You Put WHAT In It?! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Coffee granules

The coffee granules need to be dissolved in hot water before adding to the cake, otherwise the cake will turn out a little grainy in texture. The particular recipe I have calls for adding the coffee granules to the chocolate and butter in a bowl over hot water to melt the chocolate, butter and coffee into one big bowl of liquid heaven before adding it to the dry ingredients.

Answer: Isomalt

Not usually available in your local supermarket, Isomalt can be purchased in specialty kitchen stores and online. It has fewer calories than sugar and is also less sweet, yet the body tries to process it as a dietary fibre instead of a simple carbohydrate so excess consumption can cause flatulence and increase bowel movements. Isomalt looks just like white sugar and is derived from beet sugar.

Answer: Corn flakes

Of course you can make your own crepes and crush them up yourself, but when you have the option of substituting cornflakes or something similar, go for it, especially if the cookbook author tells you it's ok. If you do decide to go 'all out' and make them yourself, there are a few recipes available, but the trick is to spread the batter very, very thinly before baking in the oven until crisp. You can roll the crepe up or shape it while it's still warm but once it is cool, it will be very fragile.

Answer: Ice cream and self-raising flour

That's right - 1 litre of ice cream and a cup and a half of self-raising flour. Mix them together before pouring into a greased cake pan and cooking in the oven for about 30 mins at 180 degrees Celsius. Yeah right! I thought. I tried it using a good quality chocolate ice cream and wow - it was good! Next time I'll make sure that I melt the ice cream a bit better though, there was a chocolate 'layer' at the bottom of the cake. It also only lasted about 3 or 4 days in an airtight container before it started going yucky. But try it yourself, it's so simple!

Answer: Gelatin

Wikipedia says that gelatin is made from "collagen extracted from the skin, boiled crushed horn, hoof and bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals" - who is feeling sick right about now? Food-grade gelatin, however, is made from only two ingredients - pig hide and beef skin. Gelatin is used as a setting agent in food products such as icecream, dip, yoghurt, marshmallows and gummy lollies (candies).

Agar-agar is derived from seaweed and the word 'agar' is Malay for 'jelly'. If you prefer to use agar-agar in your cooking instead of gelatin, you can substitute one directly for the other in equal quantities.

Answer: Mayonnaise

According to several baking websites, mayonnaise can help to keep a chocolate cake from coming out of the oven dry. Just add a cup to the mixture before baking for a very moist chocolate cake!

Answer: Shellac

Shellac is apparently made from the excretion of the female lac beetle. She produces shellac to help her cocoon stick to branches. The colour of natural shellac depends on the type of tree the bug lives on - colours range from light 'blonde' to a dark brown - including red, orange and yellows in between.

Answer: Crushed bugs

Cochineal bugs live on prickly pear cacti and are harvested mainly in Peru and the Canary Islands. They are dried, crushed and added to an alcohol solution which eventually produces cochineal extract. Cochineal is marketed as a 'natural' dye - which it is made from a natural product, but if you don't eat animal products, it's best to stay away from those red, baked goodies unless you know where the colouring comes from!

Don't laugh at coal tar and petroleum being incorrect choices here - most artificial food dyes are derived from these products.

Answer: Gold

Edible gold comes in the form of dust, flakes, leaf, or in a roll and is used to decorate food for presentation. Gold dust can be brushed onto cakes, whereas leaf can be used as a fancy decoration. Gold will pass completely through the body and has no nutritional value whatsoever, making it completely safe to eat.

Answer: To stop mould growth

Calcium propionate powder is used in baked goods as a mould inhibitor and also enhances the shelf life of those goods. This preservative works best with baked goods using yeast as a rising agent instead of baking powder, and is also naturally occurring in some cheeses. Although relatively safe to eat, the health warning on the website of a manufacturer and exporter of the ingredient says to avoid direct contact with skin and eyes! Calcium propionate will appear on food labels as preservative E282.