Dragon Age – Found Cake

When I had a read through Game Rant’s “Most Disappointing Games of 2011” I wasn’t surprised when I saw Dragon Age II among the expected movie tie-in games of the year. Although I know a lot of people loved it, it was a saddening shadow of the awesome that was Dragon Age and an even greater festering husk of Baldur’s Gate for me. I was so involved with Dragon Age and so attached to Alistair (I don’t even find blond men attractive) I once drunkenly reprimanded a guy with the same name at a party for sacrificing himself at the end of my tale. I’m not sure how he felt when I declared my love and explained the impending grief for both me and the people of Ferelden but thankfully I still had my trusty dog (Bucephalus) who once brought me this cake. Personally, I don’t know what the hell Tycho was complaining about – I’d eat a “found cake”. Cake is cake, after all.

This recipes serves 6.

What you will need: Two 8inch (20cm) round sandwich tins, sieve, 2 mixing bowls and a whisk.

Ingredients:

175g / ¾ Cup Butter (Room Temperature)

175g / ¾ Cup Caster/Fine Grain Sugar

3 Eggs (Room Temperature)

175g / ¾ Cup Self-Raising Flour

70g / ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder (High Quality)

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

To Garnish:

250ml / 1 Cup Whipping Cream

Icing/Confectioners Sugar (Optional)

2 Strawberries (Halved)

Dog Spittle (Optional)

Making the Found Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Grease the cake tin with a little butter, line it with greaseproof paper/baking parchment and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until pale and creamy. While continuing to mix, gradually add the eggs and whisk well until light and fluffy.
3. Sieve in half the flour, gently fold it in then sieve in the rest of the flour along with the cocoa powder and baking powder. Add the vanilla extract and stir.
4. Divide the cake mix between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The top of the cakes should spring back when softly pressed if ready. Once cooked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool.
5. Once cooled, remove the cakes from the tins. Whip the cream (with a little sugar if you wish), spread half the cream on top of one layer then turn the other layer upside down, place it on top and cover with the remainder of the cream. Place 3 of the strawberry halves on top to decorate.
6. Optional: Place the cake on your kitchen floor and get your dog to serve it for that final, authentic touch.

I’ve based the recipe for the Found Cake off the traditional Victoria sponge. This is a simple, fuss-free cake that wouldn’t be out of place in a Ferelden setting. It’s incredibly light and fluffy which means you can eat four slices for each slice of normal cake, ideal for any New Year dieters, because I’m pretty sure lack of cake is what turned Flemeth into that dragon.

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Animal Crossing: Wild World - Birthday Cake

Animal Crossing: Wild World holds a bit of a special place in my heart; it was the game I got with my Nintendo DS (after I traded in Metroid Prime: Echoes due to stupid frequency of respawning enemies - the only game I‘ve ever traded in to date) and I played it constantly for several months after I first moved to London while I was waiting for my Xbox to join me. I’d spend many nights lying awake in bed waiting for it to rain at a precise time so I could catch that missing bug or fish or charm my exotic neighbour for some rare item of furniture. Never seemed able to save enough Bells to reap to benefits of a bank account though; far too many tempting accessories. But a treat comes on you birthday, a reward for all your hard work almost - a wonderful birthday cake that gives you visible feelings of delight when you eat it! So since it’s my birthday on Friday, I thought I’d give myself an excuse to eat some pre-birthday cake and share it with you. But not really. It’s all mine. None for you.

This recipe serves 8-10.

What you will need:

2 mixing bowls, hand whisk, a sieve, three 8-inch cake tins, baking paper and an icing bag/pipe.

For the Cake:

4 Eggs (Separated and  at room temperature)

4 Teaspoons Baking Powder

400g Plain Flour

½ Teaspoon Salt

227g Butter (at room temperature)

450g Caster Sugar

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

200ml Milk

¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

For the Pink Coconut Icing:

500g Cream Cheese

200g Butter

50ml Natural Yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

270g Icing Sugar (approx.)

Few Drops Red Food Colouring

To Garnish:

6 Strawberries

2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flakes

4 Green Candles

Preparing the Cake:

1. Grease your 3 cake pans and line them with baking paper, preheat the oven to 175C.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter and 350g of the sugar until it is pale and fluffy.
3. Add the 4 egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla extract.
4. Slowly sift in the flour, baking powder and salt , mix, and then slowly add the milk.
5. In a separate bowl add the egg whites and whisk them until fluffy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 100g of sugar until the peaks stiffen.
6. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake mixture.
7. Pour the mixture evenly among the 3 prepared cake tins then bake in the oven for around 25 minutes.
8. Once cooked, leave to cool and then store in the fridge while you prepare the frosting.

Making the Pink Icing:

1. Beat the butter in a bowl until light, then add the natural yoghurt and vanilla.
2. Gently stir in the cream cheese, being careful not to over mix as this will thin the frosting making it runny.
3. Gradually add the icing sugar bit by bit, adding more as you need it - to thicken or sweeten the icing.
4. Add the red food colouring, then put the icing in the fridge to chill.

Constructing the Cake:

1. If needed, even out your cake layers carefully so they’re as flat and smooth as possible.
2. Ice the bottom layer, being careful not to go over the edges, place the next layer on top and continue the process until you have a stack of 3 cake layers.
3. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of icing and cover the cake in the remaining icing - this does not have to be neat.
4. Imagining the top of the cake as a clock, place the strawberries (with their stalks trimmed), pointed end up at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
5. Put the last bits of icing into an icing bag/pipe, using a large nozzle, pipe drops of icing between each of the strawberries around the cake.
6. Garnish with the green candles and a sprinkling of coconut.

Yum, yum, yum. What a glorious birthday treat for myself! My mom can’t bake and I can’t exactly pick cakes up in stores so having something to eat in celebration of my birthday is very rare! The sponge in this cake is heavenly. It’s sticky and sweet and moist but yet light and tastes of creamy vanilla - it’s like the ultimate birthday cake recipe. The icing however makes it a little heavy, I would probably swap it for something else next time, but I guess it’s normal for most people to only eat one piece of cake at a time, unlike my usual 2 or 3. I don’t know what gifts I’m getting this year though, so I guess I should take my golden slingshot outside and wait for a parcel on a balloon to float by…

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