Well, my friends, the time has finally come for you to create delicious infused treats at home. My team and I have spent months developing a product that removes the guesswork and, with the proper tools and knowledge, allows you to whip up all sorts of accurately dosed delectables in the comfort of your own kitchen. In this column, I’m going to share the tools you need to be successful in your bakes; some basic math to give you a better understanding of how to properly dose; and a delicious “interactive” cake recipe you can confidently enjoy, and share, with adult (21+) loved ones.
If you haven’t had a chance to read my previous articles, I suggest looking at previous Toss the Taboo pieces on ediblemaine.com where I talk about major issues with inaccurate online recipes (misdosing is a biggie), how to infuse accurately, and my experience with microdosing.
Infusing This Recipe
We’re going to use a product that has been designed especially for this recipe. Don’t go buy cannabis—we are not making canna-butter or oils at home. Pot + Pan’s “Baking Bar” is an infused pantry ingredient that allows you to accurately dose a wide variety of dishes and desserts at home with some basic math (I promise it is easy math!). The bar is made of 70% dark chocolate and is perfect for all sorts of baking applications, like the Campfire Cake recipe below.
The Baking Bar has 20 servings that have been infused and lab-tested for THC potency. Each square, or serving, contains 2.5 milligrams of THC. For our Campfire Cake recipe, we will be making eight cakes with a potency of 2.5 milligrams per cake, so we’ll use eight servings of the Baking Bar in our recipe. If you want to scale up to, say, 16 cakes with a potency of 2.5 milligrams per cake, simply double your recipe and your number of servings, using 16 pieces of the Baking Bar.
Tools for Success
Just like when I work with cannabis material at Pot + Pan, the first step is to ensure you have the proper tools ready. Precision is vital to the success of not only accurate dosing, but also the bake itself, because baking is a science even when cannabis isn’t involved. I highly recommend picking up the following to ensure the best results for your infused creations:
- Pot + Pan Baking Bar. You can find the Baking Bar needed in the following recipe, as well as my other favorite offerings, at Pot + Pan’s retail experience, located at 646 Forest Avenue in Portland.
- Digital scale (with gram measurements). We’ll use a digital scale to accurately measure ingredients, like our cake batter and infused ganache. Make sure the scale has the option to measure in grams, as grams give the most precise measurements.
- Digital thermometer. A thermometer will accurately read the temperature of the sugar syrup used to make the pillowy marshmallow fluff for our cake topping.
- 0.75-ounce ice cream scoop. We’ll use a scoop in combination with a digital scale to properly portion our ganache. A scoop is a great tool to have around when portioning things like cookies, batters, and doughs to ensure a consistent and accurate bake.
- Culinary torch. Every kitchen should have one of these as it’s a great tool for toasting things like marshmallows, crème brûlée, and so much more.
- 21-inch piping bags. Piping bags will help us properly portion the prepared batter. We’ll also use them to pipe marshmallow fluff when it’s time to assemble the cakes. I prefer Ateco 21-inch bags, but even a gallon zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off will do.
- “Jumbo” or 8-ounce cupcake pan. I find this size works best for lava cakes because the ratio of cake to molten chocolate center is very important. 6-ounce ramekins will also work.
- THC warning markers. Ensure you properly label your infused creations with the dosage when sharing with adult (21+) friends.
