Hi food friends,
Today is a fantastically exciting day. Because moose is here to talk about cake.
Moose is an OG Currant discorder. He began regaling us with his cake tales during peak pandy, while we were kicking back on the proverbial couch and talking about the early days of the internet, when new things were still weird. It only felt natural for moose to take his ventures to the big screen (uh, takeover of a niche publisher’s inbox stage).
I have tender thoughts about this, mostly from my wannabe food blogger past in high school. My blog was my playground, a sandbox for a zealous and particular teenager with no mischievous things to do in the suburbs of Dallas besides maintain my four tumblrs. I toyed with SEO strategy and brand partnerships and affiliate links with indescribable drive. I inadvertently dipped into the creator economy before the language or infrastructure existed to undergird it.
Years later, online publishing platforms like Substack democratized blogging, providing structure and direction for audience growth and monetization. Combine it with covid and suddenly, urgent! That we make money from mucking around in the kitchen and an earnest urge to share it with the world.
Platforms will never be the salve but I think the ironic hope they carry — is that “the world” can be small, and small can be beautiful again. Hence we bring you moose. A moose who goes to extreme measures for cake! A small noble endeavor spiraling into something far beyond our wildest dreams and nightmares! Hit reply and let us know your thoughts on today’s edition.
Stay hungry,
Vicky Gu
Currant Founder & Managing Editor
Banner design: Clare Lagomarsino
Who’s this? I'm moose (he/him), an avidly keen amateur baker, and fiend for all things food. I'm always on the hunt for the next flavour high, yet all too often cocking-up and landing a low. All of this just to distract from my day job as an oral surgeon.
What’s this? Dispatches from the moose test bakery - trials, tribulations and lessons from an amateur baker in search of show stopping cake
Where at? Robin Hood County, UK
Ep #1 - Sink or Swim
This all started a year ago, when I was deep in the throes of wedding planning. All was lined up, save for a cake. Wedding cakes are expensive business, creeping into four digits. A cake whose only purpose was ornamental. A cake whose leftovers would be hesitatingly frozen at home, to be solemnly defrosted and “celebrated” in years to come. Not wanting to spend four figures on a cake, I naively decided to make the cake.
After months of trial and tribulation, I didn’t make one cake, I made five cakes. None of those cakes remain. I didn’t even get to eat my own slice of cake. Given my concerns were twofold: financial and flavour, how did I do? I nailed the flavours, but it would be remiss to say I nailed the financial aspect. Within mere weeks of testing my stand mixer broke, so I replaced it. Where would I store the cakes once made? Certainly not nestled between frozen pizza and ice cream, so I bought a freezer. All whilst hoarding a niche cachet of ingredients - pistachio oil, glucose syrup, a turntable, freeze-dried berries, edible flowers, you name it.
I think I ought to pause and answer the question on your mind: “who on earth thought that making their own wedding cake was a good idea?” Peek online and you’ll not find anyone who does. I was clueless, and that’s precisely why I took on the challenge. There’s a certain thrill to researching flavours with spouse, friends and family; trialling cake after cake, and ultimately making a farce of even the simplest instructions. Did you know that turning your stand-mixer on high, with a bowl full of liquid, is a rapid way of repainting your kitchen? And that cake batters firm up a lot slower than you think, as I found out when my sheet tray was precariously placed at an angle in the oven.
It was these ridiculous mistakes that made every step of the process worth it. It’s why I said yes when my best friend asked me to bake her engagement cake. And make it vegan.
Sadly, the world of vegan baking books, certainly the ones I found, were devoid of any finesse or excitement. This is in stark contrast to the oodles of books I have for non-vegan baking, where form and function unite so elegantly. I would describe myself as a “recipe baker”; I read (not browse) baking books, find interesting cakes and bake them. I don’t think I’m going to have much success with that approach.
The oft quoted phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is apt in the case of the honeycomb cake I started with. Ultimately a vanilla cake, slathered in American buttercream, buried in honeycomb rubble. The baked cake was not dissimilar to a steamed Christmas pudding (there’s a reason they’re set on fire, and the same could be true here). Make of that what you will, as for me the texture was claggy, whilst for others it was moist and light.
American buttercream is annoyingly commonplace in vegan baking. I understand why, it’s incredibly easy to make, and has enough sugar to make even the staunchest vegan forget it’s not made with “real” butter. Yet, you’re better off spooning sugar into your mouth with every bite of cake. Save yourself the hassle, and achieve the same outcome. It was no wonder then that the American buttercream for this cake was poorly received. No more American buttercream. Ever.
Despite the harsh criticisms levied against the first cake, it has solidified my approach moving forward. Rather than focus on a recipe as a whole unit, I will be focusing on vegan-ising individual components, and uniting them into a showstopper. My comfort zone lies in the realm of meringue buttercreams, paired with powerful flavours, and an airy, moist cake. Baking books need not be the source of truth anymore, they have become a source of inspiration only.
For now, I put the books down, and begin playing with egg-replacers, hoping to achieve that glossy, silky pillow of meringue buttercream.
hungry for more?
Next up: moose’s aquafaba shenanigans. Will it aqua or will it faba?? Stay tuned to find out. Also, we love hearing from you. Like, comment, or reply anytime.
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Moose!!
I agree 100% re: American buttercream in vegan cakes - it's just too sweet, with little flavor (unless it's too much, in which hitting you in the face), and rarely helps emphasize the flavors in the cake itself. A few months ago, I made two birthday cakes, one that was vegan for a friend, and I loved this recipe: https://www.thecuriouschickpea.com/easy-vegan-vanilla-cake/. I used olive oil for a super tender crumb.
Looking forward to reading all about your adventures!