Gonzo Cake - Hunter S. Thompson's Birthday - Baked Occasions

This cake was supposed to be purple, but against the countertop, it looks more gray in color. This was unfortunate because whenever anyone looked at it they did not want to try it at all. I did convince the boys to try it though. They all thought it was no good and we should never have this cake again, but the sprinkles were okay. Oh well, you win some and you lose some.

I had never heard of Hunter S. Thompson before or using purple yam powder in a recipe before. I really like cake and usually enjoy the Baked cakes, so I was enthusiastic about this recipe. Also, purple is my favorite color and I am aware of Gonzo the muppet character. Preparing the purple yam powder for the cake was a very simple process, but after I had that ready I fully expected the cake to be a deeper purple than it was. That powder made a very deep purple colored mixture.

Then the cake and icing were both very simple to put together. I was glad to have a break from the traditional Baked icing that is made with boiling ingredients and then whipping in the butter when it has cooled. I just have not had much luck with their icing recently. It just took some time to put everything together, but it all came out well in the end. I did add some food coloring to the cake batter since it looked very pale lavender before I baked it. It still never took on a very purple hue for me though.

When my family did eat the cake the boys all decided it was a no and each took a bite out of one piece. I enjoyed the cake itself very much, but I was disappointed with the icing. I am a fan of cream cheese frosting most of the time, but I felt that this one had too high a ratio of cream cheese for my taste. I could always make it again with my favorite cream cheese recipe, but I really don't need a whole cake to eat myself. We will just try another recipe in the future.

The recipe for this cake and thoughts from other bakers can be found at Baked Sunday Mornings here.

Timing: Recipe States: does not say, My Actual Timing: 1 hour 28 minutes for cake, 27 minutes to prepare the yam powder.
Servings: Recipe States: 10-12 servings, Servings For My Family: 14 servings
Leftovers: The cake was good for about four days.


Family Ratings:
Me: I enjoyed the cake, but not the icing. I felt the cream cheese ratio was too high.
Hubby: He refused to eat the grayish cake.
Big Man: One bite was enough for Big Man.
Bear: I just want the sprinkles on top was his response.
Mr. T: He took a couple bites before deciding this was not a dessert he wanted again.

Will I repeat: No.

What will I change: Nothing.