A blog by Jorge Garcia.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Splatter Cakes

So I was tooling around my local Whole Foods, when I came across something so odd I had to take a picture of it.
It's pancake batter in a whipped cream can. I couldn't believe it. And it's "organic" no less. 
I ended up buying it. I wasn't sure yet if I was going to use it or just take it out periodically to show to people. 
Well in name of research one morning I decided to give it a try. 
I squirted my first pancake in the pan. 
Understandably because the can is pumped with air you will get an "airier" pancake. And by "airier" I mean "holier." And by "holier" I mean full of holes, not closer to heaven.
Okay it turned out alright but I figured making spray pancakes would allow for more adventurous shapes. 

So my second pancake had a little more flair. 
It's kind of a starfish. In the world of pancakes, if you start with a star you'll end up with a starfish. 

I liked my third one but it was a bitch to flip. 
BTW when it comes to pancakes, I'd pick jam over syrup every time. 

How did they taste you ask? Well... they were fun to cook. 

Somehow they just didn't taste "organic" to me. 

108 comments:

FETTS said...

I've been looking for that stuff forever and still haven't found it anywhere near me!

Kelly said...

That doesn't seem like a very "Whole Foods"ish product. Odd.

Jenn said...

Is it terribly wrong that I got excited when I saw that they made pancake bladder in a can?

Emily said...

OMG~!! I discovered this existed over a year ago and went nuts... but they didn't sell it in the Northeast anywhere! I emailed the company, and finally two months ago they CLAIM to sell it around here- but I have yet to see it at the stores listed. Someday it will be mine...

*~Dani~* said...

This is like heaven in a can, holier and all!

thoughts and ramblings said...

I get that all the time. We actually just made some this morning. My kids love getting pancakes in the shape of their initials. lol

I love the starfish pancake and the smiley face...how exactly DID you flip that thing?

No...it doesn't taste as good as pancakes from scratch....but who the hell has time for that? LOL

ps-LOVING this season so far!!!

Ralph- said...

when i hear Organic, i think of twigs and junk like that. As long as my pancakes dont taste like dirt, i think i would be fine. Also i dont like those buckwheat pancakes. As for syrup, i take mine with a little bit of butter and an egg, over easy. Get on that, would ya'

GasbarNut said...

and what precisely does "organic" taste like? Is it better? Somehow methinks not!

Adam said...

Mmmm I love jam on pancakes too!! Good stuff...strawberry all the way!

Oh and I am loving this season so far! :)

Unknown said...

We love this stuff! It does seem odd that organic pancake batter is in a can with propellants, but whatever. We like buttermilk pancakes, so we like the "twang" of the batter.

Kaileigh Blue said...

A friend of mine bought that once at a Whole Foods too. Just because it was funny. They were good to me. Maybe it helped that the friend is a trained Pastry chef so he knew how to cook them perfect.


Then again I don't get pancakes at home often.

Morriskats said...

I'm impressed! We were so excited to try this we planned a big "breakfast for dinner" and wanted to make "fake" eggs along with our "fake" pancakes. (I know they aren't fake but spraying them from a can just seemed so strange.) So we got Egg Beaters to go with them, and ended up burning all of it. Maybe now that I see this we will give them another try.

Tv Addict said...

I think I'll pass, that stuff looks too sketch for me. Nice experiment though

redelf said...

Every time I think of things in cans I think of The Tink...man in a can.

redelf said...

I meant THE TICK apparently my ability to type is slipping.....

my3boys said...

They have these at Costco in Colorado...I don't know if Costco carries them elsewhere.

Did anyone else chuckle when they saw that "Jenn" called it pancake "bladder". Tee hee!

Amy said...

I've seen that in hotels next to the waffle machine---you spray on the batter so there is less drips!

MFonvielle said...

Wow, I wonder what else they'll end up putting in a can.

ClistyB said...

Found mine at WalMart. They tasted so-so. But I was barely able to make enough cakes for my 5 kids. We double LOTS of recipes round here.

Michelle said...

that's totally boss.

Joey Polanski said...

Next up: Pancakes on a perforatd roll.

Unknown said...

You Americans have everything!

JennY. said...

I bought this same can of spray cakes too at a local discount grocery chain here in Sac, CA. Also thought, "Wow, organic!" Was about $4. My daughter tried it once after school and said, "blech!" It hung in the fridge door about 4 months and I JUST threw it out. 'Tis convenient, but 'tis also always better to make from scratch (or a really, really good box mix!) P.S. I stumbled upon this blog about 6 mths ago and I immediately made it a fav and have been LOVING it ever since. This is my first post. Jorge, you keep on keepin on sugar! Long live Chef Hurley!

Courtney said...

Strangely, it is sold at Costco too. I have to agree, not quite a good as the real thing but decent in a pinch. My kids kind of like them....

Duffman said...

Wow !! That's nast-E

Duffman said...

WOW !!! That's nast-E

Iberostar said...

My husband uses applesauce instead of syrup on his pancakes! I never saw the spray cakes - strange - but the shapes were great!! Whole Foods = Challa Raisin bread...yumm

everydayMOM said...

This is my first time here and I just want to say:
"Holy Smoke Monster! Are you really Hurley from LOST! You are my favorite character! Is this really your blog?" But since everyone else is commenting so nicely about the pancakes, I guess that would be over the top.

That pancake stuff looks really cool. I thought it was funny that you said you bought it not knowing if you would really use it or just show the can to people.

Jenn said...

LOL - I did type "bladder" instead of batter! Sorry!

Eatsruns said...

Probably "organic" in the "does not contain petrochemicals" sense!

JennY. said...

What I want to know is, how many ppl had to rush to the kitchen to whip up a batch of cakes after reading this blog?! I know I did! TJ's multigrain w/ a fried egg (& maple syrup). Would have had some bacon but I didn't have that kind of time! Damn I was hungry, hadn't eaten all day. Thanks for the suggest, Jorge ;o)

Unknown said...

I KNOW!!! I had some of those last year, and they are ok but for the whole organic and the coming out of a can...
Real pancakes are better. In fact I just made some today.
I love your posts, and find them hilarious.

Lady Em said...

How many servings do they claim are in that little can? I like the idea in that it DOES make it a bit easier for more artistic pancake-shaping and the organic part, but I'm still a little creeped out by it. I think I'll stick to using cake decorating bags to "draw" my pancakes. Besides, then I can mix in stuff like pumpkin and cinnamon. Next, they'll be putting hotdogs in a sray can!

Wiccababe said...

hahaha, methinks you have far too much time on your hands lol

Wendy said...

My husband and I saw this stuff in BJ's (warehouse club if you dont have one or wonder) and we thought it was a strange thing. We were curious but not enough to try it...Now I am glad we didnt

JennY. said...

Bah! Pancakes on a perforated roll... Good one Joey P. That's frickn hilarrr!

MissNic said...

I love this stuff! I cant eat more than one pancake (or two tiny ones) so it's better than making up a whole batch of batter for myself. There's a trick to keep it from being too holey, shake it REALLY well, and a few seconds after spraying down one layer (like for one pancake) pile another on top. It takes some practice but they'll come out more like 'real' pancakes.

McMama said...

dude,
love the blog. you are my fave Lost character. believe it or not i found you by googling "vegetarian marshmallows." and what a bonus...I found you! keep up the great work.

Sarah Elizabeth said...

Do you read all your comments, because by the time I get pasted the frist one or two I'm bored and tired of reading already.

Sarah Elizabeth said...

By the way, I love the blog.

Howard Shum said...

Nice pancake art!

Kat said...

We got this stuff and the kids love it. It did have a weird aftertaste, but you can't beat the cleanup. :)

Snowbird said...

I bet kids would have a blast with that. Looks like great fun.

BTW, I just discovered you blog last night and sat for 3 hours catching up on it from the beginning. I loved your "tour" of Ireland since we are going there this summer.

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Umm...yum? Not sure I'm sold on it...thanks for the product demo. ;)

Anonymous said...

Ooh, jam on pancakes sounds good! I usually go for fruit, myself, but I've never tried jam. I pull out frozen strawberries, warm them up, then smoosh them with a fork. Sometimes I add a glug of syrup to sweeten it up.

Lynda said...

Jorge, I absolutely love your blogs about products. I have seen batter blaster here in Georgia but was reluctant to try it. Thank you for doing it for me. I don't think I will buy this or the Topsy Turvey Tomato for that matter. Thanks!

Meg said...

Thanks, Jorge! Trying out the squirt batter so I don't have to! I'd rather mix up some tasty Bisquick pancakes, although my niece might like to play w/ the squirt bottle!

Robbi said...

Jorge!
You crack me up!
I saw that stuff on the news or something. And thought Hmmm!
Sounds interesting.
Love the fun shapes you made.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jorge

Love your blog as everyday with you is an adventure. You have such a knack for seeing the light side of any and every thing.
Thanks for taking us all along for the ride.

Pen2

California

Calandra said...

Jorge, maybe you want to try actually flavoring the pancakes!

They do look pretty tasty, though.

Pam said...

I found some of that at a store here recently. Pretty cool that it comes in a can like that but still, not the same as from scratch.

P.S. Love the pancake art though. =)

Lisa Chin said...

I wonder if you put a lot of oil in a pan and squirted it in if you would end up with something like a funnel cake??? Mmmmm, funnel cakes! I go to the State Fair every year JUST to buy a funnel cake.

2Losties said...

LOL! Can't stop laughing! Love it. What will they think of next? 8D

MsSnarkyPants said...

OMG That looks so fun!!! I think I might have to go see if they have it at our natural food store!

Cinnamon said...

Lazy man's way to make pancakes. Although after stirring and stirring a batch myself, I would have opted for simply shaking and squirting it from a can. Call me lazy. :P

Malea said...

I love taking those on camping trips. They are so easy, and yes, not the best, but they taste great with homemade peach jam.

I have to tell you, that I just took the Facebook, "What Lost Character are you?" My result, yep....Hugo "Hurley" Reyes.
Here's the descrip:
Although you may not be a brilliant leader or a ripped rebellious dude, you are everyone's favorite person to hang around. You are easy-going, generally carefree and very compassionate to others. However, you tend to linger on bad memories that could make you paranoid and suspicious of others.

You know what would be funny? You should take the quiz yourself.

Christina Bauer said...

That is soooooo awesome! And strange! Who knew that you could get pancakes in a can? Thanks for 'researching' this for us! And those shapes were fantastic!

mdm said...

Whole Foods never ceases to amaze me. Seems they could make anything "organic." On to a taste testing between this batter in a can and Bisquick?

Sweet Caroline said...

My in-laws gave us a can of this a couple of months ago but have yet to try it. I guess we should give it a whirl!

Barracuda said...

O.o
and the first time I've seen something so

Wednes said...

Dude, that should totally be a Dharma product!

Deb said...

I've tried this! I was thrilled that it was organic as well, but YES - the taste doesn't match up. Still when cooking for a 4 year-old on school mornings, it works! I'll need to try some shapes next time:)

Barry Traylor said...

This sort of thing really offends me.
It is not that big a deal or difficult to make pancakes from scratch. You can make up the batter the night before and store it in the chill chest.
They take something inexpensive to make and turn a huge profit on the item.

OurWanderingAdventures said...

That is so cool! I can't believe it! haaha!

Nick said...

Hey Jorge,

My dad makes the best pancakes and the secret is using seltzer water in the batter. The bubbles help make the pancakes light and fluffy.

JoJo said...

Awesome!!! Next time you should write your first name or even the word "Lost" :D

beloved30 said...

Oh wonderous stuff!!! They sold it at my local Costco until someone there found out I had just gotten a membership. I was able to buy some once. So upsetting! But I love how easy it is to use being as lazy as I tend to be!

Jodi said...

In the name of research, you get major props. I swear at first look I thought that it was a piece of bacon on the smiley face one. LOL
You are very creative with your food (flashback Valentines Day)

Hmm? A Whole Foods just opened up near my house. I gotta go check it out.

ZackWallenfang.com said...

HAH! Just got back from the store and they were doing a little demo and giving away samples of this stuff. I was in too much of a hurry to try it.

I wonder how tough it would be to make a Dharma logo pancake. Now how fun would that be for a LOST wrap party?!

Unknown said...

Just goes to show that real food doesn't come out of aerosol cans.

LostFan said...

Fresh & Easy also sells this.

http://alberico.net said...

Costco... and I prefer to make waffles with them, very easy and clean to squirt them into the iron and bake away!

aims said...

Arghhh! The sadness of technologie.

rosemarypepper said...

You gotta shake the can, I have made this stuff dozens of times and it doesn't come out w/ holes. It makes crispy fluffy waffles that are great with coffee toffee ice cream. Holy god it's tasty. The website lets you enter your zip code to find where to buy. I would never make waffles from scratch, it takes too long and I spill ingredients all over the place.

Cat said...

I like pancakes with beans on top. Not baked beans and not exactly chili beans either. I cook a pot of pinto beans with a big meaty ham bone, several dried Anaheim chiles, garlic, some onions and salt. I cook them until the water/broth turns into a gravy. Very good on pancakes!

(Not all that crazy...beans go well with tortillas, so why not pancakes?) Try it sometime.

Abby said...

I always heard they tasted really salty.

Sparkleneely said...

Batter Blaster RULES! We love it... and LOST. yay!!!

Ingrid said...

The company that makes that stuff is in Northern California. One night I saw a vintage Airstream with the Batter Blaster logo all over it it around the corner from my house and snapped a bunch of pictures. I've never tried the stuff though.

What happened to making the batter yourself and putting it into a ketchup bottle? Oh well.

Here's a link to the Batter Blaster Airstream pictures I took.

Ingrid said...

oops

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ingy1851/3420665536/

ValMo said...

I diiiiied reading about this. That's an awesome idea if you're making special shapes.

The Olson Four said...

AMEN to the love of jam over syrup!!! Your starfish made me smile. :)

Jessica604 said...

I'm pretty sure that the benzene or propane or whatever else they use to aeresolize (is that a word? It is now.) the batter is not natural, if not organic. ...what's the pressurizing agent labelled on the can?

Dana Zee said...

Darlin, jam is great, but if you dislike syrup it's just cuz you haven't tasted REAL MAPLE syrup on your pancakes! That yucky processed stuff is unfathomable. And lucky you, right NOW is maple harvesting time as the trees release their sap after the frozen winter months! My suggestion? Try a batch of fresh maple syrup from Burton Ohio (fresh THIS month!) Available online, but I won't burden this blog with links...trust me, dude.

Unknown said...

They were actually testing BatterBlaster at the company I used to work for. I got a few free samples - woo! They do come out airier & thinner than regular batter, but nice in a pinch.

Truewesterner said...

Gee, Jorge, what does "organic" taste like? Can you taste the lack of pesticides and artificial fertilizers? Or are organic foods not supposed to taste good? Something that is organic does not have to taste like a soy curd...

Sugarplum's Mom said...

I had a sample of that stuff from Costco one day... it's totally going on my list of quick breakfasts when my daughter goes to school.

groovyghosthunter said...

"It was a bitch to flip"
That's what my cousin calls making a U-turn ... "flipping a bitch"

I don't know why ...

James Hernandez said...

Jorge,

You are an artist! No doubt!!!!!

Christina Bauer said...

Ok, I have a funny story for you about this. I'm in an Intro to Ad/PR class and we were given the task of creating a Media campaign for a real but unknown product. My group got the Splatter Cakes stuff!!!! So I immediately pulled up your blog and we incorporated the fact that they might not taste so good. So, essentially, you helped with my class activity today! Thanks, Jorge!

Unknown said...

I don't think "organic" is a real word.

Arkay said...

we buy that stuff at costco, and it makes impressive waffles, but sucks as pancakes. actually now i want to run to the store and pick some up, just for the waffles.

also-if you did whippets with this would you call it waffits instead? batterits? makes you wonder.

Patinando e Cantando said...

I'm from Brazil and here we don't have this kind of food...so sad
I would love taste a great pancake!

Patricia Campagnolo said...

Hi! Sorry my english...
I am a brazilian.
We don't have this product... so sad!
I didn't know your blog... i'm loving it.

kiss

mccn said...

I so covet your starpancake!

randi said...

isnt it a little funny that they put organic pancake batter into such an environmentally unfriendly appearing container?

cck514 said...

A little tip... I spray out the whole can, then add some vanilla extract and thicken it with a little powder pancake mix. Makes some pretty good pancakes!

Cinnamon said...

I found some at the grocery store tonight and instantly thought of you when I grabbed it to put in the cart. :P I think I know what we are having for breakfast!!

Aloha59 said...

My husband works in that department at the Whole Foods you shop in, and I've been fascinated by that batter every time I go by to see him. Now he can "share" with the customers how it works!

Unknown said...

you definitely deserved your Chef Patch for your originality !

Lisa11171 said...

Jorge, you're not going to believe this but my mother dropped by today and said "you're not going to believe the coolest thing I found you at Costco" (she knows I'm always broke so occassionally will pick me up some food). It was two cans of Batter Blaster! I lost it from laughing, after telling her that you had just posted about this on your blog. I had to show her your thoughts and the designs you had made with it. She was so excited to know she had bought something that you had written about and couldn't wait to go home and tell my father (he and I are huge LOST fans). I haven't tried it yet, but plan on giving it a try tomorrow! Great minds think alike!!

Nikki said...

Oh I love Batter Blaster!!! Costco sells it 3 cans for $4.99. My hunny loves pancakes and this is ana wesome thing to have in the fridge. I really like them too. Tasty!!!!

Anonymous said...

I just started reading your blog (forgive me) so I am catching up on older posts. I just wanted to say that I thought I was the only person in the world who preferred jam over syrup on my pancakes and I am grateful I am not alone!

Anonymous said...

We recently tried this stuff too and found the taste to be very lacking. Way too "preservative"-y tasting, ugh. But fun to cook and make shapes with. I don't think we will be having them again.

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Chaely said...

I've tried this before and the only way I could describe it is to say that when I tried it (cooked and uncooked) it left a "buzzy" feeling in my mouth. Very strange.

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