PREVIOUS PARSHA CAKE POSTINGS:

_______________________________________________________________

BEREISHIS: TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL CAKE

In Parsha, Bereishis, in which Adam and Chava are warned not to eat from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, our first parsha cake. For this cake, you’ll need white, brown and green icing, and Red Hots or some other candy for fruits.

First, ice the entire cake white. Now, using your brown icing and a straight tip (we’ll talk more about tips next week), draw the shape of a tree. Using your green icing, make leaves (for advanced decorators, use a #67 tip.) Place the candies on the leaves, so they look like fruit.!Parsha Cake.

Before your guests bite into the cake let them chew on a few good questions - like:would Hashem have put this tree in the garden if he didn't want Adam and Chava to eat from it?

NOACH: NOAH’S ARK CAKE

For this cake, we’ll actually create an edible Ark floating on the waters of the flood. Although we typically think of Noah’s Ark as a round bottom boat, it was in fact rectangular, which is a lot easier to make out of cake anyway.

Start by making a rectangular cake (a 9" x 13" pan is perfect for this.) To make the Ark, simply cut a rectangle off one end of the cake, let's say 4" wide. So now you have two rectangles: a 4 x 9 inch one, and a 9 x 9 inch one. To make this Ark (the small rectangle) fit better on the sea (the big rectangle), trim it down on the long ends. Now it should be about 4 x 7.

Make a batch of icing, separate about 1½ cups and color it brown with food coloring or cocoa. With the remainder of the white icing, add a few drops of dark blue food coloring and mix lightly into the white icing. Use this white/blue icing mixture to cover the larger rectangle. Use big, swirling motions to look like waves.

Now place the smaller rectangle on top of the sea you have just iced, and cover with brown icing. Place small plastic animals on top of the Ark—two by two—and serve!

Food for thought:
Why were the animals destroyed in the flood anyway?
And what do you think happened to all the fish?

LECH LECHA: STARS OF THE SKY CAKE

In Parshas Lech Lecha, G-d showed Avraham the night sky and told him his offspring would be as numerous as the stars. So for this week’s Parsha Cake, we’re going to make a cake that looks like the night sky, and learn to use icing tips on the way. This cake will be quite easy. Any size cake will do.

Either whip up some Rich’s Whip or make a batch of icing (go to our Tips and Techniques page) Set aside one cup of white icing. (Shortcut: Buy a can of white decorator’s icing at the store; go to our Tips and Techniques page for some kosher brands.)

Now dye the rest of the icing blue with food coloring . Ice the entire cake, top and sides. This will be the night sky.

Returning to your reserved white icing, get a decorating bag. (If you are using a can of store-bought icing, disregard the decorating bag instructions.) Most bags will need you to insert a coupler before you fill the bag.

See http://www.wilton.com/decorating/basic/decobags.cfm for instructions on how to use a decorating bag. Fill the bag with white icing, and use a star tip (Wilton’s #16 for small stars or a #21 for larger stars). Squeeze your bag, or can, and make stars in a random pattern on your cake. Sprinkle some sugar on the stars to make them twinkle.

As you serve your cake, ask your guests if they can guess what it is. Then ask thought provoking questions, like: Why do you think G-d used stars to show Avraham how many children he would have?

VAYEIRA: AVRAHAM'S TENT

In this week's parsha, Avraham interupts a prophetic visit from God to welcome some wandering Arabs into his tent. Avraham's tent becomes the symbol of hopsitality and chesed (kindness), the characteristic for which Avraham is known. For this week's parsha cake, we're going to make Avraham's tent and learn a useful little trick in the process.

Take any size cake and ice it. Icing is preferable for this trick; Rich's whip is not stiff enough. Go to our Tips and Techniques page for the recipe. Once you have iced the whole cake, sprinkle it with brown sugar. Liberally. This will make your cake look like a sandy desert. (As you can imagine, this technique will be useful for many parsha cakes.)

To make the tent, take 4 bamboo shish-kabob skewers and plant them, in the shape of a square, in the middle of your cake. Using parchment paper, cut a square that is larger than the skewers. Simply place the parchment paper on the skewers, and fold the edges, so some excess paper will hang down. This is Avraham's tent. (If you're ambitious, you can make it with a fruit roll-up.) If you have some small action figures (from a LegoTM set works best), place them under the tent, or walking by.

As you serve the cake, ask: Why would Avraham leave the Divine Presence to help some strangers?

CHAYEI SARAH: THE MONEY CAKE OR, THE CAKE OF MACHPELAH

In this week's Parsha, Avraham buys Maras HaMachpelah, the cave in Hebron, in which to bury his deceased wife, Sarah.

This week is another easy cake: Ice any cake a nice lemon-yellow color. Then pile some foil-covered coins in the middle (like Chanukah gelt). This can be the money Avraham used to purchase the cave from Efron.

For the more ambitious decorator: Take a cupcake, and hollow out a small hole in the center. Place it on one corner of your cake, with the hole facing the center of the cake. Now ice the entire cake the same color, and ice over the cupcake, too. The entire cake will now look like it has a cave on one end of it. Place some figurines around the cake if you have them, or sprinkle some brown sugar to look like sand.

As you serve your cake, ask: Why was Avraham so careful to pay for the land where he buried Sarah?


TOLDOS: THE BOWL OF LENTILS CAKE

In this week's parsha, Toldos, Eisav sells his birthright to Yaakov for a bowl of lentils. So for this week's cake, we're going to make a bowl of lentils. Bake a round cake. Level it before you ice it: using a serrated knife cut the rise off the top of the cake.

With a sharp knife, cut a very shallow cut about 3/4 of an inch in from the outside edge, and about an inch deep. With a soup spoon, gently remove a VERY SMALL amount of the cake. If you remove too much, the edges of the cake will fall off; you are just trying to give the impression of a bowl. Now ice the cake with either icing or Rich's whip, smoothing the icing with a spatula dipped in hot water. Advanced decorators may want to actually bake the cake in a metal bowl, remove it, and ice a pattern on the rim.

Now fill your indentation with chocolate lentils, the pareve version of M&MsTM, available where kosher candies are sold.

As you serve your cake, ask your guests: What is a birthright? Why would a person "sell" their birthright?

VAYEITZEI: JACOB’S WELL

In this week's parsha, Vayeitzei, Jacob rolls a big stone off the mouth of a well when he meets Rachel. For this cake, we will use a new, multimedia technique.

To prepare: Bake one cake (any size), a cupcake, and prepare some jello: purple, or clear with blue food coloring. When looking at the cake from above, cut a circle about 2" in diameter. Remove all the cake from that hole: this is your well. Now ice the cake (don't ice the inside of the hole) and sprinkle it with brown sugar; this is the ground. Shape the cupcake into a rock shape, and ice that as well. (Advanced decorators can use a gray shade for the rock.) Just before serving, fill the well with jello. Place the rock on top of the hole.

When you bring the cake to the table you can say "Well, well well, it's time for the ParshaCake!" See if any of your guests know which of our forefathers met their wives at a well.

Ask: What do you think is so special about a well, and why would our Matriarchs have found their match there?

PARSHA CAKES© VAYISHLACH: A GIFT CAKE

In this parsha, Yaakov sends gifts to his evil twin brother, Eisav. This week’s ParshaCake represents those gifts: it’s a wrapped gift box.

The quick and easy version will use some (washed) giftwrap ribbon and a re-made giftwrap bow, or, for the more adventuresome among you, a new skill: using Fondant.
Fondant may seem tricky, but it’s quite easy. Simply purchase some or at the local crafts store (like Michael’s) or online at www.wilton.com.

We’ll get to using the fondant in a moment. First, bake a rectangular or square cake. Once it is cool, level the rise from the top of the cake and then ice the cake all over with a pastel color icing of your choice. (Icing works better for fondant than Rich’s Whip, click here for the icing recipe.) Smooth the top and sides of the cake with a spatula that has been dipped in very hot water and then dried. If your spatula is wet, the colored icing will have streaks.

Now, back to the ribbon. If you are going to use regular giftwrap ribbon, simply wash and dry it very well, and lay it on the cake as you would wrap a present. Using the fondant will not be much different. Go to our Tips and Techniques page for directions.

Place strips of Fondant on the cake as you would a ribbon on a box. Make a second piece so the two ribbons cross in the center. To learn how to make a bow, click here.

As you serve your cake, ask your guests: If Yaakov was fearful of Eisav, why would he send him a gift? Do we usually send gifts to people we fear?

VAYEISHEV: PIT OF SNAKES

In this week's parsha, Vayeishev, Josef's brothers throw him into the pit. The verse tells us that the pit was empty, there was no water in it. Rashi asks: Why does the verse have to tell us the pit was empty and there was no water in it? One phrase would have been enough. The answer is that while the pit was empty of water, it had--you guessed it, snakes and scorpions in it. So this week's cake will be a pit with snakes.

By now you probably get the idea: Bake a cake, any size. Ice it. Use a biscuit cutter or a knife to cut out a hole. If you'd like, use the brown sugar technique and sprinkle the icing liberally with brown sugar. This will make the cake look like a desert scene, with a pit. Just before serving, put some gummy snakes at the bottom of the hole (if you do it too soon, the snakes will dry out.) If you have some extra little toy men, you can put them standing around the hole, looking in.

As you serve the cake, ask your guests if they can figure out the scene. Then ask them, “Was this an early episode of "Fear Factor,"did G-d have a plan?”

MIKEITZ: SHEAVES OF WHEAT

In Parshas Miketz, Pharaoh dreams of seven healthy sheaves of wheat that are swallowed by seven sickly sheaves. Josef correctly interprets the dreams and is made viceroy over all of Egypt. The ParshaCake will illustrate this dream.

Bake any sized cake, level it and ice it with your favorite icing (either Rich’s Whip or Buttercream will work for this). Keep ½ cup of the icing to the side, and dye it a golden color. First add yellow food coloring to make a medium shade of yellow, then add a drop of green and a drop of red food coloring to the yellow mixture to make gold.

Now we’re going to use the golden icing—with a pastry bag and decorating tips—to illustrate the wheat. (Tips can be purchased at most craft stores. For instructions on using a pastry bag, see www.wilton.com/decorating/basic/decobags.cfm.) Use a #3 or #4 tip to draw seven long, straight lines on the right half of the cake. Then draw seven, short straight lines on the other side of the cake, slightly closer together. On the tall stems, use Leaf Tip #67 to pipe leaves on an upward angle on either side of the stems from the middle to the top — making sheaves of wheat. (You may want to practice on a paper plate first; keep rotating the bag until you find the position that generates the best leaf.) Make a few droopy withering leaves on the shorter stems.

As you serve your cake, you can say, “Josef was a prisoner standing before Pharaoh, and Pharaoh praised him for his excellent dream interpretation. Yet Josef did not take the credit, instead he thanked G-d. Why?”

VAYIGASH: PHARAOH’S WAGONS

In Parshas Vayigash, next week’s parsha, Yosef sends his brothers back to the Land of Canaan to pick up Yaakov in Pharaoh’s wagons, and he gives them provisions for the way—food, clothes and 300 pieces of silver for Binyomin, his closest brother. For the parshacake, we will make a wagon laden with the silver that Yosef gave to Binyomin.

This cake should be square or rectangular. You may want to level the top. Ice the whole cake, then use 4 round cookies as wheels. (They should stick nicely to the icing.) If you’re feeling ambitious, use a breadstick for the handle. Now cover the wagon with sprinkles and cake glitter: remember, this is one of Pharaoh’s royal wagons, make it look regal! Lastly, top it with chocolate Chanukah gelt, Yosef’s gift to Binyomin.

As you serve your cake, be sure your guests know what it is. Then ask them: “I thought Pharaoh was wicked to the Jews. Why did he send his royal wagons to get Yaakov? What changed, and why?

VAYECHI: YEHUDA’S LION

In Parshas Vayechi, Yaakov gives a final blessing to each of his sons, which he bases on who they are and what he foresees for them. Yehuda, for whom the Jewish people are named, is described as having the characteristics of a lion, so for this week’s ParshaCake we will create the image that this lionhearted man brings to mind.

Bake a round cake and a cupcake, and split the cupcake in half horizontally. We will need several colors of icing this week: a small amount of white, a small amount of black, light brown, medium brown and dark brown. To make the varying shades, gradually add more and more cocoa.

For the lion’s nose, place the bottom half of the cupcake upside down on the center of the round cake and cover the whole thing with light brown icing, making a smooth mound in the center. Cut a large triangle out of the top half of the cupcake, place it on the mound and cover it in black icing using the star tip. While the black icing is in the pastry bag, use the #3 or #4 straight tip to draw on the mouth, the eyes and some whiskers. Use white icing to fill in the eyes.

To make the mane, we will put the medium and dark shades of icing into a large pastry bag at the same time. To do this, make a two inch cuff on the top edge of the pastry bag, this will help to hold it open. With a large cake spatula paint a large thick stripe of dark brown icing from the tip to the top of the bag. Then carefully fill the rest of the bag with medium brown icing. Using a #21 large star tip, pipe long strands of lion hair for the mane.

When your bringing this fearsome lion head to the table ask: “Why are the Jewish People like lions?”

SHEMOS: THE PYRAMIDS

Next week’s parsha is Parshas Shemos. In it, the Egyptians become uncomfortable with the Jewish Nation in their midst. The Egyptian exile begins, and the Jews are forced to build storage cities and pyramids. So will we, with some cake, and a little creative cutting. I’ll explain the upscale version first; a simpler design is at the end of this column.

Bake a cake in a loaf pan, a bread loaf pan will do. Now here’s the trick: Cut the cake on a diagonal. That’s right: Look at one end of the cake. Draw an imaginary line from the top left corner of that end to the bottom right corner, like in Figure A. Cut all the way through the cake on that line. You will now have two long triangles.



Simply flip the halves over, so the side you have cut is out—and the uncut sides are down, and press together, like Figure B (the dashed lines represent the cut.) Spread some icing between the halves, it will help them stick. Then ice the outside of your cake, a light brown brick color will do. Outline the bricks with a toothpick, or darker icing. Viola! A long pyramid. Every slice will be in the shape of a pyramid, too.



For a simpler cake: Make a square or round cake and ice the whole thing white. On top, outline a pyramid with some brown-colored icing (available in cans or tubes at most supermarkets), and fill it in. Now you have a pyramid on your cake.

As you serve the cake, ask your guests: Why would G d have allowed us to become slaves to the Egyptians?

PARSHA BO: THE DOORPOST

In Parshas Bo, G-d gives the Children of Israel very specific instructions in order to protect them during the final plague. He asks them to place the blood of the Pascal lamb on their doorposts, as a sign that the angel of death should pass over them. For the ParshaCake, we will transform a 9” x 13” cake into a doorway from the time of Moses.

For this cake, you’ll need white icing (or Rich’s Whip,) and black (or brown) icing, food coloring or food coloring gel, as well as some red gel icing or red licorice. The colored icing and decorating gel can be purchased, with kosher certification, at any grocery store.

After your 9” x 13” cake has cooled, slice off the rise on the top of the cake. Ice the entire cake in white, or tint the white a light brown color. Then, using a toothpick, trace a door and a door frame on your cake. This step will help to plan out your design. You can now follow your lines with the black icing. Use the black icing to make a doorknob as well. All that’s left is to decorate your doorframe, with either a generous squirt of red gel icing or a piece of red licorice.

As you serve your cake, ask your guests: Why do you think G-d needed a sign to protect the Jewish People from the plague? Does this sign remind you of anything we put on our doors today?

BESHALACH: SPLITTING OF THE SEA CAKE

The parshacake for Parshas Beshalach is the cake that started it all. The concept of parsha cakes comes from the Splitting of the Sea Cake originally made by Rabbi and Mrs. Jeremy Kagan of Jerusalem (no relation to the Kagans of Denver.) In Beshalach, we discuss the splitting of the sea, which happened on the seventh day after we left Egypt. So on the seventh day of Passover, the Kagans would reenact the splitting of the sea, with cake. This is how you do it.

Make a rectangular sheet cake of any size, preferably yellow cake. (If you make it on Pesach itself, use spongecake.) You’ll also need a whipped-up Rich’s Whip, blueberry sauce (easy recipe on our website), two long knives, chocolate chips, and 3 big marshmallows (or other large candies).

Spread the Rich’s Whip over the cake, using a lot of extra whip. Don’t make it smooth, leave it choppy, like waves. Before serving, lightly drizzle the cake with blueberry sauce. This is to color the whip and make it blue, like water.

Now slice the cake in half and bring it to the table. At the table, narrate the tale, using the following motions: Hold the 3 marshmallows on one side of the cake, saying:

“Moshe, Ahron and Miriam brought the Jewish People out of Egypt, to the Sea of Reeds. The Jews were trapped! The sea was in front of them, and the Egyptians were behind them. What would Moshe, Ahron and Miriam do?” (Take the two knives, place them in the middle of the cake and use them to push the two halves apart)

“…Miraculously, the sea split!” (Show how Moshe, Ahron and Miriam marshmallow, representing the Jews, walked through the sea.)

“Oh no! Here come the Egyptians!” (After the marshmallows make it through, pour the chips into the space between the cake.)

“And look what Hashem has in store for them!” (Use the knives to push the cake halves back together.)

“Crash! The sea closed on them, the Egyptians were drowned and the Jews were saved!” Enjoy!

YISRO: THE LUCHOS CAKE

If you haven’t tried to make a ParshaCake yet, this may be the cake that you have been waiting for. We’ve designed a cake for next week’s Parsha, Parshas Yisro, that is short on cake decorating skills, but long on encouraging discussion at your Shabbos table. In the Parsha, Moshe Rabbeinu presents the luchos (two tablets) filled with the Ten Commandments, to the Jewish people. You can now present the luchos to your guests.

Bake any flavor 9x13” cake, let it cool and make it level using a serrated knife. Cut the cake in half so you have two smaller rectangles (approximately 9x6½”). Using either whipped Rich’s Whip or a batch of icing, to which you have added a little cocoa or black food coloring to make it “stone colored”, ice the two tablets. If you like, tint a small amount of the icing darker and make a question mark in the center of each cake.

For those of you who want to get a little fancier, you can decorate the luchos with green leaves and flowers, showing how Mt. Sinai burst into flowers at this auspicious moment. Instructions for leaves and flowers can be found at www.wilton.com.

When you make the trip down from your kitchen to your table, ask your guests to name the Ten Commandments. Don’t give them any hints by writing them on the cake!

MISHPATIM: A LAID TABLE

In Parshas Mishpatim Moshe teaches many Torah laws to the elders, who then pass them on to the people. When teaching the mitzvos, Moshe was told to place the statutes before them “like food on an arranged table” (shulchan aruch), ready for people to sit down and eat. So let’s create a very simple table to feast on G-d’s laws.

Bake any flavor 9 x 13 inch cake, level and ice with either whipped Rich’s whip or frosting, tinted the color of your favorite table cloth. Smooth the icing with a warm spatula and round the top edges to give it the look of fabric. You can make a woven -like pattern on the cloth by using the tines of a fork. First press them horizontal, then vertical then horizontal again and repeat in rows until you get a nice pattern. Now it’s time to set the table. Using a colorful plastic fork, knife and spoon as well as a small dessert plate make a place setting on your cake. Put a napkin next to it on your serving tray and place it on the table when you are ready to feast.

As you serve your cake, ask your guests why the Code of Jewish Law is called the Shulchan Aruch (prepared table)?

TERUMA: MISHKAN CAKE

Next week's Parsha, Teruma, discusses the building of the Mishkan, the M*A*S*H 4077 version oftraveling Holy Temple. The entire structure was collapsible and movable, making it slightly different from the Holy Temple in form, but not in function. For our cake, we're going to make a model of the Mishkan. For this design, you'll need a cake baked in a loaf pan, some icing in black, white, and yellow (either make your own or buy pre-made icing in tubes), and some red Fondant. You can buy Fondant at Hobby Lobby or Michael's, and it's easier than it sounds: it rolls out like cookie dough, but it's made of sugar.

Make the cake and let it cool. Now sprinkle your countertop with a little powdered sugar to prevent the Fondant from sticking to the counter, and dust a rolling pin with some powdered sugar, too. (It acts like flour and dough, but since this stuff is made of sugar, flour would make it taste icky.) Roll out the fondant until it makes a rectangle that's big enough to drape over your cake, so the whole cake is covered, like child's fort covered with a blanket. Using your icing to make parallel stripes down the middle: black, orange, white, black, yellow.

As you serve your cake, ask your guests: What must it have been like to build the Mishkan? What about to see into it?

TETZAVEH: CHOSHEN MISHPAT CAKE

Next week’s parsha, Parshas Tetzaveh, translates wonderfully into icing. With a rectangular cake, some white icing, and assorted tubes of colored gel icing, we’ll make a Choshen Mishpat, the jeweled breastplate of the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. The Choshen Mishpat was inlaid with 12 precious stones, which were engraved with the names of the ten tribes.

After your rectangular cake has cooled, ice the whole cake with white icing. Then use a toothpick to trace a 3 x 4 grid of 12 squares. Outline the squares, using a tube of gold icing to look like the setting of a gem. Once you have outlined all the gems, fill each one in with some gel or colored icing (best to purchase the small tubes from the supermarket, the colors are dazzling and the recipe is easy). The kids will love this part, especially if you also get some sprinkles or colored icing sugar to fill in those gems. Make mixed patterns once you run out of colors.

As you bring your breastplate to the table, ask your guests about the clothes the Kohen Gadol wore. Why did he need special clothes? How did the Breastplate help him to do his job?

KI SISA: BROKEN TABLETS CAKE

In Parshas Ki Sisa, Moshe Rabbeinu discovers the Golden Calf on his way down from Mount Sinai, and then smashes the luchos (two tablets) filled with the Ten Commandments. For Parshas Yisro we made the luchos, now let’s make the smashed ones.

Bake any flavor 9x13” cake, let it cool and make it level using a serrated knife. Cut the cake in half so you have two smaller rectangles (approximately 9x6½”). Using either whipped Rich’s Whip or a batch of icing, to which you have added a little cocoa or black food coloring to make it “stone colored”, ice the two tablets. If you like, tint a small amount of the icing darker and write the letters aleph through yud down the center of the cakes, five letters on each. Lastly, take a knife and cut your luchos into pieces, as if they were smashed into shards.

When you serve your broken luchos, ask your guests why Moshe smashed them? Better yet, ask them why he brought them down from Mount Sinai on the first place, knowing what he would find when he arrived?

VAYAKHEL-PIKUDEI:

Since the Torah reviews the Construction of the Tabernacle in the two Parshas read next week, for our ParshCake, we’ll review what we made the first time. If you didn’t have a chance to make the Tabernacle cake or the Choshen Mishpat cake, now’s your chance.

They can be found online at http://www.thejewishexperience.com/Resources/ParshaCake.htm

And if you already made them, serve one again. When you do, ask you guests, why would the Torah which is written with such conservation of words, spend another round of parshas discussing the Tabernacle?

VAYKIRA: ALTER CAKE

Next week’s parsha, Vaykira, discusses many of the sacrifices offered in the Holy Temple on the altar. So for next week's parsha cake, we're going to build an altar.

Bake any cake in a 9 x 13” pan. Cut a 3” strip off the shorter side of the cake, and lean it on its side. Now make a diagonal cut through the length of it, to make a ramp. From the big block of cake you have left, cut off one third of the cake and, with icing between the layers, place it on top of the larger piece. Now place the ramp in front of it. You can ice the whole thing with Rich's whip. You can even look at the end of this week’s parsha, Vayakhel, for ideas on how to decorate it. Then put a little action figure at the bottom-he's the Kohen. You can even put a plastic sheep or cow next to him.

As you serve your cake, ask your guests: do you think it was tough or easy to be a Kohen?

PESACH SPECIAL: SPLITTING OF THE SEA CAKE

This week we'll take a break from our regularly scheduled parsha cake column, to remind you that Pesach is coming, it's time to use the Splitting of the Sea Cake, which we discussed in Parashas Bo. This cake will help you to reenact the splitting of the Red Sea (actually, the REED Sea,) which actually happened on the Seventh Day of Pesach. We have a custom in our house of acting out the whole scene on the Seventh Day of Pesach: Abba (Daddy) acts like Pharoah (we even have a Pharoah mask!) and he chases the kids through two rapidly moving blue sheets held up by Mommy and friends (to look like the sea.) It's a laugh riot.

So this is how you make it:
Make a sheet cake, any size, but it must be a rectangle. (On Pesach, you can use a mix or make a sponge cake.) Yellow cake is best. Now you’ll need: a whipped-up Rich’s Whip (on Pesach, use Mishpacha or Kinneret), blueberry sauce (easy recipe on our website), two long knives, chocolate chips, and 4 big marshmallows (any large candies will do).

Spread the Rich’s Whip over the cake, using a lot of extra whip. Don’t make it smooth, leave it choppy, like waves. Before serving, lightly drizzle the cake with blueberry sauce. This is to color the whip and make it blue, like water.

Now slice the cake in half, and bring it to the table. At the table, narrate the tale, using the following motions: Hold the four marshmallows on one side of the cake, saying, “The Jews were trapped! The sea was in front of them, and the Egyptians were behind them, gaining on them. What could they do? Nachshon ben Aminadav realized that the only thing they could do was walk into the sea. So he started to walk…” (put the marshmallow on the cake) “until the water was right below his nose, and then…” (now take the two knives, place them in the middle of the cake and use them to push the two halves apart) “the sea split!” (Now illustrate how Nachshon, Moshe and Miriam, representing the Jews, walked through the sea.) “And here come the Egyptians!” (After the marshmallows make it through, pour the chips into the space between the cake.) “And look what Hashem has in store for them.” (Now use the knives push the cake back together.) “Crash! The sea closed on them, and they drowned.” Enjoy!

SPECIAL RECIPE: CHOCOLATE WALNUT TORTE

¼ c. unsweetened cocoa
2 c. sugar
2 (6oz.) pkgs. ground walnuts
¼ t. salt
12 eggs, separated
1 container frozen Rich’s Whip (non- dairy)
8 ounces of strawberry jam
1 large box of fresh strawberries (sweetened if nec.)

Prepare three 9” round pans by rubbing with margarine, line bottoms with wax paper cut to fit, grease again. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cocoa and walnuts and set aside. In a mixing bowl beat egg yolks at high speed for 3 minutes, reduce speed and gradually add sugar. Beat 2 more minutes.

In a clean, dry, grease free mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with salt until stiff, but not dry. Fold the egg whites and nut mixture into the yolks 1/3 at a time.

Divide into 3 prepared 9” cake pans. Bake 45-50 minutes or until top springs back lightly and sides come away from pan. Invert onto racks. Let cool then remove from pans.

Whip the thawed Rich’s Whip until stiff. Wash the strawberries, slice half of them and sprinkle with sugar If they are tart..

Construct cake. Level each layer. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Slather ½ of the jam on top. Spread 1/3 of the whipped Rich’s Whip and top with a few strawberries. Repeat with the second layer. Finish the top layer with Rich’s Whip and a circle of strawberries on the edge. If the cakes are high you may want to cut in half and just use 2 split layers for a 4 layer cake.

FIELD OF WHEAT CAKE

One of the commandments given in Parshas Kedoshim is that we do not harvest the entirety of our crops. We leave the corner of the field unharvested for the poor to come and take. To encourage discussion of the mitzvah, we’ll make a field of wheat.

We’ll start by making a 9 x 13” cake, iced inbrown to resemble land. In the corners of the cake, then draw sheaves of wheat with golden icing.To make sheaves of wheat (which we did for Yaakov's dream cake), draw a line (using a #4 or #5 tip) about 6 inches long and make short wheat grains slanted upwards of the top half of the line.

When you serve the cake, ask your guests why we don’t harvest the corners of our fields, and do they know any other ways the Torah specifies we harvest our crops.

SUKKAH CAKE

Next week’s parsha, Emor, discusses the holidays. Sukkot is one of them, so for next week’s parsha cake, let’s make a Sukkah. You’ll need a cake shaped like a box, so you can either use to 8” square cakes, or one 9” x 13” cake cut in half. Level the cakes and ice the top of one, putting the second layer on top.

To make the skach, use some coconut died with green food coloring (be sure to let it dry!). (You can add some cinnamon sticks or bamboo skewers for effect.) For the wood-look along the sides, use some brown icing (store bought or made) with a star tip: simply drag long lines of icing down the sides of the sukkah. Cut squares out of a fruit leather for the door and windows.

As you serve your guests, ask: When did the Jews sit in sukkot? What must it have been like to travel in the desert and live in huts?

THE FALLOW FIELD

Here’s a cake for this week’s parsha, Behar, that will draw on some skills we’ve used for previous cakes. Parshas Behar discusses the mitzvah of shemitta, the sabbatical year of the agricultural cycle. During this seventh year, the land is left uncultivated, and the farmers are encouraged to learn Torah instead. So for next week’s cake we’re going to make a fallow field.

For this cake you’ll need white icing (or whip,) green icing (Rich’s Whip won’t work for this; it needs to be authentic icing, either store-bought or made with our recipe), a leaf and star tip on your decorating bag (store bought icings usually come with these tips), and candy fruit, which is usually available by the pound wherever fine kosher confections are sold.

Ice your entire cake with the white icing. Then fill a decorating bag with green icing and attach the leaf tip. Holding the bag on the cake at a 45? angle, squeeze the bag and pull it up into the air. If you’ve got the tip positioned correctly, you’ll make grass.
When you’ve made a few clumps of grass, scatter the fruit all around. For the finishing touch, use your star tip to make a scalloped edge around the cake.

As you serve your cake, tell your guests that shemitta is observed in Israel to this very day. Ask them to imagine Israel today with observant Jewish farmers neither harvesting nor planting. How will people in the cities get vegetables? What about people’s flower gardens, how might they be affected?

THE 12 FLAGS

We'll be starting a new book of the Torah next week, and it is sure to be delicious. Next week's parsha, Bamidbar, starts with a census, and a list of the heads of the 12 Tribes of Israel. It continues with a discussion of the flags, and describes their location around the Tabernacle. So for next week's cake, we're going to make the 12 flags, all together, in formation.

It works like this: Make a cake in a 9" X 13" pan. Ice it white. Now, get some tubes of store bought black icing, brown icing and gel icing in jewel tones. Make a square with brown icing in the middle of the cake. With the black icing, outline 3 flags on each side of the square, for 12 flags total. Make them small; just a little empty square on a stick. Now fill in the squares with Jewel Toned Icing: we learn that the colors of the flags mirrored the color of the stones on the Cohen Gadol's breastplate. Use patterns when you run out of colors.

As you serve your cake, mention to your guests that the Angels saw the Tribes' flags and were jealous. Why might they be jealous? And if the Jews are one nation, why do they need 12 flags? Enjoy!

BIRCAS COHANIM CAKE

In next week's parsha, Nasso, we learn about the Bircas Cohanim, the blessing of the High Priests. Outside of Israel, Cohanim make that blessing on holidays. If you are your children go to services, they will see the Cohanim cover their heads with their tallis as they repeat the blessing. What you usually can't see is that they are holding their hands in a very special way: with a large gap between their third and fourth fingers on each hand. So for next week's parsha, we're going to make an Bircas Cohanim cake. Simply ice a cake with any color, and ask someone (a child, yourself) to wash their hands well. Then trace their hands with a toothpick in the icing, and fill in the lines you have made with another icing color. Use a star tip and then smooth the icing out with a dry spatula, to avoid smearing the colors.

There are still a few days left to make your Mt. Sinai cake, a yearly tradition in our house. We try to make Mt. Sinai come alive in all its technicolor (and confectionary) glory. We use a Wilton Doll Cake pan (you can buy them at hobby shops, craft stores, even some supermarkets). If you bake a chocolate cake in that pan, using the pan directions, it comes out in the shape of a mountain. You can ice it white or leave it brown; we like to use white icing and brown sugar to make the mountian look like it's covered in sand. The midrash teaches us that the mountain bloomed with flowers when the Torah was given, so we pipe flowers and leaves all over the cake. Place some cotton candy clouds on top along with-art of the Tablets of the Law (taped on cardboard), and you've got Mt. Sinai. Each year we try to learn a bit more about the giving of the Torah, and demonstrate it in candy, so be creative and have fun! Have an inspiring and delicious Shavuot.

GIANT FRUIT CAKE

Next week's parsha, Shlach, includes the Cheit HaMeraglim, the Sin of the Spies. Before entering Israel, the Jews decided to send out a reconnaissance mission. They wanted to know more about the land that Hashem had given them. The Spies came back with stories of giant fruits and giant people. So for next week's parsha cake, we're going to make a cake with giant fruit. Here's your chance to get creative. You can either ice your cake white and then cut fruit shapes out of fruit leather, or you can use a new technique.

Buy kosher marzipan (almond paste, sometimes sold in cans) and dye it with food coloring. Knead it like dough until it softens, and add a drop of food coloring as you knead. Then use it like modeling clay and mold grapes, which you can put in a cluster on your cake. Dye another piece of marzipan brown, and use it to mold the stem. Place a little toy person next to the grapes (we prefer Lego TM).

As you serve your cake, ask your guests how you would feel if you saw such huge fruit and giant people. Then ask: What would make you feel safe?

SWALLOWING GROUND

In Parshas Korach, a small group of people rebel against Moshe’s leadership. Led by Korach, they suggest that his authority is not Divinely granted. As a supernatural proof of G-d’s desire that Moshe lead the people, the ground opens and swallows Korach and his rebellious followers. For the Parshacake, we’ll make a ground swallowing him up.

The basic cake is simple. Bake any size flat cake, such as a 9x13” rectangle. To decorate it like the ground, first ice it white, and then either sprinkle brown sugar on top, or to make it look like grass, take some green icing and a leaf tip as we’ve done for previous cakes, and place grass in little clumps around the cake.

Next take a knife and cut a jagged line through the center of the cake. Separate the two halves by a few inches and place a little plastic action figure (we prefer Lego TM, they're the perfect size for a cake) in between to represent Korach.

When you serve your cake, ask your guests, “Why would Korach have died in such a unique way?”

STICKS AND STONES

In Parshas Chukas, Moshe is told to bring water from a stone. He strikes the stick, and water comes forth, but he errs in the process to such an extent that he is not allowed to enter the Promised Land as a result. To commemorate this tragic event, we’ll make a stick and stone cake.

Make any flavor 9x13” cake. Before you bake it, remove some of the batter, and make a cupcake at the same time.

Take a half a cup of white icing and add a few drops of blue food coloring to it for water. Take another half a cup of the icing and put black or brown food coloring into it, making grey for the rock. Ice the cake in white, and the cupcake in grey. Place the cupcake in the center of the cake, and put blue icing on the stone and flowing out across the cake in the shape of a stream, flowing from the rock.

Lastly, buy some chocolate licorice and place one stick leaning next to the stone. Voila! Water from a stone. When you serve your cake, ask your guests, “What mistake did Moshe make in hitting the stone?”

THE TENT CAKE

Next week’s parsha is Parshas Balak, in which the evil prophet Bilaam tries to curse the Jewish Nation. His efforts are in vain, for each time he tries to curse the Jews, praise and blessings come out of his mouth instead. One time, Bilaam attempts to curse the Jewish encampment. What comes out of his mouth? Instead of a curse, a verse. One we say every day in our prayers: “How great are your tents, Yaakov; your dwelling places, Israel.” What was so praiseworthy about their tents? The modest children of Israel were careful to place the openings of their tents away from each other, so each tent would not look into the opening of a neighbor’s tent. So for next week’s parsha, we’re going to make the Jewish encampment: Tents!

For this cake you’ll need some Petit Beurre Biscuits, available wherever fine kosher foods are sold (see the Kosher Month material on our website.) Store-bought colored icing in small tubes will help, but is not mandatory.

Ice a 9” x 13” cake with Rich’s Whip or buttercream icing. Then decorate one side of some Petit Beurre biscuits with your icing tubes. When they are dry, lean them together, in pairs, to make lovely tents on the top of the cake (boy-scout style lean-to tents, as you would lean two playing-cards together). Make sure the openings don’t face each other! Make more than two—relax, have fun! We don’t want you to be two tents.

As you serve your cake, ask: Why is it so special that the openings of the tents did not face each other? How can we copy that in our lives today?

SCALES OF JUSTICE

In next week's Parsha, Pinchas, the daughters of Tzelafchad ask for their deceased father's portion of the Land of Israel, claiming their rightful inheritance even though Tzelafchad had no sons to carry on his name. Hashem agreed to their request and the inheritance of land by a daughter became a 'decree of justice' for the Children of Israel. For this week's Parshacake we will create a Scale of Justice as a reminder of their special request.

Bake two round cakes, any flavor, and level them. Make a batch of icing and tint the icing a golden color, which can be created with yellow, a touch of green and a touch of red food coloring. Frost the two round cakes individually. Place them next to each other on a tray. Smooth the icing with a hot dry spatula.

Buy a thin wooden dowel, which you can get at a hobby store or Home Depot, and cut two pieces from it. One about 1 foot in length and a second piece about 9". (You could also use two long skewers.) Create a 't' shape by securing the two dowels with curling ribbon about 2" from the top of the longer piece. Take your 't' and sink the bottom of the dowel close to the center edge of one of the cake layers so the 't' shape goes across the two cakes. This is your scale. To create the chains which hold the plates, measure 3 lengths of ribbon for each cake, long enough to be secured in the middle to the ends of the 't' and tucked under the edges of the cake. Space the ribbons evenly around the layer. Pile each side high with chocolate coins or candy. Voila!

When your serve your cake (carefully), ask your guests what are weighed on the two sides of the scales of justice. Is Justice an important Jewish concept?

LEVITE CITY

Next week’s parsha is actually two parshiot: Mattos and Masei. The second one, Parshas Masei, includes a description of the special cities given to the Levites. Unlike the other tribes, the Levites were not assigned a specific region of Israel as an eternal inheritance. Instead, they were given 48 cities distributed throughout the country.

After the Jews were told about the cities, they were given a lesson in urban planning: each city would have a specific outer area for fields and vineyards; an open, uncultivated area; and these areas would surround the city itself. They would be squares within a square, like the square in the margin. So for next week’s parsha, we’ll make a Levite City.

Either make a square cake, or make a 9” X 13” cake and cut off 4” on the side (nibble on it later). With some black gel or buttercream icing, draw the outlines of two squares on your cake, as shown above. Using purple buttercream icing (or store-bought icing in a handy can), frost the outside square purple. This will be the Vineyards and the Fields. If you’re feeling creative, add some greenery, as we have for other cakes. The next square can be white, for the open spaces. And in the last square, have the kids build some buildings out of (washed) LegosTM, and place them on the innermost square of the cake. This is the City.

You may have to give your guests a few hints to help them figure out what this cake is. Once they do, ask them: Why would Hashem want the Levi’im to be distributed throughout the land, instead of putting them in one place? All the other tribes owned a region, a big part of the Land of Israel, but the Levi’im didn’t, all they had were their homes in these cities. How do you think that made their lives different from the rest of the Nation of Israel?

DEVARIM: SHIELD CAKE

Next week's parsha, Devarim, recounts many experiences the Jews had in the desert, including several battles the Jews fought with the Edomites and Midianites, amongst others. So for next week's parsha, we'll make a Shield Cake.

Any 9" x 13" cake will do: simply carve off the corners to shape your cake into a shield. Use a base coat to ice the whole shield white or light blue. Make a dark border with a darker shade of icing (as always, available in the baking aisle of your supermarket) and decorate the inner part of your shield as well. Try random designs, red hots, sprinkles, hard candies -- let the kids have fun.

As you present your cake, ask your guests: Why would G-d have the Jews fight to conquer the land instead of giving them an empty country? Swords and shields look exciting--are there any difficult parts to fighting? (that one's for the kids.) Send us your creative answers and pictures of your cake.

Back to Main Parsha Cakes page

The Jewish Experience is a dynamic outreach group building Jewish community in Denver with exciting social and educational programs, based in the JCC. We cater to all Jews, regardless of background or affiliation, offering sophisticated and enjoyable learning opportunities that are open to all.