A Greater Latrobe teacher brought home a second-place award from the Pennsylvania Farm Show this week with a specialty that has been a mainstay in her family — angel food cake.

Abigail Mehalic, 36, of Unity said she picked up the light and fluffy dessert after her father would make the cakes for various holidays and celebrations.

“The angel food cake is kind of a family tradition that we always made,” she said.

Mehalic, a Carlisle native, said she has been participating in the farm show in Harrisburg for about 10 years with angel food and chocolate cakes. She won her category at the Westmoreland Fair in August, making her eligible to compete Sunday.

There were about 50 entries, many with intricate icing and designs, that were narrowed down by judges. Mehalic said she was shocked at the red ribbon — her best showing ever.

“I was really surprised just because I think there were so many wonderful cakes that deserve to be awarded,” she said.

She submitted an almond angel food cake with a layer of strawberry jam coated with almond buttercream. Strawberries and toasted almonds were garnishes. It’s taken her quite a few tries to perfect.

“It’s all from scratch,” she said. “It’s kind of a delicate cake to make.”

Mehalic is a family and consumer science teacher at Greater Latrobe Junior High School. She said she enjoys preparing for and participating in the fairs in between caring for her two children — Sadie, 3, and Grayson, 3 months — with husband Tony Mehalic, who also is a teacher in the district.

“It’s a fun little competition that I like to enter every year,” she said.

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