Baking help!

RedRabbit

Work are doing a charity bake off that I've been roped into.  Can't really complain - for every entry work are donating £50 to cancer research.

I'm a decent cook and I'm certainly no stranger to baking but I've run into a bit of a problem.  I'd already decided what to make and did a test run today.  If you're a fan of the bake off you might remember a 20 layer, grilled cake from the 2014 series - a schichttorte. 

So, I made this today

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5256888/schichttorte.jpg

It looks pretty good in my opinion and it tastes pretty good too but it has a really off putting, rubbery texture.  A quick look online suggests that it's meant to be like that but that doesn't really help my chances of winning.

So, I'm looking for something else to make that's reasonably impressive and doesn't feel like you're chewing on cold pancakes.  Any ideas?

Sambostar

You could make a guitar body out of that chopping board.

EricTheWeary

Post me that torte and I'll send you a box of Mr Kiplings!

eSully

Black Forest gateux. Not too hard and pretty much everyone is a fan, or, for my birthday a few weeks back my wife made Guinness chocolate cake and it was amazing.

EricTheWeary

Ooh, I've had Guiness chocolate cake - we had a Bake Off at work and that was my favourite .

Paul_C

Sporky

Griestorte! Specifically Mary Berry's one. Pretty easy but very, very tasty indeed.

http://pajamabaker.com/2012/09/09/lemon-griestorte/

TonyR

How about something like this?

It was something Mrs R did for my 50th last year - based on my Gretsch G6120AM

ICBM

I think you may need to re-think the design a bit - it looks a bit restrictive for chords. You'll need to play the bottom three strings with your thumb around the top side of the neck.

Not to mention quite a high probability of setting your picking hand on fire.

Sambostar

Another vote for some kind of arctic roll, or....I love those Pecan Plaits things with maple syrup.  What about a crispy bacon, maple syrup and pecan with Swiss burger bake cake?

thermionic

RedRabbit said:

If you're a fan of the bake off you might remember a 20 layer, grilled cake from the 2014 series - a schichttorte. 

Oh, I don't think your torte is that bad.

Heartfeltdawn

Flourless chocolate torte. Simple, makes the gluten free people happy, ingredients list isn't a faff, looks great with white chocolate drops in it, and served with cherry kirsch. 

Schichttorte is rubbery whoever makes it in my experience. 

mgaw

Schichttorte    may be a clue in the name as to its merits  or lack off:)

RedRabbit

Cheers for the suggestions.

Front runners at the moment are the griestorte and the chocolate torte.  Would love to do the guitar cake idea but it's meant to be anonymous and I think it would give me away.

I'm wondering if to go savoury and do a fancy loaf.  Maybe something like this

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nQqDoVupfXk/VKNFPOoPQVI/AAAAAAAAIIA/YIRMi0Qx248/s1600/DSC_0121.JPG

 

Sporky

People do seem to think that bread is harder (and thus more impressive) than it really is...

The griestorte looks quite pretty and tastes fantastic.

WezV

Whenever I try something fancy for a work bake off I always come 4th or 5th place.

The winner is usually something relatively easy but with mass appeal. Black forest cupcakes won the last one even though the actual cake was dry!!!

Go for something easy and visually impressive

RedRabbit

WezV said:

Whenever I try something fancy for a work bake off I always come 4th or 5th place.

The winner is usually something relatively easy but with mass appeal. Black forest cupcakes won the last one even though the actual cake was dry!!!

Go for something easy and visually impressive

I think this will be the case with ours which is why I was drawn to the schichttorte.  It looks great, really isn't that difficult to make but, unfortunately, has this really odd texture.  It probably will be something simple that wins it but there seems to be some expectation that I'll do something complicated.

I'm leaning towards the bread.  I know bread pretty well but the problem is finding the time to make a loaf that's still fresh in time for the bake off.  It's on Thursday and we're rehearsing on Wednesday night.  I think I need to work out how early I'd need to get up on Thursday morning to make a loaf and get it into work for 9am.

57Deluxe

here's one I made earlier  - Bacon and Onion steamed Pudding

http://i59.tinypic.com/2rnx4iq.jpg

RedRabbit

You know, a steamed pudding is one thing I've never tried.  Really must give it a go at some point. 

At the moment I've got a test loaf proving - it's a new recipe to me and some of the quantities looked off so I've tweaked it (mainly adding more liquid) and the dough still felt tight while kneading it but I guess time will tell.

stickyfiddle

Do a really good red velvet cake. You need red gel food dye, not just liquid colouring. And cream cheese frosting (yes, icing, I know, whatever). Looks purdy and tastes excellent and most people have no idea that it's just cake.

Or do something chocolatey with marzipan bees on it. Because who doesn't love bees?

RedRabbit

I like the bees.  Are the wings sliced almonds?

I did look at a red velvet cake.  I think I've already got red gel dye in from making a spiderman cake for my neice's birthday.

I'll see how this loaf turns out - the initial proving didn't give much of rise in the dough though.  Maybe my yeast is past it's best.