Welcome to How To Cook That
I am Ann Reardon
Today we are making a hunger games inspired cake.
For between the layers of the cake I am using a peach ganache, to make that strain some
peach juice off some tinned peaches and heat it to a boil. Pour the hot juice over the
white chocolate. Push the chocolate down so it is all in contact with the juice and leave
to sit for a minute.
Then stir until smooth, if you still have a few lumps like this then you may need to
microwave it for 10 seconds to melt those.
Set that aside to firm up, if you have got time leave it overnight at room temperature
on the bench overnight if not if you need it in a hurry then put it in the fridge.
Now to make our ganache for the outside of the cake I am using a mixture of dark and
milk chocolate. And using cream like you normally do. Heat that up and pour it over the top
just like we did for the juice
All of the recipe details that you need to make this cake including the amount of juice
and chocolate and the cake recipes and the amount of fondant you need all of that is
detailed on the website howtocookthat.net there is a link the the description just below
this video.
To make your cakes turn on your oven and grease and line your tins, you can just make three
cakes to make it the height of the one that is shown.
You can either use a cake mix or use the sponge cake recipe that is on the website. Take out
half a cup of mixture and place it into a clean bowl, and repeat that with another half
a cup of mixture. Colour one orange using some red and yellow food colour and colour
the other one a deep red. Pour your cake mixture evenly between your
three tins and then using a spoon put large dots of coloured batter on the top.
Take a knife and swirl it through the mix, you don't want to stir it so much that it
blends together we want it to look like swirls of flame going through the cake.
To check if your cake is ready put a knife in the centre, if it still has gooey mixture
on put it back in the oven. If the knife comes out clean then it is done,
run a knife around the outside of the tin and leave it to cool.
Take your cooled cake and shake the tin up and down on each side to check that it is
loose. Then tip the cake out and peel the paper off the base. Because my cake plate
is not completely flat I am going to flip the cake upside down and put the rounded side
into the concave part of the plate.
So that your cake does not slip add a small amount of your peach ganache onto the plate
and then add the cake.
Add half of your ganache and spread it over the cake.
Then use a knife to level off the next layer, peel the paper off the bottom and place the
cake on top. Take your third cake and level it and then cut it on a diagonal angle from
the top of one corner right down to the base on the opposite side. Put the remaining peach
ganache on top of the cake and add your sloped layer to the top.
Look at you cake from the side and if your tins are sloped on the edges like these ones
are use a knife to cut off a small layer and even it out the sides so that they are straight
all the way around. Next look when you look at your cake check
that the slope on top is completely flat, if you need to cut a small amount from the
middle cake to smooth it off and make sure it is perfectly flat.
Using your chocolate ganache spread a thin layer over the top and all over the sides
of your cake. This only needs to be a thin layer as I said and don't worry if it has
a few crumbs in it that is the purpose of this layer is to catch all of those crumbs
from the fresh cake. Put that into the fridge for about an hour to let that crumb coat firm
up.
While that is is the fridge we need to make the pin to go on top of the cake and it needs
to be a size that will fit the cake well. There is a picture of it in the size that
I am using on the website so you can print it out from there.
Find two bowls or containers in your kitchen that fit the size of the outer and inner circles
of the pin. Place some non-stick baking paper over the top, roll out some black fondant
and cut around the bigger bowl and then the smaller one. Use your smaller bowl to smooth
out and line up your circle with the one that's on the picture.
Now cut out the mockingjay part of the pin so that we can use it as a template in a minute,
we still need the other part so don't destroy it when you are cutting it out. I have read
all of the hunger games books and they are really well written, but they have quite a
disturbing theme. I think it is interesting though when you read or watch a movie we tend
to associate with the main characters in the story. in this case they are poor and struggling
to get enough food to eat. While those in the capitol are feasting on plenty.
For the arrow roll out some black fondant to the length of the arrow making it quite
thick. Then cut it with a pizza cutter into a long strip. Cut an extra triangle and add
it to the top of the arrow head using a little water and then make and indent on either side
of the centre. Trim the arrow to the right length then cut an extra piece of black and
fold it in half. Cut it in the middle and attach it either side of the end. Then repeat
that a little further up the shaft with another one.
Roll out some more black fondant and place the mockingjay on top and cut around it with
a knife.
Place this over the top of the circle using your template to guide you as to where to
put it.
Put the arrow over the template and where the birds tail is cut out the underneath of
the arrow so that it is thinner and it can fit over the tail. cut the arrow where it
meets the beak and trim the underneath of the end of the arrow too.
Slide the baking paper that has the ring on it over onto the template and put the end
of the arrow in place. Take the top end of your arrow and thin it out where it crosses
the circle and cut off the beak part then using a little water attach it put it into
place.
To build up the body of the mockingjay roll a sphere of fondant and then make it a tear
drop by rolling one side place it onto the template and make it the right shape and then
transfer it onto the pin. Rollout a thin snake of black fondant and
run it along the top edge of the wing. Place a little water on the top wing and put another
snake along that edge tucking it under at the end. If you look at the picture you will
see there is an indent in that part so take your knife and push down gently on the snake
so that you have that cut in it there.
Now for the head make a teardrop shape and then slightly flatten the sides using your
finger and thumb, place it on the template and shape the top into a point. Then using
a little water put it into place.
Then use a knife to scratch some lines into the body going from the head around the body.
Then add some more onto the tail and the head. Look at your picture as you do this so you
know where the lines go. And then put your knife on a flatter angle and use it to make
indents on the edges of you wings.
Roll another snake and put it down the centre of the beak, blending it in at the top. Then
use a toothpick make hole for the eyes.
For the feathers on the wing roll some tiny balls of fondant and make them tear drop shaped
and put them into place.
As I was saying in the story the people in the capitol have an abundance while those
in the sectors are starving. And while reading the book or watching the movie we associate
with the poor characters which are the main characters but in reality if you like me live
in a house a or an apartment if you also have a car then and some money in the bank then
we are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy. Let me introduce you to Lillian.
All across africa there are very many children who are disadvantaged orphaned and living
in miserable ciurcumstances I was such a child that was vulnerable. My mother died when I
was three months old and my father was kidnapped when I was 5 months old and so I was taken
to my step mothers home and I was the one fetching water from miles and miles serving
the people washing peoples clothes washing peoples shoes to make me feel like I am useless
. SO I would go to the neighbours to collect left overs for the pig so I would share with
the pigs.
Lillian had no one and was eating the scraps that were given to the pigs, and compassion
helped her. They gave her medical care, food and an education. Our generation has the resources
to end global poverty, I'll put a link under this video to the compassion website and I
would really like you to consider going there and donating a chicken or vegetable seeds
or even a goat to a family living in conditions just like those in the movie . We personally
sponsor a child through compassion and my kids choose one of these gifts each year to
buy with their own pocket money to give to someone in need. When you give you don't just
provide food, you also giving hope to these beautiful people, letting them know they are
not forgotten, that somebody cares.
Back to our capitol like reality, using a dry paintbrush dust over the fondant with
some gold luster dust. The colour that I am using is called antique gold and you can buy
luster dust from cake decorating stores.
Take your cake out of the fridge and cover it over with another layer of ganache. Any
crumbs will be set in the first layer that you put on which makes it easy to get a nice
smooth finish.
Run your palette knife around the edges and then smooth off any little bits that are sticking
up by gently swiping into the middle of the cake.
Take your sugar and water and glucose syrup or you can use corn syrup into a saucepan
and bring to the boil over high heat, once the sugar is dissolved wash down the sides
of the pan and leave it unstirred until it just starts to go slightly golden in one part
of it.
Remove it from the heat and add quickly stir in some red colour one one side and some yellow
on the other. Immediately pour it out onto some non-stick baking paper, place another
sheet over the top and spread it out. Do not touch this with your hands it is extremely
hot and will blister instantly if you get it on you.
While it is still warm use a knife to indent where you want it to break so you can get
nice flame shapes.
Once it is completely cooled peel off the paper and snap it into long pieces, add then
to the side of your cake. Allow the sugar flames to come up just slightly above the
top of the cake. And start at the front so you have the best looking pieces there.
Using your palette knife to help you very carefully lift up the mocking jay pin and
place it onto the cake.
If you have more time you can make these fondant details ahead and then they will dry out they
only take about three days to dry which makes it easy to put onto the cake but you can make
it up to a month or two ahead. Add a few smaller flames to the top around the pin. If you want
this mockingjay pin that you have just seen me make then I can post this one anywhere
in the world I'll take it off the cake and set it aside for you. All you have to do if
you want it is just check out the compassion website give a gift to someone who is in need
and put it in the comments below that you've done so or if you really cant do that then
at least share the video and give someone else the opportunity to. You can serve it
just like that.
You can serve it just like that or to make it more dramatic.
then we can add real flames
To do that take two heat proof pie dishes, one bigger than the other. Put the smaller
one upside down in the centre of the bigger one.
Take two pieces of foil and line the edges up together. Fold the edge over on themselves
at least three times and then open the foil up flat.
Mold it over the smaller plate being careful not to put any holes in it. Push it down into
the gap between the bowls to make a valley. Then wrap it around the base of the larger
bowl so that it looks like this.
Check that there is a gap between your cake plate and where the flames will be, if you
don't want the sides of your cake to melt then you will need an even bigger gap. Remember
that this is real fire so it is hot.
Put the cake in the centre and place salt in the channel that you've made The reason
we use salt is because alcohol burns blue so it can be hard to see, if we sprinkle some
salt over it the flame becomes red.
Pour some high strength alcohol like vodka into a jug and warm it slightly, I used 5
seconds in the microwave. If you warm it too much all the alcohol will evaporate off, if
it is not warm enough it will be hard to light.
Pour the alcohol into the alfoil and light it up using a brulee torch. The more alcohol
you add the longer it will burn for but the more it will also melt the sides of the cake
too.
And remember never pour more alcohol from the bottle onto a flame because the flame
will follow the alcohol up into the bottle setting it alight and spraying flames around
the room.
Thanks for watching don't forget give someone hope through compassion and share this video
so others can too. If you are new to how to cook that hit the subscribe button for all
the latest cakes, chocolates and desserts. Have great week, I'll see you Friday.
[Music: Hunger Games Tribute by Jon Bruno]