Got an epic chocolate cake recipe? Bring it on! The Gerry Frank Chocolate Layer Cake Contest celebrates the ultimate in chocolate creations — and the bakers bold enough to take on the challenge. Layer it up with frosting and fun and compete to win the sweet title of #1 cocoa wiz at the Fair this year! 

Competition Date: Sunday, August 31, 2025

Cake Drop-off Details:
Cakes can be brought to Columbia Hall any time after 10 a.m. on contest day.
All entries must be in place before judging begins at 2 p.m. Don’t be late — judges take their chocolate very seriously!

Sweet Bonus:
Each cake entry comes with free fair admission for one person at the gate. That’s right! Your cake is your ticket to all the fun!

Join us as we honor Gerry Frank’s passion for perfect cakes and pride in Oregon’s crafts one decadent, tasty slice at a time.

A lifelong champion for Oregon, Gerry Frank passed away in March 2022 at 98 years old, after spending 60 years tasting hundreds of chocolate layer cakes at the Oregon State Fair. 

Frank’s love of chocolate was recognized by legions, and today, his contest is the best-known of its kind in the Northwest.

Every year, fairgoers celebrated his cake-tasting fortitude while on stage, often cajoling the crowd with his stories, chocolate trivia questions, and baking advice. Gerry founded and sold Gerry Frank’s Konditorei, a gourmet cake shop and restaurant in Salem. Konditorei proudly serves delicious desserts Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. at 310 Kearney SE in Salem, Oregon 97302.

Tom Hoffert is back this year to judge your cakes! No stranger to baking, he spent 15 years managing business expansion and corporate partnerships for one of Salem’s largest craft baking companies, Don Pancho Mexican Foods. Now, as the CEO of Salem Area Chamber of Commerce, he focuses on supporting Salem’s small businesses and championing their growth. “At the Salem Chamber, we believe in helping businesses prosper so our entire community may thrive.”

The Oregon State Fair extends its highest level of gratitude and appreciation to Gerry Frank for his loyal dedication to this beloved contest. His contribution to the unique nature of our fair is beyond remarkable, and the Oregon State Fair is very grateful to his estate for letting us pay tribute to him with the Gerry Frank Memorial Chocolate Cake Contest presented by the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.