Help me make the best graduation cake ever!
May 4, 2014 5:34 PM Subscribe
My boyfriend is finally getting his bachelor's degree this weekend, and I have been tasked with making the cake for the celebration to follow. His favorite dessert is mangoes and sticky rice. I want to make a cake inspired by it. Can you help?
I'm not sure how exactly to do this, although I thought using Deb Perelman's recipe for mango curd as a filling http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/06/project-wedding-cake-mango-curd/ and going from there. But how do I evoke the sticky rice flavor? I'm an experienced baker with a KitchenAid who's not afraid of much when it comes to the kitchen, so give me your best ideas, MeFites!
I'm not sure how exactly to do this, although I thought using Deb Perelman's recipe for mango curd as a filling http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/06/project-wedding-cake-mango-curd/ and going from there. But how do I evoke the sticky rice flavor? I'm an experienced baker with a KitchenAid who's not afraid of much when it comes to the kitchen, so give me your best ideas, MeFites!
My hunch is that the sticky rice dessert version has coconut in it, yes? If so, make a coconut cake and use the mango curd in between the layers, maybe.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:44 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:44 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
How about macaroons, drizzled with that mango curd? Build a fortress of macaroons, with an almond layer filled with curd, separated horizontally with almond meringue? (Gluten free, too!)
We had cupcakes at our wedding and it was so much simpler then dealing with knives and all the serving ritual.
posted by Jesse the K at 5:45 PM on May 4, 2014
We had cupcakes at our wedding and it was so much simpler then dealing with knives and all the serving ritual.
posted by Jesse the K at 5:45 PM on May 4, 2014
You could make a macsharo (sweet rice gateau) and top it with a mango-coconut curd. I bet this will come very close to the same flavor profile.
posted by yellowcandy at 5:50 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by yellowcandy at 5:50 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
I was about ti say that you can try a sweet rice cake. They're really different, so not all guests would like them, but you could make a small-scale one for your friend and be a hero.
posted by xingcat at 5:57 PM on May 4, 2014
posted by xingcat at 5:57 PM on May 4, 2014
Two possibilities come to mind to me: 1. A white sponge cake layered with rice pudding and mango slices and/or curd; 2. Vietnamese steamed rice cake (banh bo) with mango curd on top (you could pipe it decoratively) simliar to macsharo, but the color is more like sticky rice.
posted by alusru at 7:10 PM on May 4, 2014
posted by alusru at 7:10 PM on May 4, 2014
What about a mango cheesecake with a mango curd topping and a sticky-rice "crust"? I also love mango and sticky rice, and the silky texture is one of the best things about it -- I think cheesecake might conjure that better than a cake made with flour.
Or you could make a moist mango cake like the one here, use the curd for filling, and make a coconut milk frosting like the one here. I wonder whether it might even work to prepare some sticky rice, put it through the food processor, and mix it into the frosting to provide a slight rice flavor?
Whatever you do, though, I'd advise against using shredded coconut. Its flavor is very different from that of the coconut milk that's usually used in the rice.
posted by ostro at 8:18 PM on May 4, 2014
Or you could make a moist mango cake like the one here, use the curd for filling, and make a coconut milk frosting like the one here. I wonder whether it might even work to prepare some sticky rice, put it through the food processor, and mix it into the frosting to provide a slight rice flavor?
Whatever you do, though, I'd advise against using shredded coconut. Its flavor is very different from that of the coconut milk that's usually used in the rice.
posted by ostro at 8:18 PM on May 4, 2014
Don't forget the salt somewhere, since there's usually a bit of salt in the coconut cream. Maybe some fleur de sel sprinkled on top?
The other thought I have is that the coconut and rice are usually warm while the mango is cold, providing yet another contrast in the dish. How about a mango cake with a warm coconut cream? Or a coconut tres leches cake, paired with mango sorbet?
Mochi might provide a bit of the chewy rice taste/feel if you want to decorate the cake with it or something.
posted by cabingirl at 11:59 AM on May 5, 2014
The other thought I have is that the coconut and rice are usually warm while the mango is cold, providing yet another contrast in the dish. How about a mango cake with a warm coconut cream? Or a coconut tres leches cake, paired with mango sorbet?
Mochi might provide a bit of the chewy rice taste/feel if you want to decorate the cake with it or something.
posted by cabingirl at 11:59 AM on May 5, 2014
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posted by sevensnowflakes at 5:44 PM on May 4, 2014 [1 favorite]