When Cakes Go Boo!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
This beautifully precise pastel confection is apparently called a Paradise Cake, and hails from Hawaii (not as loud as the shirts, but there's definitely a theme going on there)...
But one look at it, and all I can think of is Battenberg. I don't know what it tastes of, but I suspect it might not be how I imagine. And also might not involve marzipan. But oh, it's just so pretty I almost mightn't mind.
The tricky thing with food that looks like it's something else (or, strictly speaking, looks just like what it is, but reminds you of something else) is jolt of trying to align the taste to the appearance. Looks like a duck. Quacks like a duck. No! It's a bowl of peanuts! For many people, that challenge is adjusted to after the first bite, but if you're the kind of person who jumps even when you know somebody is about to try and make you jump (hell, even when they actually warn you beforehand, and you still levitate and squeak - which is every bit as foolish as it sounds), then each and every bite is a mini surprise just waiting to undermine your enjoyment. So, much as I love green tea, when it takes the form of ice cream, there's a resemblance to pistachio which just seems all too discordant.
But surely cakes must be exempt from this difficulty? Especially pastel coloured ones. Perhaps the trick is to have a third colour like this one, to avoid any confusion...
