna be nice and satiny.

14. Put it in the bundt pan. Spread it out evenly. I give the pan a wiggle, like my grandma does. Is it important? I dunno.. but grandma does it, and as such, so do I.

15. Bake it for 30 minutes at 350. Then reduce the heat to 325 and bake for another 60 minutes. If a toothpick comes out clean – take it out of the oven.

** If your oven is whack, check the cake after first 15-20 minutes – if you see brown edges already, reduce the heat asap. If your oven has a glass window and a light – use it. If not, do not open the door anymore than you have to – it fucks with the heat. My grandma also insisted on us not making a bunch of ruckus around the oven. . . “you’ll make my cake fall.” Is it true? No idea, but I’m careful not to make a ruckus around the oven while my cake is baking.

16. Let it cool 10 minutes, then flip it out of the pan. If it sticks – stop using Baker’s Joy and go back to Crisco and flour.

17. Mom-mom always uses a nice coating of powdered sugar, and as such, so do I. What you do with it is really none of my business.

Now.. Sprite vs. 7-up? I don’t like 7-up, so why would I use it to bake when I’m going to end up with leftover soda I won’t want to drink.