All the cake news that's fit to eat
March 14, 2018 5:42 AM Subscribe
Is the Crème Egg Yorkshire Pudding really a cake? A recent surge in cake news has provided (Prince and more Prince) a delicious antidote (Little Debbies) to politics (though, as with Nailed It, politics still often lurks). Cheshire cat cake roll and dog cakes. The Royal wedding cake may be banana and not fruitcake (and other breaks with tradition). Pear, rye and cardamom cake, and "when he went to buy a cake". Ben and Jerry's release a new flavor, which may appeal to French rugby players. Debbie Wingham busily makes an expensive cake and a Kim Kardashian cake. The most instagrammed cake in the world? Kaffee und kuechen helps big business in Germany. Newark castle. Bake this courgette cake. Also, Nick Hewer's buns and Irish apple cake and cake from 17 years ago this Saturday.
No, the creme egg yorkshire pudding is not a cake. Not a cake!!!!! There should not be gross melted fondant inside a yorkshire pudding, that's disgusting. And didn't Kraft ruin your Cadbury eggs too? They certainly ruined ours in the US.
One thing I have to admit about myself: I am not actually a cake traditionalist; I just stopped with the novelty cakes at about 1950. I was going to say that I didn't like stunt cakes, but the truth is that I do, I'm just stodgy and boring and old.
posted by Frowner at 6:27 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
One thing I have to admit about myself: I am not actually a cake traditionalist; I just stopped with the novelty cakes at about 1950. I was going to say that I didn't like stunt cakes, but the truth is that I do, I'm just stodgy and boring and old.
posted by Frowner at 6:27 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
I thought the "cake from 17 years ago" link would go to a video of Ashens eating it, but alas. So here's some actual 25 / 37 / 44 year old cake.
posted by Vesihiisi at 6:30 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Vesihiisi at 6:30 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Traditionally, the top tier of a British royal wedding cake is fruitcake.
Well, that's just horrifying. Do they have to have scaffolding inside the cake to keep it from plummeting through the layers that are actually edible?
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:32 AM on March 14, 2018 [6 favorites]
Well, that's just horrifying. Do they have to have scaffolding inside the cake to keep it from plummeting through the layers that are actually edible?
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:32 AM on March 14, 2018 [6 favorites]
I can't get the picture and description of the creme egg Yorkie to square - it says "two chocolate sponge cakes sandwiched between white and orange fondant" but it sure looks like fondant sandwiched between cake.
It also absolutely can't be a cake. Why? One of the constituent components is cake. Cake is not an ingredient of cake. That some portion of it is cake means that the whole is not.
posted by Dysk at 6:35 AM on March 14, 2018 [6 favorites]
It also absolutely can't be a cake. Why? One of the constituent components is cake. Cake is not an ingredient of cake. That some portion of it is cake means that the whole is not.
posted by Dysk at 6:35 AM on March 14, 2018 [6 favorites]
MetaFilter: clearly the pudding abomination
posted by Wordshore at 6:37 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Wordshore at 6:37 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
Why all this talk of cake on Pi day?!? Pi forever, death to Cake, I say.
posted by indianbadger1 at 6:39 AM on March 14, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by indianbadger1 at 6:39 AM on March 14, 2018 [10 favorites]
Why all this talk of cake on Pi day?!? Pi forever, death to Cake, I say.
Because it's the 14/3 today, not the other way round.
posted by Vesihiisi at 6:46 AM on March 14, 2018 [7 favorites]
Because it's the 14/3 today, not the other way round.
posted by Vesihiisi at 6:46 AM on March 14, 2018 [7 favorites]
That Cadbury Creme Egg thing is the apotheosis of stunt food, and that much sugar is extremely bad for you. I was offered a creme egg recently; I love that it has a yellow yolk, but it is otherwise toothachingly sweet, and I declined. Mind you, I am a fan of Yorkshire pudding, and why ruin a delicious savory treat with all that mess?
posted by theora55 at 6:52 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 6:52 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
Drat it. It's not even 10 AM here and now I want to eat cake.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 6:57 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 6:57 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
channel surfing a food network competition caught my attention briefly, the chef was making some kind of small cake in a muffin tin, he realized near the end of baking he'd forgot baking powder, in the final dish he called the element on the plate "a bread", he won.
posted by sammyo at 7:06 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 7:06 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
Somewhat torn on the Yorkshire pudding. Under the sensible life-principle of "Try everything once except line dancing, hard drugs and voting for Trump" I'd give it a go; though in fairness the Mars Bar Yorkshire Pudding looks more appetising. (the deep-fried Yorkshire Pudding: not so much)
posted by Wordshore at 7:11 AM on March 14, 2018
posted by Wordshore at 7:11 AM on March 14, 2018
Cadbury Creme Eggs are vile things: pure sweetness without any sort of real flavor. If I'm going to ingest that much sugar, I'd rather drink a shot of good, dark maple syrup (which reminds me: it's almost time to order this year's gallon).
And I know I'm extremely late to the party, but I started watching the Great British Baking Show last night, whichever season Netflix has in the US, and it's really delightful. There's something so refreshing about a competition show that's slow and kind and edited without obvious malice. Plus all the cakes.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:17 AM on March 14, 2018 [6 favorites]
And I know I'm extremely late to the party, but I started watching the Great British Baking Show last night, whichever season Netflix has in the US, and it's really delightful. There's something so refreshing about a competition show that's slow and kind and edited without obvious malice. Plus all the cakes.
posted by uncleozzy at 7:17 AM on March 14, 2018 [6 favorites]
There's something so refreshing about a competition show that's slow and kind and edited without obvious malice.
Just wait for #bingate (season 5 spoilers).
posted by Vesihiisi at 7:24 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
Just wait for #bingate (season 5 spoilers).
posted by Vesihiisi at 7:24 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
I love Cadbury Creme eggs, although they're not the Creme Eggs of my childhood. But I love them as junk food - just like I occasionally get some Cheetos or an order of fried potato wedges form the bodega.
I guess when I think of cake, though, I think of something that ought to have a kind of wholesome sweetness to it, not just be glommed together from junk food. I wouldn't want to eat a Cheeto souffle, either.
posted by Frowner at 7:45 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
I guess when I think of cake, though, I think of something that ought to have a kind of wholesome sweetness to it, not just be glommed together from junk food. I wouldn't want to eat a Cheeto souffle, either.
posted by Frowner at 7:45 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
And didn't Kraft ruin your Cadbury eggs too?
Yep. They decided any Cadbury chocolate product that didn't say on the wrapper that it was made with Dairy Milk could legitimately be made with cheaper, nastier milk chocolate instead. Because trampling on the fond childhood memories of a whole country is fun and profitable.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:09 AM on March 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
Yep. They decided any Cadbury chocolate product that didn't say on the wrapper that it was made with Dairy Milk could legitimately be made with cheaper, nastier milk chocolate instead. Because trampling on the fond childhood memories of a whole country is fun and profitable.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 8:09 AM on March 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
B&j Birthday cake was a big box store( don't remember if it was target or walmart) exclusive in the US a few years ago but it looks like they've discontinued it. In the UK Tesco has exclusives but I've only seen them in the London superstores and the express near Trafalgar square.
posted by brujita at 8:23 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by brujita at 8:23 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
oh god it had never occurred to me to consider deep-frying a yorkshire pud and now i must taste it for myself
posted by halation at 8:45 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by halation at 8:45 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yep. They decided any Cadbury chocolate product that didn't say on the wrapper that it was made with Dairy Milk could legitimately be made with cheaper, nastier milk chocolate instead.
That's not even what ruined creme eggs. It was substituting in hard, dry fondant for the soft gooey filling they used to contain.
posted by Dysk at 8:49 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
That's not even what ruined creme eggs. It was substituting in hard, dry fondant for the soft gooey filling they used to contain.
posted by Dysk at 8:49 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
I had a Cadbury chocolate creme egg this morning--that is, the kind with chocolate filling--and it certainly didn't appear to be fondant inside. Perhaps only the originals are affected?
posted by thomas j wise at 9:09 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by thomas j wise at 9:09 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure what you're describing, but it isn't a creme egg.
posted by Dysk at 9:16 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Dysk at 9:16 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
(Quoting the Wikipedia article: "Chocolate Creme Eggs (chocolate fondant filling)". At any rate, that's just some Cadbury's chocolate egg. It's no more a creme egg than their caramel eggs are, whatever the branding.)
posted by Dysk at 9:19 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Dysk at 9:19 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
But if I put one between two slices of bread and griddle it, is that a grilled cheese or a melt?
posted by uncleozzy at 9:22 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by uncleozzy at 9:22 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
That's not even what ruined creme eggs. It was substituting in hard, dry fondant for the soft gooey filling they used to contain.
I think this may actually be a process problem, possibly associated with shrinking the eggs and making them out of "chocolate", because I've gotten packs of four where one will be all dried up and horrible and the others will be soft and gooey as usual. I think it's that their quality control is off and some of the eggs dry out.
I am about this far from trying some of those "make your own at home" recipes, TBH.
posted by Frowner at 9:23 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
I think this may actually be a process problem, possibly associated with shrinking the eggs and making them out of "chocolate", because I've gotten packs of four where one will be all dried up and horrible and the others will be soft and gooey as usual. I think it's that their quality control is off and some of the eggs dry out.
I am about this far from trying some of those "make your own at home" recipes, TBH.
posted by Frowner at 9:23 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
Well, that's just horrifying. Do they have to have scaffolding inside the cake to keep it from plummeting through the layers that are actually edible?
FRUITCAKE CAN BE GOOD, DAMN IT! (Also, I think the point of doing this was to keep the top tier to eat later, which before refrigeration meant "make a dense fruitcake and absolutely saturate it with booze.")
That's not even what ruined creme eggs. It was substituting in hard, dry fondant for the soft gooey filling they used to contain.
That's not on purpose! The process they use for sealing the two chocolate egg halves together sometimes leaves a teensy crack along the seal, and then the filling dries out. When I need my annual creme egg fix, I usually buy two at a time to try and avoid this because it happens weirdly often. Get your shit together Cadbury!
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:34 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
FRUITCAKE CAN BE GOOD, DAMN IT! (Also, I think the point of doing this was to keep the top tier to eat later, which before refrigeration meant "make a dense fruitcake and absolutely saturate it with booze.")
That's not even what ruined creme eggs. It was substituting in hard, dry fondant for the soft gooey filling they used to contain.
That's not on purpose! The process they use for sealing the two chocolate egg halves together sometimes leaves a teensy crack along the seal, and then the filling dries out. When I need my annual creme egg fix, I usually buy two at a time to try and avoid this because it happens weirdly often. Get your shit together Cadbury!
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:34 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
Fruitcake can be really good; it just doesn't scan as "wedding cake" to me in any significant way. And to my way of thinking, the best use of candied fruit in dessert is a plum pudding, which pardons the British for a lot of culinary sins.
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:38 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:38 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
That's not on purpose! The process they use for sealing the two chocolate egg halves together sometimes leaves a teensy crack along the seal, and then the filling dries out.
It's been literally six years since I've had even one that hasn't been dried out, despite buying maybe a half dozen on average a year. Not one.
posted by Dysk at 10:34 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
It's been literally six years since I've had even one that hasn't been dried out, despite buying maybe a half dozen on average a year. Not one.
posted by Dysk at 10:34 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
I haven't had one since the Terrible Chocolate Substitution, but I remember that they used sometimes to have a less gooey, rather grainy filling. I thought it must be how the inside of a creme egg reacted to getting too warm, as it seemed far more common after hot weather or storage in an overheated kitchen.; hadn't considered that it might be an egg seal breach issue. On the offchance that it *is* related to storage conditions - Dysk, do you always buy your disappointing eggs from the same shop?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 10:43 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 10:43 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
No. Same area, but not even same town.
posted by Dysk at 10:45 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Dysk at 10:45 AM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
My wife buys maybe four or five creme eggs after Easter every year -- I think she's just eaten the last one from last year, just in time -- and to the best of my knowledge, last year's were all gooey inside.
posted by uncleozzy at 10:45 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by uncleozzy at 10:45 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Fruitcake can be good, HA! I say, HA! Now the truth is out, fruitcake is a royalist conspiracy to bring western civilization (OK, we can argue whether such a thing actually exists later) to it's knees crawling back to the safe and warm arms of the British Royal Family (hereinafter referred to as BRF) for protection from the evils of THE ONE TRUE FRUITCAKE (hereinafter referred to as OTF)! Which we now know has been foisted on an unsuspecting public by the very same BRF! For shame BRF & your evil OTF machinitions! We are on to you and will not yield our holiday and or wedding dessert pastry tables to your filthy OTF ways!
posted by evilDoug at 10:48 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by evilDoug at 10:48 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
> Halloween Jack:
"Traditionally, the top tier of a British royal wedding cake is fruitcake."
Reflecting the top tier of the British royal family, nu?
posted by chavenet at 10:51 AM on March 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
"Traditionally, the top tier of a British royal wedding cake is fruitcake."
Reflecting the top tier of the British royal family, nu?
posted by chavenet at 10:51 AM on March 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
I like a proper fruitcake, which means one that is kept moist with regular basting with brandy, rum, whiskey or other booze. My sister got energetic and made plum puddings one year; they were lovely even though not boozy enough, as she was in a judge-y phase about booze. The "fruitcake" sold in CVS is oddly tasty with butter, but not proper fruitcake, to my tastes. It's mid-adternoon-ish and I would enjoy some cake if my driveway weren't still pretty full of snow, and I weren't too lazy to go shovel so I could go out and get cake. I have the makings for 1-2-3 cake, but that also sounds far too much like effort. I will probably make supermuffins and go shovel.
I think the fitbit should doublecount shoveling steps.
posted by theora55 at 10:53 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
I think the fitbit should doublecount shoveling steps.
posted by theora55 at 10:53 AM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
It's been literally six years since I've had even one that hasn't been dried out, despite buying maybe a half dozen on average a year. Not one.
Maybe it's the factory or the distributor? The regional Cadbury's distributor is doing something dodgy like storing the eggs wrong or buying up last year's to sell? I've had last-year's eggs that were grainy and dry.
posted by Frowner at 11:05 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Maybe it's the factory or the distributor? The regional Cadbury's distributor is doing something dodgy like storing the eggs wrong or buying up last year's to sell? I've had last-year's eggs that were grainy and dry.
posted by Frowner at 11:05 AM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
And in related news, sometimes a geode cake is just a geode cake.
posted by dilettante at 12:06 PM on March 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by dilettante at 12:06 PM on March 14, 2018 [5 favorites]
Birmingham is just 40 minutes up the road, so you'd hope they had their distribution in order here...
posted by Dysk at 12:21 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Dysk at 12:21 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
More on fruitcakes, wedding cakes, and royal wedding fruitcakes, in this bustle list.
posted by Wordshore at 12:39 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Wordshore at 12:39 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
My dad grew up in the north of England during postwar rationing and he has said that they always had fruitcake for birthdays. It used to be quite common for Canadian wedding cakes too, I think.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 3:21 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sevenyearlurk at 3:21 PM on March 14, 2018 [1 favorite]
Every Canadian 50th wedding anniversary I have been to has involved pulling an ancient piece of tinfoil wrapped wedding fruitcake out from the back/bottom of a freezer.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 3:36 PM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Secret Sparrow at 3:36 PM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
We buy a proper British wedding cake (i.e. fruitcake) every year from a baker who knows how to make them. The idea is to keep the top tier and eat it on the first anniversary. If it has blackcurrant, citron and brandy in it, it will taste better and better with age.
posted by acrasis at 4:51 PM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by acrasis at 4:51 PM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
My parents got married in 1980 in Canada and had fruitcake. My mom explained that "it was just what everyone did."
They did not save any of it for future anniversaries.
posted by janepanic at 5:31 PM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
They did not save any of it for future anniversaries.
posted by janepanic at 5:31 PM on March 14, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oh, how I miss original Creme Eggs and Mini Eggs. If only I had an active Twitter account, I'd try to launch #BoycottCrapburyEggs. If they couldn't make a buck-buck-buck-buck-BOK on today's waxy, one-note Creme Eggs and the cheep-cheep-cheeped-out Mini Eggs, maybe they'd bring back the originals. I'm not going to eat that much sugar when it's not even delicious.
posted by daisyace at 7:33 AM on March 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by daisyace at 7:33 AM on March 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
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posted by tobascodagama at 6:25 AM on March 14, 2018 [4 favorites]