Need to make an 'Interesting' cake

[ermintrude]

We have a charity cake sale at work and through the last two have become known for making cakes with unusual ingredients.

Tomato & Olive oil soup cake with cheese icing

Chocolate and beetroot cake

These were the fastest seller and the highest priced per slice so made lots for charity. I got loads of complements on them.

Anyone got any recipes for cakes that use unusual ingredients or have a surprise (not looks) aspect about them. However above all they must taste nice as I don't want to use something unusual just for shock value but I'd like to keep up the surprise factor.

[CaliPoutine]

I'm assuming you're in Australia or NZ or maybe even the UK( your use of the word Beetroot?).

Anyway, I think a red velvet cake would be special. Its not widely known outside the ( Southern) US. The icing is cooked with milk and flour( so thats different).

I think they're might be a thread on here about RVC.

[baroness]

There's a chocolate cake that includes (well-rinsed) sauerkraut....the kraut adds texture but no discernable flavor.

[Lisa Shock]

I saw an olive oil pound cake recipe online at a website of an olive oil company last year. Sorry, I didn't try it, so I have no idea how good it is.

You might try searching for the term 'crazy cake' it's an eggless cake that is mixed in the pan its baked in.

And, of course, there's my husband's favorite, Miracle Whip chocolate cake.

[Marlene]

Dorie Greenspan has a recipe for a Spiced Cranberry Bundt cake that uses Chinese five spice powder, in this month's Bon Appetit. It sounds really good!

[gfron1]

Not too unusual - olive oil and thyme.

Or my personal creation - celery, white chocolate, dried olives...yummmmm

[sanrensho]

Tofu.

Not that I have a recipe for you.

[tammylc]

Tofu.

Not that I have a recipe for you.

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I have a recipe for a chocolate pie that's made with tofu. It's pretty good too, rich and decadent. You use a prepared graham cracker or oreo crust, then mix silken tofu, melted chocolate chips and a bit of honey in a blender. Pour and chill.

[Lisa Shock]

Tofu.

Not that I have a recipe for you.

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I have a recipe for a chocolate pie that's made with tofu. It's pretty good too, rich and decadent. You use a prepared graham cracker or oreo crust, then mix silken tofu, melted chocolate chips and a bit of honey in a blender. Pour and chill.

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Oh yeah, there's tofu-based pumpkin pie. Some people swear that you cannot tell the difference between it and regular pumpkin pie.

[pastrygirl]

How about something with curry, caramel and chocolate, or white chocolate, black sesame and wasabi? Green tea and sweet red beans are pretty different for a lot of folks.

[tmriga]

chocolate chile cake

guinness stout ginger cake - found on www.epicurious.com

root beer float cake

Do you have cream cheese there? There are several savory cheesecake recipes available online.

Theresa

[djyee100]

David Lebovitz recently posted a recipe for a savory pistachio & chorizo cake. That's about the most unusual cake I've ever heard of. DL's website also has other good cake recipes. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008...orizo_cake.html

Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert cookbook contains recipes with some unusual ingredients, if you can get your hands on a copy. Some recipes from the book here, including an Olive Oil & Sherry Poundcake. http://www.seriouseats.com/tags/recipes/CT...0Pure%20Dessert

ETA: And wouldn't you know it, while surfing I stumbled across a recipe for this good-looking Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake. http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2007/12/davi...-cake-with.html

Edited October 3, 2008 by djyee100 (log)

[Pille]

ETA: And wouldn't you know it, while surfing I stumbled across a recipe for this good-looking Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake.  http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2007/12/davi...-cake-with.html

That chocolate and sauerkraut cake was delicious (and the recipe was from Mr Lebovitz himself ):

I'd also recommend my Blue Cheese and Pear Tart - that was tasty and unusual:

You could use pumpkin spice mixture to season the latter.

[cathrynapple]

I'm about ot make a cashew cardamom coffee chocolate cake.

(layers of cashew gateau, layers of coffee cardamom whipped cream, covered with dark chocolate ganashe. )

[judiu]

Good old mayonaisse cake! http://southernfood.about.com/od/chocolate.../r/bl01018a.htm

I reccomend Hellman's or Best Foods brand mayo, if you can find them. Most enjoyable! HTH!

[jgm]

How about something chocolatey or fruity with black pepper?

Or something flavored with tea, such as Earl Grey?

[FWED]

I have a recipe for a Mexican Chocolate cake that is white on the outside (its a Coconut cream layer) topped with toasted coconut but when cut it reveals layers of dark Mexican chocolate cake inside separated by layers of the coconut cream spiked with coconut flavored rum.

[Saffy]

There are some nice recipes about for chocolate Parsnip cakes. The parsnip kind of caramelises and has a slightly chewy texture. I make this cake a lot and people always ask for the recipe. I don't usually tell them what kind of cake it is until after they have had some

[Lisa2k]

I made what I call a 'Dim Sum Cake' for a friend's birthday. She LOVES steamed buns filled with sweet red bean paste, so I made a vaniila black sesame batter, steamed each cake layer in my bamboo steamer, torted them, filled each layer with sweet red bean paste mousse and frosted just the top with a very light ginger buttercream topped with more black sesame and some candied azuki beans and ginger. I was going to use this idea for 'unique' cupcakes for a Sugar High Friday's challenge, but I had a little accident .

[prasantrin]

David Lebovitz recently posted a recipe for a savory pistachio & chorizo cake. That's about the most unusual cake I've ever heard of. DL's website also has other good cake recipes. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008...orizo_cake.html

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I read that entry, and thought that cake sounded delicious!

But just a note...it's not a dessert cake, but a savoury cake meant to be eaten as a snack or during cocktail hour.

[tsquare]

I've eaten chocolate cake made with black beans. The baker accidentally used spiced canned beans that gave them too much of a kick, but it wasn't a bad idea.

I've made devils food cake with tomatoes - very moist. The addition of ripe tomato to the buttercream frosting gave it a lovely glow.

There are also cakes with black eyed peas and chocolate zucchini cake. I had another one, but lost the post - and my memory.

[Talat_kas]

Cake are very easy to prepare if you love to cook and present, i also often try to create my own with almost the same recipe of normal cake and ingredients like apple and jelly pastry in which i freeze fruit jelly with apples and assemble the different color apple jelly layer with fresh cream and freeze it, the result is very good and the pastry is looking very colorful and attractive. In the same manner i made different strawberry cake by using cheese cake filling and assemble with simple sponge cake.

You can follow these recipes by visiting my blog and hope you like them all:)

[reenicake]

i used to make a cheddar beer cheesecake for a local boutique beer bar... dessert and cheese course in one.

[FistFullaRoux]

How about a cinnamon coffee cake with bacon?