The dough rolled, the mixers whirred, and the ovens warmed at the recent Spring Senior Bake Off in Hillsborough County. The event, which was a lively competition among members of six senior and dining centers, was all about who could whip up the best dessert, and it ended up being quite the showcase of both skill and culinary tradition. According to an announcement from Hillsborough County Aging Services, the varieties presented to the five judges—from sheet cake to buntdt cake to cheesecake—were impressive, especially considering they stemmed from recipes that span the test of time, handed down through families.
The competition, which was stiff this year, culminated with Ruskin Senior Center being awarded the Golden Spoon trophy for their Turtle Cheesecake. "The Ruskin Senior Center will have their name engraved on the Golden Spoon trophy, winning the competition this year with their Turtle Cheesecake," reported the Aging Services. The representatives from each team, provided stories about their dishes, as judges savored every bite, contemplating the spirit of each entry before settling on a winner.
In a creative move that links past to present, the inspiration for the bake-off was a cookbook published a few years ago by Hillsburg County Aging Services, filled with recipes from members of their senior centers. According to the published news release, seniors have been cooking and baking their way through the different categories in the cookbook, which included last year's soup competition.
