A Kwanzaa Tradition

It's time again for everyone's favorite Kwanzaa tradition: making fun of Sandra Lee's Kwanzaa cake!

For those who've somehow managed to miss it in previous years: that is an angel food cake, covered in chocolate cinnamon frosting, filled with canned apple pie filling, and "garnished" with pumpkin seeds and corn nuts.

Yes, CORN NUTS.

The giant taper candles jammed in the cake are presumably there for "culture."

And if you missed any of that, kindly refer to this handy diagram:

This ill-conceived creation has spawned a veritable plethora of ironic baking adventures over the years, as people first recreate it in their own kitchens and then dare each other to eat it. Do a search and you'll find plenty of videos and photos - and the reaction shots of people tasting it are pretty priceless.

Why, Elizabeth in Georgia even made this miniature version for one of our book tour stops:

You must admit, using popcorn kernels in place of corn nuts is pretty inspired.

However, no replica can ever really compete with the original, so gather 'round, my friends, while Aunt Sandra tells us a tale of family, first fruits, and cultural sensitivity:

Also, Corn Nuts are called "acorns." Did you know?

As a side note: I've lost count of how many times I've seen this video over the past four years, but somehow it still unleashes fresh horrors with every viewing. Just looking at that icing makes my teeth hurt, and when you throw in angel food cake - which should never have icing on it to begin with - topped with pumpkins seeds and corn nuts, I'm pretty sure I'd rather gnaw on one of the taper candles.

Oh, and here's an interesting nugget: the person Sandra Lee hired to write this "recipe" later confessed, and her only defense? "The candles were her [Lee's] idea." (I know; I'm still reeling over the fact that Lee paid someone to come up with Corn Nuts and cinnamon icing, too.)

Say, do you think Lee would be in the market for my new St. Patrick's Day recipe? It's a store-bought pie shell filled with frozen orange soda, chopped Circus Peanuts, and Cool Whip. For garnish I have Andes Mints and Doritos crumbs, and for decoration, a can of Guinness jammed "festively" in the middle. I'll be rich, I tell you, RICH!! MWUAH-HA-HAAA!

Sunday Sweets: Stare-Worthy Christmas Cakes

Sometimes, with all this holiday hustle and bustle,
you just need a few minutes to stare at some pretty cakes.

WHO'S WITH ME?

Let's start with this tranquil little cabin in the woods:

(By Elena Gnut Cake, Russia)

I love how the top looks like a snow drift, and the snowy 3D trees on the side.

That's the kind of place you could imagine stumbling onto this magical scene:

(By Natalya Eletskaya, Russia)

Aww. Look at that light; it practically glows.

And speaking of things that glow:

(By Cake Heaven by Marlene, Malta)

Hey hey, there, Rudolph. ::honk!::

Here's a cozy little number:

(By Tastefully Yours Cake Art, Australia)

Sweaters and snow and putting stars on the tree: these are a few of my favorite things.

Check out the shine on this one:

(By Sweet Delights Cakery, Michigan)

The tiers look more like satin than sugar!

Another dramatic beauty:

(By May Bakes Cakes, United Kingdom)

It doesn't get more classic than this.

Or there's this quilted design to instantly transport you to Grandma's house:

(By Aspasia Stamou, Greece, flower by sugar artist Aggeliki Manta, Greece)

Anyone else want to recreate this in fabric? I love the shading.

I'm going to imagine someone's quilting it right now in this cozy village:

(By Daniel Dieguez, Spain)

It's so peaceful.

And take a look at the wood grain between the layers on this topiary cake:

(By Sweet Delights Cakery, Michigan)

So clever!

Ahh, yep, I could stare at pretty Christmas cakes for hours.

(By Veronica Seta, Cake Designer, Italy)

In fact, I could stare at this one for 12 days.

(Because it's a 12 Days of Christmas design - see the partridge and the pear? And the swan, gold ring, and leaping lady? I bet there are even more on the back, so fun.)

Merry Christmas, friends!

*****

P.S. I do my best to only recommend things I actually purchase and love myself, and y'all, I have THREE of these in our house:

LEVOIT Air Purifier, True HEPA

 I've tried so many air purifiers over the years, and this Levoit is hands-down the best I've found. It comes in black or white, is the size of a small waste basket, has an invisible control display, and is wonderfully quiet even on Medium. It also has the easiest, most satisfying filter to clean: just flip it over, twist off the bottom, and lift out the big drum. We have cats and an old house, so every two weeks I use a dust buster to vacuum a good quarter inch of dust off that drum filter, and ermigersh, SO SATISFYING.

Unlike big tower purifiers these are easy to tuck into small spaces, so if you have allergies I highly recommend at least getting one for your bedroom! That's what we started with last year, and now I've added two more in our living room and back game room. My mom is extremely allergic to cats, and thanks to these she can actually stay in our house up to a few hours at a time now! Before it was maybe 30 minutes 'til she'd be reaching for an inhaler, but these filters had her breathing clear even with the cats in the same room.