Cinema Kitchen: Django Unchained

Here at TGOC Towers we love a good story. Whether it’s a hungover Sunday with a vintage classic or the latest new release. We geek out over well framed shots, costume design and of course how food plays into the narrative. This has inspired our new feature ‘Cinema Kitchen’ where we’ll be mixing up cocktails and baking treats inspired by our favourite films.

Last weekend I went to see Django Unchained and one of the pivotal moments where the plan to rescue Broomhilda hangs in the balance takes place around Monsieur Candie’s dining table. They are to have White Cake for dessert.

White Cake is not something I’ve ever heard of so I had to do some research. It turns out White Cake is basically just a sponge cake but omits the egg yolks to retain the purest possible colour. This makes it ideal for celebration cakes e.g. wedding cake. It struck me that Monsieur Candie was so incredibly racist that he couldn’t even stand his pudding to have colour. Another great moment was the blood spattered cotton as Django shoots a man off his horse. In tribute to one of my favourite film makers I thought I’d recreate this cake and camera shot with true Tarantino gore-fest décor.

The method is most important here to get a really fluffy texture, creaming the butter and sugar and whisking the egg whites. The fun part is the decorating but I recommend putting some newspaper down to protect surfaces.  

Django Unchained Inspired Monsieur Candie Blood Spattered White Cake

Ingredients:

For the sponge

250ml milk
6 egg whites
1tsp vanilla extract
350g sifted flour
350g sugar
4tsp baking powder

150g butter

For the frosting

400g cream cheese

Icing sugar to taste

For the coulis

200g strawberries, raspberries or any other red fruit

30g sugar
Lemon juice

Red food colouring (if necessary)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease two 9x9 pans.
3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Slowly alternate adding flour and baking powder with milk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat well after each addition.
5. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Gently fold egg whites into batter the pour into prepared pans.
6. Bake for 30-40mins. Leave to cool.
7. Mix cream cheese with icing sugar and frost middle, top and sides of cake.
8. Simmer lemon juice , sugar and red fruit, blend and sieve out seeds before chilling.
9. Dip a pastry or paint brush into the fruit sauce and flick over your frosted cake.
10. Serve with extra coulis for an extra bloody treat!