The n00b Kitchen

I’d like to dedicate this post to my friends Adam and Vasili: without the two of them, this post would not be possible.

That being said: Happy Portal 2 Day, everybody!

Here: have some Portal Cakes.

Original quote here.

For anyone not familiar with Portal, it’s an action/puzzle-style game wherein you are Chell, the main character, and wake find yourself in an Aperture Science Enrichment Center.  There you are instructed to solve a series of puzzles/mazes by GLaDOS, a friendly AI who guides you along your way.  Using a gun that can create two portals, one portal you enter, the other you exit (blue and orange), you solve a series of 19 puzzles and mazes.  After completion of these puzzles (for science), you are told you will get cake.

Of course, everything is not as it seems [spoilers herein!].

The first Portal game came out when I was in college, and I remember spending hours sitting behind my friend Adam and watching him play.  With the release of Portal 2 upon us, Adam scored some free Portal licenses, and benevolently bestowed one upon me.  It’s been a fun few days. 😀

Turret voices.

To celebrate the sequel game coming out, Vasili insisted I make some sort of Portal-related cake.  Since I was in a hurry, I decided to toss together some cupcakes and do a little fun decorating.  They didn’t turn out perfectly…but they came out satisfactorily.

I used a devils food cake cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes book and whipped up a quick batch of buttercream for decorations.  Easy peasy, if a little tedious.

Death of the Companion Cube.

Finally, here’s the ending credits with the ever popular and famous song, “Still Alive”.  Enjoy!

Portal Cake Recipe

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

Makes about 16 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 + 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp hot water
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 1 + 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Whisk cocoa and hot water together until smooth.
3. In another bowl whisk together other dry ingredients.
4. Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring til combined
5. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl.  Beat with a mixer on medium-low speed until cooled.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating each until incorporated.
7. Add vanilla and cocoa mixture, beat until combined.
8. Add flour and yogurt in alternating batches, beating each until just combined.
9. Divide batter into cups and bake for 20 minutes, rotating halfway through.