I love to hear from young people who are getting into food and cooking. Last year, Kimberly, a Vietnamese-American high school junior, emailed me inquiring about a recipe for a Vietnamese/Asian-style cake. She wanted to prepare a mini-version of a strawberry and cream layer cake for her catering class as she had fond memories of it growing up when her mom bought the cakes at their local Asian market. She found the recipe on Viet World Kitchen and wrote:
It might be a little over exaggerated, but it was almost like fate finding your recipe! I've always like to bake. I never have the right equipment at home, but when I do it at school, I get a sense of enjoyment.
I hope your website is around for a while. I'm going to be off on my own soon. I want to still eat the many foods I grew up with. I know I'll be coming back to learn more about how to make our culture's cuisine.
I wrote back, encouraging Kimberly and asking for photos and a report back when she made the cake. Last Sunday, she emailed and sent the photo above. I love her stamina. Through all her travails, she successfully made the cake for Superbowl Sunday – and is going to repeat it for practice. Her adventure in making and using the strawberry and cream layer cake recipe is full of humor and grace:
Hi Ms. Nguyen,
I don't know if you remember me or not, but I e-mailed you last month about the cake. I planned to do it for an event at school, but it just didn't work out.
Well I finally made one today for the Superbowl!!! I had a lot of fun making it. I forgot to double the recipe, so I found myself making it twice, meaning twice the time!
The most pain painstaking process was whipping the egg whites. I used a whisk, because I don't own a stand mixer. It was my first time used a whisk to make egg foam. I felt so confident the first time. The second time I had to do it, I just wanted to get it over with.
Speaking of egg white, I couldn't find cream of tartar so I just omitted it. I was really worried, because I wasn't really sure what it really did. All I knew that it's a leavener and it's in baking soda.
I over baked my first cake my about 5 minutes. It turned out a little darker than my 2nd one. I guess the saying, you learn something new everyday is true. The 2nd cake turned out much better, it was softer and it rose a bit.
In the second batch, I accidentally mixed in the sugar too fast. I was getting impatient. I kept wondering why it was so stiff! Luckily the vanilla thinned it out a bit.
For the filling, I used orange juice instead of alcohol. I never really liked the taste of alcohol, nevertheless to say I shouldn't be even drinking. I'm still 16!!!
The taste of fresh whipped cream was way beyond my expectations! I thought it'd me the same thing. Maybe it was because I used heavy cream, but it just seems so much richer and... real!Because I didn't have a flat spatula, I ended up using a chopstick to try and smooth it out. That just proved how Asian I am!
I started at 9 and finished at 11:30 (including cleaning up). [9am-11:30pm, I assume!] I really enjoyed making it, I'm definitely going to make it again for other events or when I'm in the mood for something sweet. =]
Today’s my birthday, and Kimberly’s virtual cake is a great gift! Thank you, Kimberly.
RobynNZ says
Happy Birthday Andrea
Do you like to cook for your birthday or do you like someone to cook for you on your special day?
Jai says
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
A chopstick as a spatula... pretty inventive. We've all had our trials and tribulation in the kitchen, and I compliment Kimberly for her perseverance.
Kim at Rustic Garden Bistro says
Happy Birthday!
I too, have childhood memories of my parents coming home from Vietnamese bakeries in Little Saigon to gift me with my birthday cake. Every year until I turned about 15, I had a strawberry cake for my birthday. Didn't realize that was such a "Viet" thing to have!
Wow, I'm going to have to reinstate this tradition... or just make my "no particular occasion" cake.
Kim
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I would like to say happy Birthday to Andrea.I have enjoyed a lot to read this article.It is full of joy.Just want to say have fun...
Chocolate Pointu says
Happy Birthday to u...
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Jessica Lee Binder says
Happy Birthday to you Andrea!
Kimberly, you are awesome. I'm glad you haven't given up and have let any problems become lessons learned. You will turn out to be an amazing chef I'm sure!
Hazel says
This is such an encouraging story. Great stuff! I will definitely look forward to more stories..and if I bake one myself, I'll have it posted and sent to you too! 😉
Christina says
Happy birthday Andrea! I love your blog. The first time I tried baking, the over wouldn't turn on, so my mom tried to steam my cake instead (very Chinese thing to do). And the first time I baked gingerbread cookies, I didn't own a rolling pin, so I used a Grey Goose bottle my cousin had. I can totally relate to Kimberly. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Andrea Nguyen says
Thank you for the birthday wishes! More importantly, I greatly appreciate your sharing your baking experiences and encouraging Kimberly!
Diana (girlfeedsboy) says
Hi Andrea,
Can I just say that I had NO idea this was a Vietnamese thing? My parents used to buy me a strawberry whip cream cake for my birthday from a German bakery in Chicago. Ha ha ha, I had no idea it was a taste of the old country (Vietnam, not Germany!)! P.S. Happy belated bday!
Kimberly says
Whoa! I was not exspecting a blog about me. I'm a little embarassed reading it. I felt all giddy inside as I was reading the comments.
Ma, I'm on the internet!!!!
Happy Belated Birthday. =]
I hope you had a real cake on your birthday.
Carolyn Jung says
This is so incredibly sweet -- not only the cake, but the friendship that developed over it. Just shows that good food can always bring people together.
m3 real karte says
Hello
This strawberries and cream layer cake looks very attractive and I will surely make this cake.I like strawberry flavor very much in cake of cookie.Thanks for this post.
Bizu Philippines says
I love strawberry cakes so much,this must absolutely delicious yummy!
vee
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The strawberry is technically an accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries (achenes) but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries.
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The taste of fresh whipped cream was way beyond my expectations! I thought it'd me the same thing. Maybe it was because I used heavy cream, but it just seems so much richer and... real!
jordans 1 says
Good luck, good health, good cheer. I wish everyone a happy Xmas
Women Supra Style says
Virtue never grows old.
Sally the cellulite cream reviews woman says
Great article with great tasting food...love it!
Red Bottom shoes says
First thrive and then wives.
marlon says
The strawberry is technically an accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries.
Pacific Bariatric says
Nice to see you omitted the alcohol in favor of orange juice! Great option.