Portal Cake, no longer a lie...

*Update* Entered the cake in the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village German Festival on 6/16/12 and it won Best German Themed and Best Cake All Around! WOOT!

Screen shot courtesy of UnderDog

The game Portal is set in the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories, in which, players must solve physical puzzles and challenges by opening portals, maneuvering objects, and moving themselves through space in ways that used to be impossible. They say, "The cake is a lie". I say, "Not anymore, it ain't."

The recipe listed in the game is as follows:

1 (18.25 oz) package chocolate cake mix
1 can prepared coconut frosting
3/4 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cups water
1 to 2 (6 oz each) vanilla frosting

Don't forget garnishes such as:
Fish-shaped crackers
Fish-shaped candies
Fish-shaped solid waste
Fish-shaped dirt
Fish-shaped ethylbenzene
Pull-and-peel licorice
Fish-shaped volatile organic compounds and sediment-shaped sediment
Candy-coated peanut butter pieces (shaped like fish)
1 cup lemon juice
Alpha resins
Unsaturated polyester resin
Fiberglass surface resins and volatile malted milk impoundments
9 large egg yolks
12 medium geosynthetic membranes
1 cup granulated sugar
An entry called: "How to Kill Someone with Your Bare Hands"
2 cups rhubarb, sliced
2/3 cups granulated rhubarb
1 tbsp. all-purpose rhubarb

1 tsp. grated orange rhubarb
3 tbsp. rhubarb, on fire
1 large rhubarb
1 cross borehole electromagnetic imaging rhubarb
2 tbsp. rhubarb juice
Adjustable aluminum head positioner
Slaughter electric needle injector
Cordless electric needle injector
Injector needle driver
Injector needle gun
Cranial caps

And it contains proven preservatives, deep-penetration agents, and gas- and odor-control chemicals that will deodorize and preserve putrid tissue.

Ingredients omitted by the cake core include:
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 to 2 (16 ounces each) cans vanilla frosting
A 20-foot thick impermeable clay layer


Well this is terrible, I mean you could follow this but no one would want to eat it.
So I adjusted it to make it tastier.

8 cups plus 2 tbls flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 3 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp salt, 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened, 4 cups sugar, 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, 6 large eggs, 4 cups buttermilk (or two boxes of Betty Crocker will do too)

Mix well and pour into two well greased 9 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Flip onto a wire rack to cool.

Spread coconut pecan frosting thickly. Then set the second cake on top.

Frost the entire exterior thickly with whipped milk chocolate frosting.

Smooth it down evenly and make a slight divot around the center.

Sprinkle chopped pecans on top and then press handfuls of nuts into the sides of the cake.

The nuts should be layered on thickly.

Squirt on whipped cream in two layers in eight spots.

Select eight cherries and dry them well on a paper towel then place, centered, onto the whipped cream.

The best candle is a white Hanukkah dipped taper.

This thick cake is very rich, so slice thinly, and enjoy with a tall glass of milk.

"Anyway, this cake is great. It's so delicious and moist."―GLaDOS in "Still Alive"

Beef Sukha, Curried Potatoes, and 7 Grains

Sukha is from coastal west India and combines styles from Malabari and Goan provinces.

This onion looked so juicy and delicious, like an apple, that I had to capture it before rough chopping it and frying it in a pan with oil, cinnamon, cloves, and vinegar.

1 1/2 lb beef
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp white pepper
3 tsp curry powder
2 tsps cumin powder
1 large onion chopped
2 tbsps ginger paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
2 1/2 cups yogurt
3 tsp vinegar

These diced potatoes are boiled in just enough water to cover them. Drain and add one stick of unsalted butter or 8 oz of ghee. Sprinkle liberally with curry and cover until the butter has melted.










Seeds of Change 'Tigris' is so good it's....I can't say anything more without sounding like a paid sponsor. But really, it's just that scrumptious!

So to top off all of this amazingly complex flavorful food I found this sparkling water to go with it. 

My family really liked the lavender, which is very nice, but I was impressed with the DRY cucumber soda which suited the dish. I highly recommend them!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - No Eggs!

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup applesauce (The snack cups are perfect for this recipe.)







Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add the applesauce, beating well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.