Silent Hill – Butter Cake
I’m pretty excited about this week’s Gourmet Gaming because I happen to be a huge Silent Hill fan. When I was about 10 I was given a ‘cracked’ import version of the game from Thailand as a holiday present from one of my mom’s friends.
The entire game was in black in white.
That’s what you get for buying duff versions of games, kids. Silent Hill was, needless to say, shelved after a few nightmares. I then returned several years later and managed to complete Silent Hill 2, which led to my great obsession with the series. Butter Cake appears to be one of only a few foods available in Silent Hill. Is it perhaps the source of all evil? There’s only one way to find out…
What you will need: An 8-inch spring-form cake tin, a sieve, a large mixing bowl and greaseproof paper/baking parchment.
This recipe serves 10-12.
Ingredients:
200g / 1 Cup Butter (Room Temperature)
300g / 1½ Cups Light Brown Caster/Superfine Sugar
4 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
380g / 3 Cups Plain Flour
2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
240ml / 1 Cup Milk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
To Garnish:
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Making the Butter Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 165C/325F. Lightly grease and line the cake tin. Dust the greased tin with a sprinkling of flour then set aside for later.
- In a large mixing bowl add the butter and sugar. Beat for about 5 minutes, until it’s pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl, sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Alternate adding the milk and the flour a little at a time into the cake mixture. First add some flour, mix, then add some milk, mix again and continue until all the milk and flour has been added, ending with adding flour. This technique is important to make sure the cake has the right texture.
- Finally, add the vanilla extract and stir well once again. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and place in the middle of the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes.
- Once firm and golden, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool.
Preparing the Garnish:
- Add the butter and sugar to a small saucepan and allow to melt. Don’t let it boil!
- Once warmed through, and with the cake fresh from the oven, brush the butter over the top of the cake and leave to cool completely before removing from the tin and serving.
Definitely the source of all evil. Including heart attacks and childhood diabetes. If this is what Pyramid Head has been eating all this time, I’m not sure how he’s so buff. Maybe Silent Hill is just an illusion caused by a build up of Butter Cake on the brain. That seems more reasonable than most of the theories floating around some forums. The Butter Cake is an unusual dense sweetness that I’d serve with a dusting of icing sugar, cream, ice-cream or fruits. Just don’t eat too much or you’ll never be able to escape!
Like this? You might also enjoy the Minecraft - Cake.
Request: EarthBound – Peanut Cheese Bar
I was pretty much oblivious to EarthBound until I was introduced to the curious character Ness in Super Smash Bros; having never owned a classic Nintendo console growing up I was subject to the gaming tastes of whoever owned the console I was playing (I was not beyond using a fellow classmate and neighbour to sate my need to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). When I decided I was going to make this recipe I tried to source EarthBound from a friend who has an extensive retro games collection, but the fact he didn’t have it just instilled it’s cult status even more for me. However, I’m not without my EarthBound knowledge; I’ve read about it enough times in articles titled ‘gaming urban myths’ and ‘ultimate screwed up games’. Everyone kept asking for these Peanut Cheese Bars - I’d see the requests in my inbox and all I could imagine was some peanuts with cheddar cheese on top - melting and a little greasy… Then I remembered that cheese can be sweet and delicious too, I think the Mr. Saturns are definitely onto something!
This recipe makes 8 - 10 Peanut Cheese Bars.
What you will need: An 8x8 inch square spring-form or lose-base cake tin, a whisk, two mixing bowls, greaseproof/baking paper, cling film/saran wrap and a rolling pin.
For the Cookie Base:
175g / 1 ¾ Cups Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
110g / ½ Cup Butter (Softened)
85g / ¾ Cup Caster Sugar
85g / ¾ Cup Soft Brown Sugar
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
For the Chocolate:
150g / 1 Cup Chocolate
55g / ¼ Cup Butter
40g / ¼ Cup Crushed Salted Peanuts
For the Peanut Cheese Topping:
225g / 1 Cup Cream Cheese
170g / 2/3 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter (Skippy)
100g / ¾ Cup Icing/Confectioners Sugar
120ml / ½ Cup Whipping Cream
Making the Cookie Base:
- Prepare the tin by greasing it with a little butter and lining the base and sides with greaseproof paper/baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 190C/370F.
- In a large bowl beat the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar together until creamy. Slowly add the egg and continue to mix.
- Gradually sift in the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well until a dough forms. If it’s very soft pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Place the dough between two large sheets of cling film/saran wrap and roll the dough out to roughly fit the base of your prepared tray. Transfer it to the tray and lightly press it in until the entire base is covered and even.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Leave to cool while you prepare the chocolate layer.
Making the Chocolate Layer:
- Over a bain-marie melt the chocolate with the butter until smooth and shiny. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Once cooled pour the chocolate over the cookie base and spread it out until even. Sprinkle over the crushed peanuts and with the back of a spoon, gently press them into the chocolate.
- Place in the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes while you prepare the peanut cheese topping.
Making the Peanut Cheese Topping:
- In a large bowl gently mix together the cream cheese, smooth peanut butter, sugar and cream. Once combined whisk it until pale and fluffy.
- Spoon the peanut cheese mixture over the now chilled chocolate layer and smooth it out.
- Sprinkle on top a few more crushed salted peanuts if you like, then place in the fridge for several hours until firm and chilled.
- Once chilled remove the combination from the tin carefully and cut it into bars.
Unfortunately there’s no available comparison image for this recipe! Do you have a picture of a Peanut Cheese Bar from EarthBound? If so, please send it to me!When I say this recipe makes 8 - 10 Peanut Cheese Bars, what I really mean is it makes one awesome bar for one lucky person. Like me. Can I even describe how this tastes? Probably not. It’s the most incredibly crunchy, gooey, chocolately, salty and creamy combination. I played around with so many ideas in my head, swapping between a cheesecake, a more traditional sponge cake and even a pie. But I really wanted it to look and taste like something you might be able to buy in a wrapper in a shop. While my quest to find a copy of EarthBound to play continues, I certainly know what I’ll be gobbling when the time comes.Like this? You might also enjoy: Deus Ex - Chunko-honey Candy Bar.
Animal Crossing: Wild World - Birthday Cake
Animal Crossing: Wild World holds a bit of a special place in my heart; it was the game I got with my Nintendo DS (after I traded in Metroid Prime: Echoes due to stupid frequency of respawning enemies - the only game I‘ve ever traded in to date) and I played it constantly for several months after I first moved to London while I was waiting for my Xbox to join me. I’d spend many nights lying awake in bed waiting for it to rain at a precise time so I could catch that missing bug or fish or charm my exotic neighbour for some rare item of furniture. Never seemed able to save enough Bells to reap to benefits of a bank account though; far too many tempting accessories. But a treat comes on you birthday, a reward for all your hard work almost - a wonderful birthday cake that gives you visible feelings of delight when you eat it! So since it’s my birthday on Friday, I thought I’d give myself an excuse to eat some pre-birthday cake and share it with you. But not really. It’s all mine. None for you.
What you will need:
2 mixing bowls, hand whisk, a sieve, three 8-inch cake tins, baking paper and an icing bag/pipe.
For the Cake:
4 Eggs (Separated and at room temperature)
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
400g Plain Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt
227g Butter (at room temperature)
450g Caster Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
200ml Milk
¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
For the Pink Coconut Icing:
500g Cream Cheese
200g Butter
50ml Natural Yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
270g Icing Sugar (approx.)
Few Drops Red Food Colouring
To Garnish:
6 Strawberries
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flakes
4 Green Candles
Preparing the Cake:
- Grease your 3 cake pans and line them with baking paper, preheat the oven to 175C.
- In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter and 350g of the sugar until it is pale and fluffy.
- Add the 4 egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla extract.
- Slowly sift in the flour, baking powder and salt , mix, and then slowly add the milk.
- In a separate bowl add the egg whites and whisk them until fluffy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 100g of sugar until the peaks stiffen.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the cake mixture.
- Pour the mixture evenly among the 3 prepared cake tins then bake in the oven for around 25 minutes.
- Once cooked, leave to cool and then store in the fridge while you prepare the frosting.
Making the Pink Icing:
- Beat the butter in a bowl until light, then add the natural yoghurt and vanilla.
- Gently stir in the cream cheese, being careful not to over mix as this will thin the frosting making it runny.
- Gradually add the icing sugar bit by bit, adding more as you need it - to thicken or sweeten the icing.
- Add the red food colouring, then put the icing in the fridge to chill.
Constructing the Cake:
- If needed, even out your cake layers carefully so they’re as flat and smooth as possible.
- Ice the bottom layer, being careful not to go over the edges, place the next layer on top and continue the process until you have a stack of 3 cake layers.
- Set aside about 3 tablespoons of icing and cover the cake in the remaining icing - this does not have to be neat.
- Imagining the top of the cake as a clock, place the strawberries (with their stalks trimmed), pointed end up at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
- Put the last bits of icing into an icing bag/pipe, using a large nozzle, pipe drops of icing between each of the strawberries around the cake.
- Garnish with the green candles and a sprinkling of coconut.
Yum, yum, yum. What a glorious birthday treat for myself! My mom can’t bake and I can’t exactly pick cakes up in stores so having something to eat in celebration of my birthday is very rare! The sponge in this cake is heavenly. It’s sticky and sweet and moist but yet light and tastes of creamy vanilla - it’s like the ultimate birthday cake recipe. The icing however makes it a little heavy, I would probably swap it for something else next time, but I guess it’s normal for most people to only eat one piece of cake at a time, unlike my usual 2 or 3. I don’t know what gifts I’m getting this year though, so I guess I should take my golden slingshot outside and wait for a parcel on a balloon to float by…
Animal Crossing: Wild World - Birthday Cake
Animal Crossing: Wild World holds a bit of a special place in my heart; it was the game I got with my Nintendo DS (after I traded in Metroid Prime: Echoes due to stupid frequency of respawning enemies - the only game I‘ve ever traded in to date) and I played it constantly for several months after I first moved to London while I was waiting for my Xbox to join me. I’d spend many nights lying awake in bed waiting for it to rain at a precise time so I could catch that missing bug or fish or charm my exotic neighbour for some rare item of furniture. Never seemed able to save enough Bells to reap to benefits of a bank account though; far too many tempting accessories. But a treat comes on you birthday, a reward for all your hard work almost - a wonderful birthday cake that gives you visible feelings of delight when you eat it! So since it’s my birthday on Friday, I thought I’d give myself an excuse to eat some pre-birthday cake and share it with you. But not really. It’s all mine. None for you.
What you will need:
2 mixing bowls, hand whisk, a sieve, three 8-inch cake tins, baking paper and an icing bag/pipe.
For the Cake:
4 Eggs (Separated and at room temperature)
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
400g Plain Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt
227g Butter (at room temperature)
450g Caster Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
200ml Milk
¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
For the Pink Coconut Icing:
500g Cream Cheese
200g Butter
50ml Natural Yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
270g Icing Sugar (approx.)
Few Drops Red Food Colouring
To Garnish:
6 Strawberries
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flakes
4 Green Candles
Preparing the Cake:
- Grease your 3 cake pans and line them with baking paper, preheat the oven to 175C.
- In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter and 350g of the sugar until it is pale and fluffy.
- Add the 4 egg yolks one at a time, then add the vanilla extract.
- Slowly sift in the flour, baking powder and salt , mix, and then slowly add the milk.
- In a separate bowl add the egg whites and whisk them until fluffy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 100g of sugar until the peaks stiffen.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the cake mixture.
- Pour the mixture evenly among the 3 prepared cake tins then bake in the oven for around 25 minutes.
- Once cooked, leave to cool and then store in the fridge while you prepare the frosting.
Making the Pink Icing:
- Beat the butter in a bowl until light, then add the natural yoghurt and vanilla.
- Gently stir in the cream cheese, being careful not to over mix as this will thin the frosting making it runny.
- Gradually add the icing sugar bit by bit, adding more as you need it - to thicken or sweeten the icing.
- Add the red food colouring, then put the icing in the fridge to chill.
Constructing the Cake:
- If needed, even out your cake layers carefully so they’re as flat and smooth as possible.
- Ice the bottom layer, being careful not to go over the edges, place the next layer on top and continue the process until you have a stack of 3 cake layers.
- Set aside about 3 tablespoons of icing and cover the cake in the remaining icing - this does not have to be neat.
- Imagining the top of the cake as a clock, place the strawberries (with their stalks trimmed), pointed end up at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
- Put the last bits of icing into an icing bag/pipe, using a large nozzle, pipe drops of icing between each of the strawberries around the cake.
- Garnish with the green candles and a sprinkling of coconut.
Yum, yum, yum. What a glorious birthday treat for myself! My mom can’t bake and I can’t exactly pick cakes up in stores so having something to eat in celebration of my birthday is very rare! The sponge in this cake is heavenly. It’s sticky and sweet and moist but yet light and tastes of creamy vanilla - it’s like the ultimate birthday cake recipe. The icing however makes it a little heavy, I would probably swap it for something else next time, but I guess it’s normal for most people to only eat one piece of cake at a time, unlike my usual 2 or 3. I don’t know what gifts I’m getting this year though, so I guess I should take my golden slingshot outside and wait for a parcel on a balloon to float by…
Request: Persona 4 - Steak Skewers
Megatenn began following me in the early days of Gourmet Gaming and sent through a request forever ago for some Persona based foods (I believe Mystery Burger and Steak Skewers were on the list). After what seems like an eternal winter, this weekend there was some fabulous weather and I felt a fresh and light Asian inspired meal might be in order - so Steak Skewers were the ideal choice. I’ve never played any of the Persona games but I remember an old housemate having Persona 4 and I spent quite a few hours watching him play - I am however a big fan of many Atlus titles so I must annoy him during the week and see if I can borrow his copy. Speaking of Atlus I am VERY excited for Catherine! I watched the review last night and.. Wow. Cara (who wrote about me on Feed The Gamer several weeks ago) and Ben came over to help demolish the meal; I was rather nervous cooking something I had never made before for other people. In order to eat the food, however, they were forced to watch the Catherine review - it seemed like a fair trade.
What you will need:
Wooden Skewers, griddle pan, grater
Ingredients:
300g of Sirloin Steak
300g of Chicken Breast
Or
200g of Tofu
For the Steak/Tofu Marinade:
150ml Dark Soy Sauce
3 Stalks Spring Onion (chopped)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1 ½ Tablespoons Flour
1 Clove Garlic (grated)
1 Teaspoon Ginger (grated)
1 Teaspoon Red Chilli (deseeded, chopped)
For the Chicken Marinade:
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoons Chilli Flakes
1 Teaspoons Ginger (grated)
1 Teaspoon Garlic (grated)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
For the Satay Dipping Sauce:
3 Tablespoons Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
1 Clove Garlic (grated)
1 Teaspoon Ginger (grated)
1 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
Milk/Coconut Milk
Optional Serving Vegetables:
Asparagus Spears
Red Onions
Chestnut Mushrooms
Preparing the Steak/Tofu:
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Cube the steak into 1 inch pieces and store in a separate bowl.
- Pour half of the marinade over the steak, mix well, cover and place in the fridge for several hours.
- Store the rest of the marinade in the fridge for later - as you will use this as extra sauce for serving/dipping.
Preparing the Chicken:
- Cube the chicken into 1 inch pieces and place in a bowl.
- Add the marinade ingredients to the chicken and mix well.
- Cover and store the chicken in the fridge for several hours.
Preparing the Satay Dip:
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Slowly add the milk/coconut milk a tablespoon at a time until a creamy but firm consistency is reached.
- Cover and set aside for later.
Preparing the Skewers:
- Skewer the steak and chicken onto skewers - 4 pieces on each.
- Heat a griddle pan to a medium heat and cook.
- If you are making the tofu version - cook the skewers in a frying pan with some olive oil.
I served the skewers with thin egg noodles, ribboned carrot and cucumber salad and skewered asparagus, mushroom and red onion that was roasted in the oven.
I was so hungry I inhaled my tofu version, which from what I can recall was really tasty, but I’ve since been told the food was actually delicious. I’ve amended the Satay recipe slightly to reduce the amount of Soy Sauce as I found it slightly salty so it should be more balanced now. Although that Satay was piled precariously high on the steak at one point in the meal! I sadly couldn’t find a good enough image of the Steak Skewer in the game to compare, but I did find this lovely drawing of it (if you have an in-game shot, please send it!). After eating those Skewers I am now even more intrigued to play Persona 4 - it will definitely be making an appearance at our gaming night, Warp Zone, in the near future!
Team Fortress 2 - Sandvich Edible Device
Many of you asked for it and I’m not one to ignore the masses so here you go - the Team Fortress 2 Sandvich in all it’s glory! Thankfully this actually already comes with a very helpful visual recipe - oh Valve, you’re so good for food in games.
Ingredients:
2 Slices White Bread
Mayonnaise
1 Leaf Lettuce
2 Large Tomato Slices
3 Slices Swiss Cheese
1 Slice Ham
To Garnish:
Green Pimento Olive
Skewer
Making the Sandvich Edible Device:
- Spread a little bit of mayonnaise on both pieces of bread.
- On one piece stack the ham, cheese, 2 slices of tomato and the lettuce leaf, then top with the second piece of bread.
- Cut diagonally and skewer with a pimento olive to serve.
Simple but effective. I’d find it hard to believe that a sandwich could restore all of a Heavy’s health… but this is a SandVich. It’s capable of being transformed into metal (apparently) so it must be pretty damn good - I’ll have to see for myself some time.
