Cake CAT-astrophe!

Hi! This is Vesper & I would love to share how amazing this recipe is! (If you do it correctly, of course) I got the Bake Me A Cat book on my birthday and there are soooooooooooooooooooooooo many PURRFECT recipes so please settle in and comfy because you're in for a tasty treat!!

Watch Vesper and her sous-chef make the Eye of the Tiger Roll!

Mom is back as sous-chef! We again decided that the bloopers would just be part of the show on this one... and there were many.

Recipe

As Vesper shared in the video, she received a new cookbook from her Uncle John for her birthday this year. It's called Bake Me A Cat by Kim-Joy. It features lots of adorable cat-shaped cakes and cookies and is a delightful gift for the feline fans in your life.

Bake Me a Cat (see link to purchase above)

Vesper was inspired to bake the "Eye of the Tiger Roll". All the recipes have a difficulty rating from "Kitten" to "House Cat" to "Boss Cat". This one was Boss Cat! Maybe we should've tried something a little easier first, but we just couldn't help ourselves - this one was so cute!

What the cake is *supposed* to look like

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

CAKE - For the Color

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder (ideally black)
2 T. hot water
Black & orange food coloring

CAKE - Egg Yolk Mixture

Butter (for greasing pan)
5 medium egg yolks
35 g (2.5 T) caster or granulated sugar
pinch of salt
60 mL (1/4 c.) vegetable oil
60 mL (1/4 c.) whole milk
2 t. orange blossom water (or orange extract)
100 g (3/4 c.) all-purpose flour
2 t. cornstarch

CAKE - Egg White Mixture

5 medium egg whites
65 g (1/3 c + 1 t) caster or granulated sugar

FILLING

6 T. marmalade (or jam of your choice)
300 mL (1 1/4 c.) heavy cream
30 g (3 1/2 T.) powdered sugar
1 T vanilla bean paste

BUTTERCREAM

175 g (3/4 c.) salted butter at room temperature, cubed
325 g (2 1/3 c.) powdered sugar
1/2 T. vanilla bean paste
1-1.5 T. milk
Orange & black food coloring

Equipment

10.75 x 14 in. jelly roll/swiss roll pan
Parchment paper
Small & large bowls
Hand whisk
Electric whisk or stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups

Directions

STEP 1 - Prepare the pan

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease the base & sides of a 10.75 x 14 in jelly roll pan with butter & line with parchment paper, covering the base & extending beyond the two longer sides

STEP 2 - Make black cake coloring

Stir the cocoa powder and hot water together in a bowl. Set aside

STEP 3 - Combine the "Cake - Egg Yolk Mixture" ingredients

Separate 5 eggs
Add all the "Cake - Egg Yolk Mixture" ingredients to a large bowl
Whisk until smooth

STEP 4 - Combine the "Cake - Egg White Mixture" ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine the "Cake - Egg White Mixture" ingredients
Use a handheld electric whisk or stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment to whisk the egg whites on medium speed until foamy
Add the caster sugar and continue whisking until peaks form. NOTE: For this cake, you want the peaks to flop over slightly at the tips not straight up! If you whisk too much, you may get cracks in your cake.

STEP 5 - Combine the Cake mixtures

Fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture, a third at a time. Finished batter should be pourable, but still fluffy & full of air.
Pour 200 g (7 oz) into a separate bowl and stir in the cocoa powder mixture until combined. Add enough black food dye to this to make it a deep black color.
Stir the orange food dye through the mixture in the first bowl.
Be careful to fold gently and not too much.

STEP 6 - Fill the cake pan

Pour the orange batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it out evenly
Pour the black batter on top and spread to cover the orange batter completely. Don't worry about the edges - they'll be sliced off later.
Spread it out gently with the back of a spoon, trying not to disturb the batter underneath.
Use a chopstick or spoon handle to swirl the batter. Drag the chopstick left and right along the longest side, working way from top to bottom. Then repeat along shortest side.
Bang the pan against the work surface once to release any large air bubbles.

STEP 7 - Bake

Bake immediately for 20 minutes, or until the cake in the middle is spongy & springs back
Using the sides of the baking paper, lift the cake onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

STEP 8 - Make the buttercream tigers

While the cake cools, add the butter and confectioner's sugar to a large bowl
Use an electric whisk to beat together for 5-10 minutes. Make sure to keep whisking until it is light, fluffy, and very pale.
Add the vanilla and whisk again.
Add the milk to soften so it can be spread.
Separate it into 3 bowls (one larger, two smaller)
Finally, add the food coloring (leave one small bowl plain white, add black to one small bowl, and orange to the large bowl).
Pipe out the tiger shape onto a piece of parchment paper using the orange icing.
Pipe out black for stripes and white for muzzle and whiskers.
Chill in freezer for 15 minute until solid.

STEP 8 - Make the filling & roll up the cake

When the cake is cool, place a sheet of parchment paper on top, then a cutting board and flip the whole cake over.
Peel off the parchment paper that the cake was baked on
Trim all the edges (they are drier so could make the cake crack)
On one of the short ends, cut 5 shallow slits into the cake
Spread the marmalade onto the cake
Add the cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla to a bowl and whip to soft peaks
Spread 2/3 of the cream on top of the marmalade, adding a thicker layer on the side with the slits.
Roll the cake up from one of the shorter sides, using the parchment paper to help. Don't roll too tightly or it'll crack (like ours!)

STEP 9 - Decorate

Place the roll on a serving tray and trim the ends off so that the spiral shows clearly
Pipe the remaining cream on top and nestle in the buttercream tigers.
Slice and enjoy!! This one is best eaten immediately. If needed, it can be covered and kept in the fridge for one day.

Vesper's Tiny Chef Tips

FRIENDS LET'S REMEMBER THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT YOU HAVE FUN AND ENJOY YOUR FOOD!

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