by Gabrielle Alli
Maeve’s winning cake truffles
The First Biotech Bake Off
At BTHS, there are plenty of students with diverse interests. Some of these interests include cooking and baking. So, on December 15th, our SGA hosted The Great Biotech Bake Off!
To fit the “winter” and “holiday flavor” themes, desserts such as gingerbread sugar cookies, gingerbread cupcakes, chocolate cake, and frosted sugar cookies were in the running. Contestants filled out a form sent to the school with their recipe, brought their desserts into the MPR on competition day, and students walking by were able to sample them.
A form sent out during lunch to find the winning treat showed that freshman Maeve Callinan's cake truffles had been a huge hit! The Helix interviews the winner below.
How long have you been baking? What first got you into it?
“I’ve always just baked randomly, but I got more seriously into baking probably around 2019 or 2020. I’d assume it’s more because COVID happened. It was something to do inside that wasn’t interacting with people in-person.”
What was one of the first things you learned to make?
“The first thing I remember baking a lot, at least, was chocolate chip cookies. My mom would make them every Sunday, so I would sometimes ask her if I could make the chocolate chip cookies for a week. I would ask her how many cups of flour were needed, how many cups of sugar, and what the steps are. I would follow what she was saying since she already had the recipe memorized. I just did that multiple times, whenever I wanted. That’s probably the first thing I remember baking where I was totally interested in it.”
What did you choose to make for the competition, and why?
“I brought in cake truffles, which is just a fancy way to say cake pops without the stick in them. I decided to bring them in because my friends really like when I make them. They’re always like, ‘Please make your cake pops again,’ so I thought that would be a very good thing to bring in for the competition.”
If you hadn't made your cake truffles, what other dessert would you have chosen?
"I probably would've chosen some variation of cookie. I decided not to, because I thought that other people would be bringing in cookies since they're very popular. I had just made red velvet cookies with cream cheese frosting on top. People really liked those, so that was something that had been on my mind. However, I had just recently made them so I didn't want to make them right after."
What are some other baked goods you enjoy making?
“Another one of my favorite things to bake is probably crumb cake. It looks fancy, but it’s still easy enough to make. Making the crumbs and putting them on top is super fun. The cake base comes out super moist. It’s one of my favorite things to make, and I think it impresses a lot of people.”
Do you usually develop your own recipes, or do you find recipes elsewhere?
“Usually, I will look up recipes online. I honestly just choose from the first four that show up. Though sometimes, I do alter parts of the recipe, if I think there’s not enough salt or not enough chocolate. I usually just alter technique. If I think my oven might bake it at a different time, I’ll make sure to test it to see if I have to bake it for less. Or, I might incorporate the ingredients differently than the recipe tells me to. Generally, I just follow a base recipe online.”
Are there any tips you have for people that are just starting out with baking?
“I think the best tip is just to keep doing it; you learn mostly from experience through baking. There are little tips for certain recipes.
“Watch your baked good when it’s around the time directed since everyone’s oven temperatures vary. You want to check for how done it is, like the toothpick test for cakes and brownies.
“Another tip would probably be not to overmix things when you don’t need gluten in them. If you overmix flour, it’ll make gluten in your dough or batter. You don’t want that if it’s not needed for that particular recipe.
“Another thing is just to watch the measurements. If you’re a beginner, try to strictly stick to a recipe and not waver. There’s a lot of mishaps that happen through substitutions and not following the recipe.”
To Wrap Things Up…
All in all, The Great Biotech Bake Off was a wonderful way to let students showcase their skills and bring together the school’s community. A huge thank you to our SGA for organizing the event, and congratulations to Maeve on her win! To recreate these delicious cake truffles at home, follow the recipe below, written by the star baker herself.
Maeve’s Cake Truffle Recipe
chocolate cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 9 x 13 pan or two 9 inch cake pans.
note: Any of the following can be used to prevent sticking: butter & light flouring, spray oil, or spray oil & parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder in a medium sized bowl. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Add milk, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla to the powder mixture. Mix until loosely combined.
4. Let some steam escape from the boiling water pot before adding to the mixture.
note: It will look very watery at first, but keep mixing until you get a homogeneous light batter.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes.
note: Baking time varies based on your oven. Toothpick check your cake for how done it is at 30 minutes.
cream cheese frosting: **will make more frosting than necessary, which can be stored in a fridge in an airtight container for later use**
- 8 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy (high on electric mixer).
2. Add powdered sugar, mixing after each added cup. Make sure that the third cup is fully incorporated (low on electric mixer).
3. Add vanilla and salt and mix until homogeneous.
putting together your truffles:
1. With your completely cooled cake, break it up into a large bowl.
2. Add about 2-3 spoonfuls of frosting and mix.
note: Using your hands will be the easiest and most effective method, but be sure to wear gloves. Start with a little frosting and add more until a ball can be formed without crumbling.
3. Refrigerate cake spheres for at least 1 hour.
4. Thaw balls completely before moving to the next step.
5. Melt white chocolate (roughly chopped if using bars) into a bowl for about 45 seconds. Mix until fully melted.
note: Microwave longer if needed, but do not burn the chocolate.
6. Roll cake balls in melted chocolate until covered before placing on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
note: Add sprinkles if desired, quickly before the chocolate hardens.
7. Repeat melting more chocolate and dipping your balls until all are coated.
8. Let rest until dry, then enjoy.