JELL-O CAKE, NUKA COLA & CRAM INSPIRED BY FALLOUT

For the Yellow Cake Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Prepare two 9x13 inch baking pans with nonstick spray and line with rectangles of parchment paper.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.

Add the water and stir until just mixed.

Divide the batter in two even portions and add them to the prepared baking pans.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and baked through (~205-210 °F internally).

Let cool completely, then invert the baking pans to remove the cakes. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of each cake.

For the Shelf Stable Frosting Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together the water and vanilla powder.

Add the shortening to the bowl of a standmixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the shortening until softened and all one consistency.

Add the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, while mixing on low speed. If the mixture begins to thicken too much, add the vanilla water mixture as needed.

Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, season to taste with salt.

Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

For the “Jello” Cake Method:

For the jello layers:

Prepare three jello molds with nonstick spray: (2) 6-Cup capacity molds + (1) 8-cup capacity mold.

For each of the tiers, add about 1 ½ cups of the prepared kool aid (or juice) to a medium glass bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the kool aid and stir to combine with a whisk; the gelatin should thicken almost immediately.

Pour the boiling water over the thickened gelatin mixture and stir until all of the gelatin has melted. Combine the remaining kool aid and the gelatin mixture in a large plastic container. Stir to combine, then poor the mixture into the corresponding prepared jello mold.

Transfer the filled molds to the refrigerator and let them set overnight.

The next day, when ready to unmold, dip the molds in hot water for 5 seconds to help release the jello from the mold. *Tip: for ease of assembly, place a cake board the same size as the opening of the mold over top of the jello, then quickly invert mold before placing the jello layer onto the cake.

To Assemble the cake:

Color about 1 ½ - 2 cups of Shelf Stable Frosting with yellow food coloring. Transfer the yellow frosting to a piping bag with a decorative star tip. Reserve 1 cup of the original frosting in a piping bag with a decorative star tip. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Place a large cutting board or cake board in the center of a clean workspace. Stack the Yellow Cake layers on the center of the board with the long 13-side side parallel with the edge of your work space. Slice about a 2-inch section from the right side of the cake, then transfer them to the front of the cake to effectively widen the overall size of the cake. Unstack the cakes leaving the bottom layer of the cake on the board, add about 2 cups of frosting to the cake and spread into a even layer using an offset spatula.

Top with the remaining cake layer, cover the cake in the remaining frosting, making sure to get as smooth a coating as possible. Tip: as you’re smoothing the sides of the cake, remove as much excess frosting as possible from the offset spatula between swipes. This way you will not deposit extra frosting as you go.

Add the bottom tier of jello to the center of the cake, then carefully top with the middle, and top tiers.

Using the reserved yellow frosting, pipe decorative stars around the perimeter of the cake. Then, cover any visible cake boards with decorative piping using the reserved white frosting.

Slice and serve.

For the Nuka Cola Method:

Combine the water, sugars, fruit zests, coriander seeds, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and cover the pot; let the mixture steep for 20-30 minutes.

Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth, then stir in the vanilla extract, fruit essences, and if using, caramel coloring and/or powdered caffeine pill(s).

Add the syrup to a sparkling water canister, then add enough water to meet the fill line. Stir to dissolve the syrup into the water, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, placed the chilled canister into the soda siphon machine. Carbonate the water according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve with ice and enjoy.

For the Cram Method:

Place the meat grinder equipment into the freezer 1 hour before intended use.

Cut the meat into roughly 1-2 inch pieces, transfer to a parchment lined sheet tray and freeze for 30-40 minutes or until firm but not frozen through. Towards the end of the freezing time, preheat the oven to 300 °F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the potato starch, sugar, salt, instacure, and spices. Add the water and whisk until combined, then set aside while you grind the meat.

Remove the grinder equipment and meat from the freezer. Using the medium grinding plate, grind the bacon, ham, and pork. Transfer the ground meat to a large bowl.

Pour the slurry mixture over the ground meat and fold until combined thoroughly and the meat has absorbed all of the liquid.

Transfer the meat mixture to two small rectangular loaf pans. Make sure to compress the meat into the pan thoroughly. Cover each of the pans with aluminum foil.

Transfer the covered loaf pans to a 9x13 inch baking pan. Fill the pan with just enough hot water to reach the lip of the loaf pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 80 - 90 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155 °F.

Remove the aluminum foil and let the cram cool to room temperature.

Cover the surface of the cooled meat with plastic wrap, then place a loaf pan of the same size over top. Fill the loaf pan with rice, cans, or anything that will weigh down the cram. Refrigerated the cram overnight.

Remove the compressed meat from the pans, slice, and cook as desired.