TikTok Is In Awe Of A 1950s Cake Made Entirely Of Peanuts And Beans
It's no secret that food trends tend to change drastically over the decades, which is why it's so fun to look back on recipes of yore. The 1950s were a particularly interesting time when it comes to culinary leanings, as many dishes appear downright bizarre these days. Per Insider, "The Joy of Cooking is considered a seminal book from that era that features many head-scratching recipes. For example, the preference for gelatin-based desserts and entrees seems inexplicable to modern diners, many of whom equate Jell-O and similar products with childhood and hospital stays (per Tufts Medicine).
A reporter for Insider decided to taste-test a few of these recipes in order to get a feel for how they'd fare on modern palates. One recipe for tomato aspic, a savory gelatin dish, really put the taste testers through the paces. One likened it to "ketchup that's been sitting out for like, a day," while another stated it was highly similar to the sauce you'd find in canned pasta. While these statements are hardly ringing endorsements, people continue to experiment with old-timey recipes in the kitchen, with sometimes surprising results.
Riding the vintage recipe craze to TikTok stardom
Even casual enjoyers of social media will probably recognize B. Dylan Hollis. As explained by TV Tropes, Hollis is a content creator and influencer who does most of his work on TikTok. In addition to Hollis's many other creative pursuits, the majority of his videos focus on making vintage recipes and taste-testing the final product.
So far, Hollis's videos have proved wildly successful, racking up as many as nine million TikTok followers according to The Spokesman-Review. The most watched video on his page, which has almost 34 million views, featured a Great Depression-era recipe for peanut butter bread. He sources recipes from his massive collection of vintage cookbooks, and he currently has a whopping 340 books to choose from when making videos. And Hollis is not shy about letting his audience know when a recipe misses the mark, often reacting dramatically when he samples a less-than-pleasing dish. However, Hollis is sometimes stunned by the outcome, which was the case with a recent recipe.
Pinto beans and peanuts: cake ingredients that just work
From the start of Hollis's TikTok video, it's clear that he's not completely sold on the idea of a pinto bean cake. Using a recipe first developed in 1955, Hollis expresses dismay as the instructions call for two cans of beans, peanuts, honey, eggs, butter, and baking powder. At one point, as Hollis is contemplating the bean and peanut mixture, he proclaims it a "re-fried funeral" and questions whether the recipe was the result of throwing "a grenade down aisle six."
Upon pulling the concoction out of the oven, he's surprised to find that it's compellingly cake-like. The texture looks dense, while the cake has turned a pleasing shade of toasty brown while baking. After trying a slice, Hollis is clearly taken aback by the flavor, but in the best possible way. He almost becomes gleeful as he realizes that the monstrosity he was previously cursing is actually quite delicious. Describing the finished cake as "soft, dense, rich," Hollis finally declares that the cake is "phenomenal," much to the delight of his followers. Bakers like Hollis show just how fun experimenting with old recipes can be. Just maybe don't tell your loved ones about that secret ingredient. Or do, and channel another food influencer, Maangchi, who has a recipe for overstuffed sweet lima bean manju pastries that are proudly baked until golden brown.