|
|
|
|
 Animefringe Presents:
How to Make Japanese Christmas Cake
By Adam "OMEGA" Arnold and Steve Diabo (Kaneda) and filmed with the miracle of ADAMVISION!!!!
 Greetings and welcome to my kitchen, and to a very special installment of ADAMVISION. Today, in the festive spirit of the season, I'm gonna show you how to make a special holiday treat that is sure to make your head dizzy from the sugar rush. This treat is Japanese Christmas Cake, of course. What better way to celebrate Christmas and do the otaku thing at the same time?
Making this cake is simple and fun. But only because I make it fun. A few ingredients are needed:
1 box white cake mix
1 box frozen strawberries
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tub whipped cream |
|
|
 You also need some kitchen utensils to get the job done: 1 bowl, 2 round cooking pans, 1 electric mixer, 2 grates, 1 icing spreader, 1 spoon or batter scoop, 1 cake holder, and 1 can of non-stick cooking spray. Optional items include: 1 trademark ADAMVISION chef's hat and 1 matching apron, which I will be selling from the trunk of my car after the show for a negotiable price.
Oh, I have my rolling pin and I'm not afraid to use it... but not for this project. Anyway, go ahead and pre-heat your oven to the recommended temperature indicated on your box of cake mix.
|
|
 We begin by emptying the cake mix in the bowl, and then adding water. If I'm going too fast for you, then you really shouldn't be in the kitchen, should you?
|
|
 You know, the egg really didn't come first. In fact, neither did the chicken. Single-celled organisms came first. Interesting, huh? Oh, right... back to the how-to. Add your oil to the stuff in the bowl and then you crack the eggs, without getting the shells in the bowl, and dump the embryonic goo from its hard container.
|
|
 Yeah! Now it's time to mix, mix, mix. So whip out your handy electric mixer or whisk and whip that mess for 2 minutes, or however long it takes to turn it into a fine paste. Well, I've got some time to waste while I'm mixing, so I'll tell you a great idea for a date in Japan. You know those kareoke places where you can go and sing yourself stupid for hours with your buddies or business clients? Well, if you are low on cash, they make great substitutes for a hotel room. I learned that from the old anthology magazine, Chibi Pop Manga. So, all you Japanese girls reading... Are we on for a little Yuletide sing-off? I'll bring the chef's hat!
|
|
 Well, 2 minutes are up and the cake batter smells so intoxicatingly good. Take your 2 pans and spray them with your non-stick crap, so the cake won't stick to the pans. Now, pour the batter into each of the pans and use the scoop or a spoon to get the hard-to-reach batter into the pan. Allow one pan to have a bit more batter than the other, so one cake is slightly larger than the other. This is so you can layer them.
|
|
 Finally, it's time to bake. So, open up the oven, shove those babies in and set the timer for however long the cake box indicates. So, did you know that in Japan, girls are often referred to as Christmas Cakes? After December 25, the shops have to severely discount the prices of their cakes to sell them all off. A similar thing happens to girls that don't get married before they are 25 years old... they get severely discounted. Yes sir, that means with your old maid, you get a futon and all kinds of other special incentives just for taking the girl off her parent's hands.
|
|
 Ah... BREAK TIME!!!
Kick back. Eat the batter. Watch some TV. You gotta do something to pass that time...
|
|
 Ok. Our cake is done, so take it out of the oven and flip the cakes out of the pans onto your grates. Let them sit for about 5-10 minutes so they can cool off. Now, bring the smaller layer and place it on the base of the cake holder. To add some flavor to the actual cake, I suggest making some slits in the top of this layer with a knife and dripping the strawberry juice into the cracks.
|
|
 Almost done... All you need to do now is add the whipped cream around the base and put a few thinly-sliced strawberries on top. Next, sit the top layer on top of the base layer and spread the rest of the whipped cream. Now, you can add the strawberries. This cake is looking awesome already. What could possibly make it better?
|
|
 ...SPRINKLES! Feel free to add some sprinkles to make the cake crunchy and more colorful, but you don't have to unless you want to.
|
|
 And there you have it, folks... Japanese Christmas Cake. Looks like strawberry shortcake in the form of a birthday cake, doesn't it? Wow, cool. Be sure to store the cake in the refridgerator so it doesn't melt. This sure beats that fruitcake crap they're always passing around this time of year...
Well, I hope you enjoy your cake as much as I enjoyed showing you how to make it. I'll be saying goodbye now... I have a big night of kareoke to look forward to. Have a happy and safe holiday season!
|
|
|
|
