hominid spongyform encephalophagy: cooking time1-1 1 / 2 hours, difficulty

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CHRISTMAS 2015: CALL TO ACTION Hominid spongyform encephalophagy: cooking time 1-1 1 / 2 hours, difficulty *** Lucinda Whitton provides a fun recipe for a brain cakefor you to make this Christmas Lucinda Whitton senior house officer Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester GL1 3NN, UK With shows such as “The Great British Bake Off” captivating the nation, baking has taken Britain by storm. This article shows you how to make a “brain cake”—from the core sponge to the basal layer and gyri. Not only is it “radiculously” tasty, it will get your neurones firing as you fight with the intricacies of the anatomy. So find the mixing bowl and conjure up your culinary creativeness this Christmas. Food for thought indeed. Step 1: The sponge A simple Victoria sponge recipe will do the trick. Spherical baking trays are available from specialist kitchen shops but ovenproof bowls lined with greaseproof paper can be used instead. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Butter two spherical baking trays or ovenproof bowls and line with greaseproof paper. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Divide the mixture between the two spherical bowls and one small cupcake baking tray (to make the cerebellum). Cook for 20-25 minutes until the cake is golden and bounces back when pressed down. Allow to cool while preparing the icing. Step 2: Icing Achieving the brain colour is one of the most difficult parts of making the brain cake. Good quality food colouring makes this easier. Dividing the fondant into two halves at the beginning means you can dilute the intensity of the colour or start again if it goes disastrously wrong. Use the best colour for the top layer of icing: the gyri. Step 3: Brain substance For the butter icing, put the butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl. Use a wide paddled whisk to achieve a smooth consistency. Once both sponges are completely cooled, spread a layer of butter icing on top of one with a palate knife. Next, spread a thin layer of jam. Place the second sponge on top of the base sponge. Apply a layer of butter icing and jam to the top of the cake. Step 4: Hemispheres To achieve the definition of the hemispheres use a sharp knife to cut around the cake to leave two crescent shaped sponge pieces. Next, position the crescent shaped sponge pieces on top of the cake so that the filling layer is visible from above and the two shapes have straight ridges next to each other. In this way the hemispheres are formed. Step 5: Basal layer Apply a base layer of icing to cement the brain cake together. At this point, you can cover the entire cake in boiled jam to aid adhesion, but I find everything is sticky enough without. Sprinkle icing sugar over the rolling pin and kitchen surface, then roll half the icing into a thin, even layer, about 3 mm thick. Lift the rolled out icing over your cake using the rolling pin. Once applied, use a sharp knife to trim excess icing from around the cake. Add the excess icing to the remaining half. Apply slight pressure to the top of the cake where a natural dip should have formed to create the hemispheres. Step 6: The cerebellum Take the sponge cupcake and apply a layer of butter icing and jam. Use a sharp knife to trim the cupcake if it’s too big. Next, apply a thin layer of icing all over the cupcake. Identify the occipital lobe of the brain cake and, using a sharp knife, cut an indent into the lobe for the cerebellum. Place two Correspondence to: [email protected] For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe BMJ 2015;351:h6310 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h6310 (Published 14 December 2015) Page 1 of 11 Feature FEATURE

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This article shows you how to make a “brain cake”—from the core sponge to the basal layer and gyri. Not only is it “radiculously” tasty, it will get your neurones firing as you fight with the intricacies of the anatomy. So find the mixing bowland conjure up your culinary creativeness this Christmas. Food for thought indeed

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Page 1: Hominid spongyform encephalophagy: cooking time1-1 1 / 2  hours, difficulty

CHRISTMAS 2015: CALL TO ACTION

Hominid spongyform encephalophagy: cooking time1-11/2 hours, difficulty ***Lucinda Whitton provides a fun recipe for a “brain cake” for you to make this Christmas

Lucinda Whitton senior house officer

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester GL1 3NN, UK

With shows such as “The Great British Bake Off” captivatingthe nation, baking has taken Britain by storm. This article showsyou how to make a “brain cake”—from the core sponge to thebasal layer and gyri. Not only is it “radiculously” tasty, it willget your neurones firing as you fight with the intricacies of theanatomy. So find the mixing bowl and conjure up your culinarycreativeness this Christmas. Food for thought indeed.

Step 1: The spongeA simple Victoria sponge recipe will do the trick. Sphericalbaking trays are available from specialist kitchen shops butovenproof bowls lined with greaseproof paper can be usedinstead.Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Butter two spherical baking trays orovenproof bowls and line with greaseproof paper.Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Divide themixture between the two spherical bowls and one small cupcakebaking tray (to make the cerebellum).Cook for 20-25 minutes until the cake is golden and bouncesback when pressed down. Allow to cool while preparing theicing.

Step 2: IcingAchieving the brain colour is one of the most difficult parts ofmaking the brain cake. Good quality food colouring makes thiseasier.Dividing the fondant into two halves at the beginning meansyou can dilute the intensity of the colour or start again if it goesdisastrously wrong. Use the best colour for the top layer of icing:the gyri.

Step 3: Brain substanceFor the butter icing, put the butter, icing sugar, and vanillaextract into a mixing bowl. Use a wide paddled whisk to achievea smooth consistency.

Once both sponges are completely cooled, spread a layer ofbutter icing on top of one with a palate knife. Next, spread athin layer of jam.Place the second sponge on top of the base sponge. Apply alayer of butter icing and jam to the top of the cake.

Step 4: HemispheresTo achieve the definition of the hemispheres use a sharp knifeto cut around the cake to leave two crescent shaped spongepieces.Next, position the crescent shaped sponge pieces on top of thecake so that the filling layer is visible from above and the twoshapes have straight ridges next to each other. In this way thehemispheres are formed.

Step 5: Basal layerApply a base layer of icing to cement the brain cake together.At this point, you can cover the entire cake in boiled jam to aidadhesion, but I find everything is sticky enough without.Sprinkle icing sugar over the rolling pin and kitchen surface,then roll half the icing into a thin, even layer, about 3 mm thick.Lift the rolled out icing over your cake using the rolling pin.Once applied, use a sharp knife to trim excess icing from aroundthe cake. Add the excess icing to the remaining half.Apply slight pressure to the top of the cake where a natural dipshould have formed to create the hemispheres.

Step 6: The cerebellumTake the sponge cupcake and apply a layer of butter icing andjam. Use a sharp knife to trim the cupcake if it’s too big.Next, apply a thin layer of icing all over the cupcake.Identify the occipital lobe of the brain cake and, using a sharpknife, cut an indent into the lobe for the cerebellum. Place two

Correspondence to: [email protected]

For personal use only: See rights and reprints http://www.bmj.com/permissions Subscribe: http://www.bmj.com/subscribe

BMJ 2015;351:h6310 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h6310 (Published 14 December 2015) Page 1 of 11

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Page 2: Hominid spongyform encephalophagy: cooking time1-1 1 / 2  hours, difficulty

Ingredients

Victoria sponge200 g each of self raising flour, caster sugar, and unsalted butter, softened4 medium eggs, beaten1 tsp baking powder3 tbsp milk

Filling150 g unsalted butter, softened210 g icing sugar, sifted½ tsp vanilla extractJar of good quality seeded jam

Icing1 kg packet of ready to roll white icingYellow and red food colouring

OtherApricot jam, boiled (optional)2 cocktail sticks

cocktail sticks into the cerebellum. Lift the brain cake so thatthe cerebellum slots into the space and the cocktail sticks securethe cerebellum to the main cake.

Step 7: GyriThis step is the most important in terms of the cake’s overallappearance and can be as anatomically correct as you like,depending on the time available and your patience.To create basic gyri and sulci, roll small pieces of icing intoeven sausages. Starting at the hemisphere, fold up the “icingsausage” to create the gyri. The “sausage” should adhere to thebase layer of icing, but if it doesn’t knead it more before placingon the cake or use a small brush with cold water to cement theunderside.Continue with this process until the entire cake, excluding thecerebellum, is covered. Never cross the ridge of the hemisphereswith gyri.

Step 8: Fiddly foliumThis step is the most difficult and requires the most patience.Use the same method as used to create the gyri but roll out thesausages very thinly—about 3 mm in diameter.Layer horizontally until the entire cerebellum has been covered.To create the cerebellar vermis, use a cocktail stick to carefullyapply pressure in the midline.

Step 9: DissectionAfter taking several pictures and admiring your hard work, usea sharp kitchen knife to dissect the finished product. Coronalor sagittal it will be enjoyed by all.

Thanks to Geraint Fuller for neurological inspiration and Elena King(née Binns) for photography and artistic direction.Competing interests: I have read and understood BMJ policy ondeclaration of interests and declare that I have none.

Accepted: 25 Oct 2015

Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h6310© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015

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Figures

Fig 2 Start with 1 kg of white fondant icing and divide into two halves

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Fig 3 Add 2 teaspoons of yellow colouring; knead well to give an even colour

Fig 4 Add 1 teaspoon of red colouring; knead well

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Fig 5 Knead in excess fondant icing once colour has been achieved.

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