ISO simple but eye catching dessert

[pengyou]

September 10th is the Chinese Teacher's Day. I would like to make a dessert for all of the teachers in my school - there are about 160 of them, plus another 40 people that work here. Most of the teachers do not like the sweet stuff like frosting, fudge, etc. Brownie and "thick and rich" bar type foods are a little too heavy. I make an unfrosted chocolate cake that goes over well - they still say it is a bit too sweet but they eat it anyway I am looking for ideas for something that has natural eye appeal without a lot of extra effort and without extra sweetness. It will be displayed (for a short while) before it is eaten. I am sure that this is as clear as mud. Maybe one idea I had...a three layer cake (not three separate cakes layered, but simply three kinds of batter poured one on top of another and then baked as one...and maybe the top layer swirled with a contrasting color? Pineapple upside down cake is also under consideration - nice contrast with the brownish-orange of the brown sugar, the yellow of the pineapple and red of the cherry. None of these, in my opinion, require extra work to give them a little special presentation. Do you have any other ideas? Also, does anyone know how to properly describe the "layered" cake that I have described, as opposed to one cake made of 2 or 3 separate cakes put on top of each other?

 

[CakePoet]

Food@Home Sweet Home: Indonesian Layer Cake 印尼千层蛋糕 Try this or find a European cake recipe, they have most often less sugary.

 

[dragnlaw]

from a non-baker

pengyou, WOW... perhaps you should consider a Bundt cake. This dough/batter can take the thickness/heaviness and the pan facilitates it.

3 kinds of cake batter in one regular pan - I don't know, doesn't sound right.

Or perhaps you have a large cookie sheet with edges. One that can be used as a jelly roll pan. You could spread this with a custard pudding type filling rather than a sugary icing. Then simply sprinkle with icing sugar for visual effect.

You could make 3 separate "jelly roll cakes" each a different colour and each a slightly different flavour in the filling. Or marbleize the dough as you are pouring into pan.

100 plus 40 - I am assuming you are not trying to make enough to give each of these people a taste and that others are also contributing. Even should each jelly roll serve 20 people a tiny sliver - that is still 7 or 8 cakes.

 

[jabbur]

Angelfood cakes are not very sweet. You could make several. I've seen them displayed with flowers in the center hole. Or fruit layered on top in an interesting design. Maybe a light glaze to drizzle. You can dress it up many different ways and it won't be too sweet or heavy.

 

[GotGarlic]

Angelfood cakes are not very sweet. You could make several. I've seen them displayed with flowers in the center hole. Or fruit layered on top in an interesting design. Maybe a light glaze to drizzle. You can dress it up many different ways and it won't be too sweet or heavy.

This is a great idea. You could do something like this with local fruits.

 

[pengyou]

Thanks...the three layer cake....I have a recipe for a triple chocolate cheese cake that requires 3 kinds of batter. One is made with semi-sweet chocolate, one with white chocolate and one with milk chocolate. Each is poured into the pan, one layer at a time and then baked with three layers. It can be done with cheesecake - but I don't have the $$$ to make so much cheese cake. I have never done it with a regular cake. Thanks for the ideas. I will look into them further.

 

[pengyou]

pengyou, WOW... perhaps you should consider a Bundt cake. This dough/batter can take the thickness/heaviness and the pan facilitates it.

Oh, I knew you were comin' so I baked a bundt...baked a bundt...baked a bundt...

 

[CraigC]

200 people? Even a simple dessert will become complicated.

 

[larry_stewart]

Strawberry Shortcake parfait
Basically pound cake cut into cubes, strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries and whipped cream ( you can control the sweetness of the whipped cream to suit your guests tastes.

Can also be done using a chocolate mousse instead of whipped cream, and use chocolate shavings to garnish.

And Ive also made one with pears in a caramel sauce instead of strawberries , still using the pound cake and whipped cream . I think I got that idea from Emiril back in the day when he had a tv show.

 

[Janet H]

How about homemade coconut macaroons that have extras in them like ginger, dried apricots, etc?

Chocolate dipped strawberries

Fruit cobblers