🇳🇱 NETHERLANDS: Slagroomtaart (Whipped Cream Cake) 🥣

Hallo! (Hello)

Gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag! (Congratulations on your birthday!)
[ghhuu-fuh-liss-ih-teerd met juh fer-jaar-dagghhh]

Say THAT three times fast!

Photo from The Dutch Table

Yahoooooooo!!!! The next stop on our global goodness tour brings us to 🇳🇱 The Netherlands 🇳🇱! Let’s dig right in!

FUN FACTS

According to Sprinkler Thirza, who was raised in The Netherlands, The Dutch do not typically celebrate birthdays with cakes. In fact, the term cake isn’t really used in the Netherlands! (And why we call this blog Cultural Bakes!)

What do you see, and more importantly, what do you eat instead? Well, a lot of tarts!

Tarts, or Vlassi¹ come with a wide range of fillings, including fruits and chocolate. Thank you for all you tart us 😉 Thirza!

Photo from dutch-birthday-traditions

But before you can dig into your yummy tart, you have to be congratulated. Yes… you! The friend or loved one of the birthday human! Unlike American tradition, The Dutch believe that friends, colleagues, and especially the immediate family, should be congratulated and celebrated for their birth. Talk about spreading the love 💕💖!

😂 And they have quite a sense of humor!

The Famous Dutch Circle Parties

Do you have a favorite shape? Because the Dutch love their circle parties. No long, rectangular banquet hall style seating arrangements here. Guests sit in a large circle, for peak social interaction, waiting for the host, aka the birthday human, to serve them. So sit back, relax and eat!

A SUPER SWEET CONNECTION

American and Dutch relations go as far back as the American revolution. The Dutch came to the east coast during the 16th century which were “the beginnings of a solid Dutch presence in North America.” ² These beginnings led to the New Amsterdam colony which would later be known as New York City.  According to the Census, New York is one of the states that continues to have some of the largest populations of those who identify as Dutch. Other sprinkly states include Michigan, California, Texas, Florida, and Ohio! ³

Hmm, those states sound familiar!!!

We’re sprinklin’ some sweet tarts all over the place!

Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3

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GET READY FOR THE BAKE!

Thirza shared her favorite birthday bake with us… The Whipped Cream Cake AKA Slagroomtaart [it pretty much sounds like how you read it]. The Slagroomtaart is made up of a light and airy sponge cake, bursting with a ton of whipped cream (inside and out!), fresh fruit, and toasted almonds! Umm, you had us at Whipped Cream! 🥳🥳🥳

Slagroomtaart (Whipped Cream Cake)

** Please remember to mask up when baking cakes for our Sprinkly Kiddos and Young Adults **

Ingredients for the Cake:
4 large eggs
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons (5 grams) lemon zest
1 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons (10 grams)  cornstarch

Ingredients for Whipped Cream:
2 cups (480 milliliters) heavy cream
1/4 cup (50 grams) superfine sugar

Ingredients for the Syrup:
1/4 cup (50 grams) superfine sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) water
Splash of vanilla extract, orange juice or any other flavor

Other:
Fresh fruit of choice
1 cup (100 gram) Roasted sliced almonds, for garnish

Directions

1. Roasted Almonds: Preheat the oven to 320 F (160 C). Spread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool.

2. Syrup: Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Let the syrup boil for 1 minute and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the syrup from the heat and add the flavor. Let the syrup cool before using.

3. Sponge Cake: Preheat the oven to 356 F / 180 C. Whisk the eggs, salt, sugar and lemon zest in a double boiler until light and fluffy. Sieve the flour and cornstarch and fold into the mixture. Grease a spring form measuring 10 x 2-inches (25 x 5cm) with butter and pour the batter into it.

4. Bake the cake for 25 minutes (or until an inserted skewer comes out clean). Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cake rack. Once cooled, cut the sponge cake (horizontally) into two layers.

5. Whipped Cream: In a clean bowl, whip the cream and sugar until it forms stiff peaks.

6. Using a squeeze bottle or simply brush the bottom layer with syrup. Make sure it doesn’t get soggy. Slather the bottom layer of the cake with a thick covering of freshly whipped cream. Cover with a layer of fresh fruit. 

7. Place the second cake layer on top. Brush this cake layer with syrup. Cover the top and sides of the cake with whipped cream. Using a pastry bag with a large star nozzle, decorate the top of the cake with piped rosettes of the remaining cream and fresh fruit, and the sides of the cake with the toasted almonds.

   EET SMAKELIJK! [Ate smack-a-lick]
   (Enjoy!)
   
   Btw, that phonetic spelling just happened to sound like the Dutch word. We can’t make this stuff up!

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Hieperdepiep Hoera! (Hip Hip Hooray!)

That’s [heap-er-der-peep hurrah] to you!

We’ll be taking a whipped cream and roasted almond bubble bath later tonight, but in the meanwhile we hope you enjoyed Sprinkler Thirza’s AMAZING baking demo of a Slagroomtaart. Now the next time you go to a Dutch birthday party, you’ll know what to eat, why they like circles, and that YOU’LL be the one who is being celebrated! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

If you’re interested in writing for our Cultural Bake series to represent your culture, please fill out this form below!

WRITE FOR OUR CULTURAL BAKES SERIES!

After you’ve whipped up all the cream in the world, let us know how it tasted! Tag us on Instagram @forgoodnesscakeshq and show us your creation 🥳🎂⭐️

Happy Baking Sprinklers! 🎂=💖

🇭🇺 HUNGARY: Rakott Palacsinta (Crepe Cake) 🥞

Szia!!! Boldog születésnapot kívánok!
(Hello!!! I wish you a happy birthday!)

Finomnak néz ki (That looks delicious!)

Our next sprinkly sweet stop brings us to 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇭🇺!

The type of bakes you might see at a Hungarian birthday celebration vary, but a fairly common one is the crepe cake AKA Rakott Palacsinta [Ra-cote Pah-lah-cheen-ta]! Alternating layers of yummy crepes and endless filling options such as jams, jellies, cream, nuts, and chocolate will make any birthday human ready to celebrate 🥳🥳🥳

FUN FACTS

What could you expect to see at a traditional Hungarian birthday celebration? After the birthday human has opened their gifts, they get their earlobes rubbed and pulled by everyone there to celebrate as a sign of good luck and a happy life! Friends, family, and guests will each tug on your earlobes while singing a traditional birthday song which lyrics of the song translate roughly as: ‘God bless you, may you live long so your ears reach your ankles.’¹

This next tradition was a little complicated for us to write about, but this awesome blog describes it perfectly:

Many Hungarians also celebrate their “name days'' as well.  Most names are associated with a certain day each year.  For example, all people named Boglárka will celebrate their “name day” on August 1 – this is for various reasons. A person's actual birthdate is generally only celebrated along immediate family members and is a small celebration. While name days are more popular and involve classmates, coworkers, and even strangers - what a party! This makes school and work parties easier because specific birth dates are sometimes hard to get or remember.²

Then, during those “name day” celebrations, women are traditionally given flowers, men are given liquor, and children are given chocolates and sweets! Yum!²

Group birthday parties sound very inclusive to us – we love it!!

WE ARE HUNGRY FOR HUNGARY!  

Hungarians and all their traditions came to the United States in pursuit of the American Dream in the late 19th and 20th centuries! Many of those who arrived in America during that time of prosperity went where the jobs and similar culture/people were. Cleveland, Ohio was one of the largest gathering points of Hungarian immigrants during this time frame and, for a brief moment in time, Hungarians made up 14% of the state’s population!³ That’s a lot of crepes!!

Cleveland is still home to a large Hungarian population (they even have a Hungarian Museum!)⁴ but we see a bigger spread of Hungarians found all over the country including New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles (sound familiar?). Cleveland is also a hop, skip, and jump to our newly opened Detroit Chapter and soon-to-be opened Cincinnati Chapter 🥰

You never know if our sprinkly little ones in foster care might feel right at home with a 25-layer crepe cake! We know we would, except we’d want 10000bajillion-0000 layers!

Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 | Source 4

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GET READY FOR CAKE!

Delectable baking demo by the amazing @budapest_bakery_and_deli

Rakott Palacsinta (Crepe Cake)

** Please remember to mask up when baking cakes for our Sprinkly Kiddos and Young Adults **

Batter:
4 cups flour
2.5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
3 cups milk
1 cup sparkling water 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Ingredients for the filling:
Can be anything such as Nutella, any kind of jam, pudding, nuts, chocolate, cream etc.

Ingredients for the ganache:
1 ¼ cup powdered sugar 
3 tbsp cocoa powder 
3 tbsp vegetable oil 
3 tbsp boiling water 
Bittersweet chocolate chips as needed to thicken the ganache

Directions

1. To make the batter, mix the salt and sugar with the flour, add the eggs then gradually add the milk and sparkling water while whisking until the batter is smooth. Finally add the vanilla extract and the vegetable oil.

2. Heat a medium sized frying pan over medium heat, brush the bottom of the pan with some oil to prevent sticking. Pour about half cup of batter into the frying pan and move it in circular motion to evenly spread the batter. Cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute, then flip and continue frying for about 30 seconds. Set on a plate. Repeat frying the crepes until no batter is left. (This amount will yield about 25 crepes depending on the thickness of each crepe.) Set aside and let cool.

3. To build the cake, spread the first crepe on a serving plate, spread the desired filling then cover with the next crepe. Spread filling again then cover with crepe. Repeat until you get to the last remaining crepe and use it to cover the cake. Set aside.

4. To make the ganache, combine the first four ingredients in a bowl and stir until the glaze is smooth and shiny. Let cool to room temperature. If you find the ganache too runny, mix in some chocolate chips.

5. Pour ganache over the cake, and, with the back of a spoon, spread it evenly. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Decorate with whipped cream, nuts, candies, frosting etc. 
   
   Élvezd! [E-el-vezd]
   (Enjoy!)

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Köszönöm! [Ko-so-nom] - Thank you!

Excuse us while we drop into the nearest crepery after reading this 😂. We hope you found this recipe as drool-dropping as we did 🤤

A HUGE thank you to our Sprinkliest of Bakers who whipped up our Crepe Cake demo video – Please be sure to check out Budapest Bakery and Deli the next time you visit Portland, Oregon! YUM!!!!!!!

If you’re interested in writing for our Cultural Bake series to represent your culture, please fill out this form below!

WRITE FOR OUR CULTURAL BAKES SERIES!

After you’ve eaten layer after layer of this deliciously chocolate-y cake, let us know how it tasted! Tag us on Instagram @forgoodnesscakeshq and show us your creation 🥳🎂⭐️

Happy Baking Sprinklers! 🎂=💖

🇩🇪 GERMANY: Donauwelle ❄️

THIS MONTH’S CULTURAL BAKE IS WRITTEN BY:
SPRINKLER CASSI, PORTLAND METRO CHAPTER

GUTEN TAG (HELLO), FELLOW SPRINKLERS!

Today we are visiting Germany and its rich tradition of baking!

Germans love cake and enjoy the custom of having Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake) every Sunday afternoon, usually with a fresh, home-baked cake. For those pressed for time, a piece of cake from the bakery will do just as well.

Here, I want to introduce you to a German favorite called Donauwelle (dough-no-vell-eh). The name describes the wave like pattern the cake has when you cut into it – like the river Danube (Donau), one of the biggest rivers in Europe.

Donauwelle is a classic sheet cake (Blechkuchen (bleh-cookin)) which makes it a good pick for a party or birthday since it will feed a lot of people. It has several layers comprising of light and dark batter, cherries, German Buttercream and chocolate glaze. It is not difficult to make, but it does require some time as the cake and the buttercream need to be completely cool before you can assemble the cake.

Source: Google Images

FUN FACTS

Similar to the US, in Germany, birthdays are celebrated with cake, presents, family and friends. The most notable difference is that in Germany you would (almost) never celebrate your birthday before the actual day. When asked why, most Germans will simply say it is just not done, or that it is bad luck. The idea behind that superstition is that you are challenging fate/god/the universe by celebrating something that has not actually happened yet. The same is true for wishing someone a Happy Birthday. You simply do not congratulate someone before the actual day. If you want to wish someone a Happy Birthday in German – and only on their actual birthday 😉) – you would say Alles Gute zum Geburtstag [alice-goot-uh-zum-guh-buhwts-tahg] or Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!

If a child’s birthday is on a weekday, then it is quite common to celebrate with just their closest family (parents, siblings, grandparents) on the actual birthday, and then have a party with friends the weekend after. Turning 18 is probably the biggest milestone in the life of a young German. That is when you are officially an adult and are allowed to vote, drink alcohol, sign contracts, and drive a car (that’s right, no driver’s license at 16!).

Topfschlagen - Upside down pot with a prize inside Source: Internet!

Normally, parents will not attend the birthday parties their children and the kids are mostly left to their own devices to play games and have fun together. One of my personal favorite childhood memories is the games that we would play at birthday parties – Topfschlagen or Schokoladen-Wettessen, for example. 

Topfschlagen [topf-shlahgg-in] translates into “hit the pot” – an upside down pot with a little toy or candy underneath is hidden in the room, and then a child with a blind fold crawls around the floor with a wooden spoon in their hand, hitting the ground in front of them trying to find the pot. The other kids will guide the blindfolded kid by shouting “warmer” or “colder” as the kid moves around the room. Check out this video here for a more in-depth explanation!

Schokoladen-Wettessen - Funny race to eat a bar of chocolate Source: Internet!

Schokoladen-Wettessen [cho-co-la-den vet-tes-sen] – is a funny race to eat a bar of chocolate. The children sit all around a table with a bar of chocolate in the middle and pass around a die. The first kid to roll a six has to put on a hat, mittens, and a scarf and then try to eat the chocolate bar with a knife and a fork. Once another kid rolls a six, the first kid takes off all the clothes and the second puts them on and then tries to eat the chocolate with a fork and knife. Since it is really hard to eat a chocolate bar like this, there is plenty left over at the end of the game to share with everyone. I can highly recommend you try playing them at your next party! 

Sprinkler Cassi’s Birthday in 1988!!

AUF WIEDERSEHEN (GOODBYE)!

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DIVERSITY IS AWESOME!

For Goodness Cakes staff who identify as either part or full German :) 🇩🇪

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Donauwelle Cake Demo by Sprinkler Cassi 🥳🎂💖

Donauwelle (Snow White Cake)

** Please remember to mask up when baking cakes for our Sprinkly Kiddos and Young Adults **

Equipment:
18” by 12” deep baking sheet
Hand mixer or stand mixer

Cake:
3 ½ cups (400 g) All-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (300 g) Sugar
2 Tsps. Vanilla Extract
4 ½ Sticks (500 g) Butter (room temperature)
5 Eggs (room temperature)
4 Tsps. (15 g) Baking Powder
½ Tsp Salt
⅓ cup plus 1 Tbsp. (100 ml) Milk (room temperature)

1 oz. (30 g) Unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch processed if you have)
¼ cup (50 ml) Milk 
24 oz. (700 g) Drained Pitted Sour Cherries (e.g. Morello Cherries)* 

Buttercream:
1 Pack (40 g) Dr. Oetker’s Vanilla Pudding Powder (click here for example, or make your own )
½ cup (100 g) Sugar, divided 
1 ½  cups plus 3 Tbsps. (400 ml) Milk 
2 sticks plus 2 Tbsps. (250 g) Butter (room temperature)
2 Tsps. Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Glaze:
10 oz. (300 g) Dark or semi-sweet chocolate
2 ½  Tbsps. (20 g) Coconut oil

*You could also use fresh sour cherries, but they have a very short season, so it is easiest to find them in a jar. Make sure you get sour or tart cherries either in water or their own juice; you do not want cherries is syrup or Amarena cherries (which often come up in an internet search) – the cherries are supposed to provide a tart contrast to the sweet cake. Using cherries sweetened, preserved like Amarena or Maraschino cherries will change how the cake taste (depending on your taste you may still like it!).  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. 

2. Butter the baking sheet and line it with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper.

3. Start the batter by creaming together the butter and sugar. You want to whip it with a hand mixer or stand mixer until the butter looks markedly lighter and fluffier – 3 to 5 minutes. 
   
   (If you forgot to take the butter out of the fridge, cut the butter into small cubes and spread them out on a large plate. By the time you have gathered and measured all the other ingredients, the cubes should be warm enough to cream – about 15 to 20 minutes). 

4. Slowly add the room temperature eggs. Make sure to incorporate each egg well before adding the next. It is important that the eggs are room temperature otherwise they will not mix well with the creamed butter.
   
   (If you forgot to take out the eggs well ahead of time, warm them up by placing them in a large bowl with lots of warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes. That is not a perfect solution, but it will significantly lessen the temperature difference between the ingredients, which is the most important part). 

5. Add the vanilla extract and mix in.

6. Keep mixing until the butter-egg mixture starts to have a pudding-like consistency, and then it is time to add the dry ingredients and milk. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl so that you can add them all together and thereby keep the time to incorporate everything as short as possible. The same goes for the milk. Don’t overwork the batter; just keep mixing until no streaks remain. 

7. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking sheet and smooth with an offset spatula or whatever tool works for you. Some people like to use a cake/bench scraper. 

8. Add the cocoa powder and milk to the remaining batter and mix until incorporated, then pour it on top of the white batter and spread evenly. Make sure to not pour all the batter into the same spot, otherwise it will be difficult to spread. You could also spoon it over the like batter in blobs and then spread it out. This can be a bit tricky, but do not worry too much about making it neat; it will taste just as good when it is a bit messy.

9. Scatter the well-drained cherries on top of the dark batter and very gently press them in (that will create the typical wave pattern of the cake). 

10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (every oven is different, so it might take 35 or 40 minutes for the cake to be done, but I would start checking around the 25 minute mark). The cake is done when you can insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake and it comes out clean.  Place the cake on a cooling rack and let cool completely. If the cake is still warm, when you put the buttercream on it will run off. 

11. While the cake cools, make the vanilla pudding. In a small bowl, mix the pudding powder with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 6 tablespoons of milk.
    
    In a pot, heat up the remaining milk and sugar until it comes to a simmer. Off heat, add in the pudding powder mix. Return pot to burner. While stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture thickens and looks like, you guessed it, pudding. It should cook for about 1 minute after it has returned to boiling.
    
    After the pudding has thickened, pour it into a bowl and cover it with plastic film – press it directly onto the pudding, this will ensure that no skin will form. Let it cool to room temperature.
    
    If you are making the cake all in one day, don’t refrigerate the pudding; it needs to be room temperature to mix well with the butter. If you choose to make the buttercream the next day, refrigerate the pudding and then let it sit out for 2 to 4 hours so it is room temperature before using it for the buttercream. 

12. Once both the cake and the pudding are room temperature, it is time to make the buttercream. Whip the butter until it looks almost white, that should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla towards the end. With the mixer running, start adding the room temperature pudding.
    
    Once it is all combined, it is time to spread it over the cake. Spread the buttercream evenly over the cake with an offset spatula and then refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.

13. While the cake is in the fridge, make the glaze. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (fill a pot with about one inch of water and bring to a boil, then lower the temperature to keep it hot but not boiling. You do not want the hot water to touch the bowl.)
    
    Set a bowl on top of the pot and add the chocolate and the oil. Gently warm the chocolate – you do not want the chocolate to get very hot, just melted so you can pour it. If it is too hot when you pour it on, it will melt the buttercream. (Yikes!) If pouring feels too precarious, you can try using a ladle to cover the entire cake. Smooth top with an offset spatula. 

14. Refrigerate the cake for about an hour to set the chocolate glaze. Run a knife under hot water before you cut the cake, that way the glaze will not crack when you cut it. 
    

    Guten Appetit! 

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DANKE!

Three cherry-filled cheers for Sprinkler Cassi 🍒🍫🎂 who delivered us this wonder German Cultural Bake and the recipe to go with! What wonderful ways to celebrate a birthday (fun games and no parents in the rooooom!) 😂

If you’re interested in writing for our Cultural Bake series to represent your culture, please fill out this form below!

WRITE FOR OUR CULTURAL BAKES SERIES!

We’ll get back to you in about a week, but in the mean time, we hope you get to enjoy this oh-so-chocolately delicious Snow White cake!

Happy Baking Sprinklers! 🎂=💖

🇵🇭THE PHILIPPINES: Ube Cake 🤩

KAMUSTA (HELLO) SPRINKLERS!

The Philippines is a super interesting country 🌴 It is made up over 7,000 islands and is home to over 170 different dialects, not to mention, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

So, what new recipe are we following today??

Ube cake is a delicious Filipino mamón, or sponge/chiffon cake, that can be fluffy (or dense!), moist, and best of all…PURPLE! The Ube cake is made with Ube halaya, or mashed purple yams, which is why the cake has this beautiful & bright purple color when you cut into it 💜

We haven’t had any cake requests for Ube cakes so far, but we can’t wait to bake it for our kiddos!

Check out some of the Ube cakes we found on the internet :) (Source: Google Images)

Yummy in our tummy! Let’s take a larger look at its importance!

WHAT’S IT LIKE IN AMERICA?

In 2019, over 4 million people living in the U.S. identified as Filipino. Some areas have much higher Filipino populations including:

• Los Angeles: 506,000

• New York: 236, 000

• Las Vegas: 147,000

• Riverside-San Bernardino, CA: 136,000

Look familiar? We have 6 For Goodness Cakes Chapters in these areas! 💜🎂💜 

HOW DOES THIS FIT INTO THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM?

In 2019-2020, 0.3% of all children entering the foster care system identified as Filipino, which is approximately ~1400 mga bata (children).

Why is this important to know? Because cultural identity plays a huge factor into our youth’s self esteem. Imagine entering into the foster care system as an 8-year-old and taken into a family where absolutely nothing is the way you’ve learned how to exist and function! The way the family cooks is different, whether or not you are allowed to wear shoes in the house, the way they communicate their feelings, the language barrier, even the way you’re told to bathe or use the toilet. This re-learning and “outsider” feeling can promote confusion and emotional unease on top of the added ‘capital-T’ Trauma that our vulnerable youth are already experiencing.

Jess, our Co-Founder and CMO shares,

“I was born in America and have a “third-world” immigrant Filipino mother and a “first-world” American caucasian father – my mom raised us pretty traditionally Filipino though my siblings and I never learned Tagalog. It wasn’t until I was 17 that I learned from a high school friend that I had been using the bathroom “incorrectly” per American standards. I just didn’t know!

If I had to acclimate to a different culture/household at the drop of a hat like a lot of the youth in foster care when I was younger, I would definitely have a ton of stress, grief, discomfort, embarrassment, and anxiety. I mean – I had some anxiety about just using the toilet for a few months after I learned that tidbit from my friend!

I’m 32 now, and there is a lot of stuff I learned from my Filipino upbringing that clashes with modern American culture. But I like how I live, so there are a lot of things I haven’t chosen to acclimate for American living/standards, and that’s a-okay with me! Because I’m bi-racial and raised on two vastly different socio-economic perspectives, I don’t fit 100% into my social circles where I live in San Francisco and it makes it a bit more fun but also challenging at times, even in my 30s.”

Take a deeper look into the importance of cultural identity by reading Supporting Cultural Identity for Children in Foster Care by AmericanBar.org.

SO - WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

Things we can do as resource families and the general public is to learn about each others’ cultures and provide some welcoming cultural knowledge to make everyone feel right at home (or at least, a little bit at home!) 🤗

Lumpia, yum!
Tasty.co

Maybe that looks like learning how to cook the culture’s comfort food – We like to think that food (& 🍰 ) is the 6th love language!

Filipino comfort food can be:
• pansit (a noodle stirfry)
• lumpia (a flavorful springroll-like dish)
• chicken adobo (a delicious seasoned meat dish, serve over rice!)

And to go above-and-beyond, learning how to say a few phrases can add +1000 brownie points to making someone feel seen and recognized!

In tagalog, one of the Philippine’s main dialects, that’s:
Kamusta (Ka-moo-stah) - Hello
Mahal Kita (Ma-hall key-ta) - I love you
Salamat (Sah-lah-mat) - Thank you

What a wonderful way to explore new cultures through connecting with food and language 💖 and welcoming in new experiences and people into our lives :)

The ornate celebration of a Debut party!
Kasal.com

FUN FACTS

Not only is Ube cake a tasty treat, but there are also many health benefits to eating it! Ube is rich in antioxidants, a great source of vitamins & potassium, improves gut health, and helps with cognitive & motor function. Delicious and nutritious 😋

Similar to a Mexican Quinceañera, an extra sweet birthday in Filipino culture is when girls turn 18 and have a big “coming of age” party called a debut 🎉🎉🎉 At this celebration the birthday girl is given 18 roses from her male friends🌹, 18 candles from her female friends🕯️, or 18 treasures/gifts from her family and friends 🎁. Other special birthdays in the Philippines are 1st, 7th, and 21st birthdays (for boys).

If you want to wish someone a happy birthday, say
Maligayang kaarawan! (Mah-li-gai-yang Ka-ar-a-wan)

Filipino birthday celebrations are huge gatherings with all of the extended family and LOTS of food…often potluck style where each guest brings a dish, yum 🤤. There is usually karaoke 🎵 and a pabitin, a Filipino piñata made with bamboo and tassels tied with treats & toys 🪅. Pabitin means “rack of goodies” and is a fun game played at birthday parties. During this game the kids jump and try to grab as many prizes as they can while the pabitin is being lowered & lifted…how fun!

A pabitin ready for a party
Joanna Lizares

Christmas in the Philippines
Clickthecity.com

If you haven’t noticed yet, Filipinos absolutely LOVE to party and loooove their holidays! It’s one of their main ways to stay connected with friends and family.

The majority of Filipinos are Catholic or Christian, so the Christmas/holiday season for them actually starts in September and runs all the way through the New Years. ‘Tis the season(s)! 🎁🎁🎁

DIVERSITY IS AWESOME!

For Goodness Cakes staff who identify as either part or full Filipino :) 🇵🇭

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UBE CAKE RECIPE

Ube Cake Video made by Sprinkler Baker Renee!

** Please remember to mask up when baking cakes for our Sprinkly Kiddos and Young Adults **

Ube Jam
4 tbsp dehydrated Ube powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water
4 tbsp evaporated milk
4 tbsp condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla or Ube extract

Cake
Dry Ingredients
1 1/4 cups of flour 
2 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp of salt

Wet ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup of sugar
1 room temperature egg
1/2 cup Ube halaya or homemade Ube jam
1 cup of evaporated milk
1/4 cup of vegetable or canola oil
1-2 tsp of Ube or vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick of butter
1 brick (8oz) of cream cheese
1 tbsp of vanilla
4 cups of powdered sugar

Directions

1. Ube jam, or Ube Halaya can be found in asian markets and online. If you cannot find it, here is a recipe to make it yourself using dehydrated Ube, which can also be found online.

   To make the Ube jam

2. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat, and whisk in the dehydrated Ube powder. Allow to sit for 20 min so the Ube can rehydrate.

3. After 20 min, bring the water and rehydrated Ube to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.

4. Take the saucepan off the heat and add evaporated milk, condensed milk, and either vanilla or Ube extract. Stir until incorporated.

5. Put the saucepan back onto the heat and boil for another 10+ minutes, stirring often, until the purple yam jam reaches a thick jam or applesauce-like consistency. Remove from heat and let cool completely before adding to cake.

   To make the Ube cake

6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 6 or 8 inch round cake pans.

7. In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside.

8. Add the butter and sugar to your mixer bowl and mix on medium speed until combined and creamy.

9. Add the Ube jam, milk, egg, oil, and extract to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined.

10. Add half of the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir by hand until no streaks of flour remain.

11. Pour the batter evenly into two cake pans and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

    To make cream cheese frosting

12. In a clean mixing bowl, add room temperature butter and cream cheese, stopping to scrape the sides of your bowl occasionally. Once combined, add your vanilla extract and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and desired consistency.

13. Once your cakes are cool, add about ⅓ of the cream cheese frosting between your layers and use the remaining frosting to the tops and sides of your cake.

14. Enjoy!
    

    Pro Tip: Cut your butter/cream cheese into chunks to encourage them to soften faster.

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WANT TO TRY SOME FILIPINO DELICACIES?

Sprinkler Baker Meg says:
"Red Ribbon is the go-to stateside bakery!”

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SALAMAT!

We hope you enjoy this yummy, pretty, purple cake and all of the wonderful Filipino food there is 💜🎂💜

Happy Baking Sprinklers! 🎂=💖

🇲🇽 MEXICO: Tres Leches 🥳

HOLA SPRINKLERS!

What do we have in the oven today??

Pastel de tres leches, or three milks cake, is a super moist, light, and fluffy “sponge” sheet cake soaked in three kinds of milks, topped with whipped cream and strawberries 🤤

Our amazing Sprinklers have whipped up quite a few Tres Leches👇🏽

Looks DELISH! Let’s take a larger look at its importance!

DATA & STATISTICS

• America’s demographics overall: 18.5% Hispanic or latino based on April 2020 Census Data

• 21% of children entering the Foster Care system in 2020 identified as being hispanic (all races) - Source

HOW DOES THIS FIT INTO OUR FOSTER CARE SYSTEM?

• California - 40%
• Florida - 29%
• Arizona - 33%
• New Mexico - 50%
• Texas - 40%

According to the 2020 Census, nearly 19% of all Americans identify as Hispanic or Latino. Some states (that are extra sweet, but we are biased of course 😉) have much higher Latino populations including:

We have 8 For Goodness Chapters in these states. 💖🎂💖

On a national level, 21% of youth in Resource (Foster) Care identify as Latino or Hispanic. These stats are believed to be an underestimation as it is common for caseworkers or representatives to fill out data forms, such as the census, without knowing the background of the youth they serve. 

As of publishing this blog, For Goodness Cakes has had 290 requests for Tres Leches, predominantly in our California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oregon For Goodness Cakes Chapters. That’s a lot of leche! 🥳🥳🥳

The Exquisite Detail of a Quinceañera Dress
Adobe Stock

FUN FACTS

It is believed that Tres Leches started in Spain after being influenced by the traditional English trifle, though some say that it started in Latin America. Either way, it was at a time when nothing could go to waste, stale bread was soaked in milk to make it more palatable. Yummy and resourceful! 

A very common birthday (cumpleaños) tradition in Mexico called la mordida or ‘the bite’ involves the birthday human taking a bite of cake and then immediately being greeted with a face full of cake thanks to their loved ones shoving their face into the cake. All fun and games, unless you wear glasses…🤓😅

If you want to wish someone a happy birthday, say
Feliz Cumpleaños! (Fay-leez Koom-play-an-yos)

Another famous tradition is when a girl turns 15, she has a quinceañera or quince to celebrate her passage from a girl to a woman. This humongous and elaborate celebration includes a religious mass with her parents, godparents, and family. The birthday girl wears an elegant and detailed dress and her parents host a banquet for hundreds of guests. There are choreographed dances, toasts, cake cutting, and a shoe changing ceremony where girls change their shoes from flats to heels signifying their entrance into womanhood. Fancy! 👠

DIVERSITY IS AWESOME!

For Goodness Cakes staff who identify as either part or full Mexican :) 🇲🇽

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TRES LECHES RECIPE

Tres Leches Recipe Video made by Candice, our Portland Chapter Leader!

** Please remember to mask up when baking cakes for our Sprinkly Kiddos and Young Adults **

For the Cake
9 eggs separated
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (Mexican vanilla preferred)
⅛ tsp of almond extract

Milk Mixture
14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
12oz can of evaporated milk
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)

Whipping cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ confectioners (powdered) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter/grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. This bake is typically served in the pan it is baked in so avoid parchment paper.

2. Pour your egg whites into the bowl of your mixer and beat on medium-high speed. While your mixer is on, add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue mixing until soft/medium peaks form. Gently transfer your egg white mixture into a large mixing bowl (you will be adding more ingredient to this bowl later).

3. In a clean mixer bowl, mix your egg yolks until the egg yolks become creamy (approx 5 minutes), in color and texture. Add your vanilla and almond extract (if using) and mix with the mixer for an additional minute or two until everything is well incorporated. 

4. Gently combine both egg mixtures by slowly adding and mixing in the egg yolk into the bowl with the egg whites. Do this gently so you don’t knock too much air out of the egg whites. Mix until mostly combined, and then gently and gradually fold in the flour, until incorporated. Avoid mixing too aggressively or with a machine as this will overdevelop the gluten and impact the texture of your cake.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 22 to 25 minutes (check on it around 18 minutes). Avoid opening the oven too much once your cake is baking to avoid it deflating. Bake until the cake is a light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 

6. Once it cools down, poke holes all over the cake using a fork. The surface of the cake should be covered in holes. In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and regular milk, then pour the mixture over your cooled cake. Cover and place in the fridge.

7. In the bowl of your mixer, whip up the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until the stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spread the whipped cream (put some whipped cream aside if you are decorating with it)  all over the cake. This cake is best when it has sat overnight in the refrigerator, but will be ready after a few hours. It is traditionally served in the pan it was baked in, and is topped with fruit and whipped cream decoration.

8. Enjoy!

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WHAT IF YOU’RE A NEWBIE BAKER?

Jess, our Chief Marketing Officer says:
“I am as newbie of a baker as you can get! I don’t even own baking pans. The few Tres Leches cakes I’ve made, I’ve used *Funfetti boxed cake mix* as the base (follow the box instructions) and it is SO GOOD when soaked in the milks. It’s definitely not the most traditional, but it’s great to use in a pinch or if you’re a beginner baker like me. One day, when I finally find some baking pans, I’ll try Candice’s recipe - it looks too good! ”

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GRACIAS

¡Eso es todo! We hope you enjoy this yummy, delicioso, and no fuss cake 🍰

Happy Baking Sprinklers! 🎂=💖

Welcome to Cultural Bakes!

Thank you for joining the staff at For Goodness Cakes as we travel around the world (from our kitchens 🥰) and learn the significance of different birthday bakes (cakes, desserts, cookies, delicacies) and traditions from all the cultures we can, near and far!

Our foster kids & youth come from all sorts of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and we’re hoping that by learning about different cultures, we can continue to do our best to serve these kiddos and young adults to celebrate in the way they’d like to. There’s a lot more exciting stuff to come, so stay tuned ✨🎂✨

We’ll explore a different culture every month and have a ton of fun learning how to bake these goodies! Where in the world will we go next…