Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.
– Desmond Tutu –
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five Americans will suffer from a mental health issue in a given year. That equates to almost 44 million people in this country alone and over 1 billion worldwide. If you take into account that mental health issues are typically under-reported, mainly due to the stigma they carry, it is clear that something must be done about this silent epidemic.
When the scope of a problem seems so large and complex, it’s easy to feel helpless against it. The world’s problems are vast and I often feel small. But, then I remember the ripple effect. I’ve come to realize that just by having conversations, we can raise awareness that help to shed light on dark, misunderstood issues. It is these conversations that can help alleviate the stigma that is so unfairly placed on those suffering with mental illness. It’s okay to feel small as long as we don’t think small. So, with that in mind, I made this cake. It’s known as a Depressed Cake. Despite it’s grim exterior, it’s a delicious cake with a hopeful outlook…and it’s on a very important mission.
Depressed cakes were the brilliant idea of Emma Thomas, a British creative director and PR specialist. Her idea launched a project named the Depressed Cake Shop, whose goal is to raise awareness and funds for mental health initiatives around the world. According to the company’s newsroom, “The Depressed Cake Shop is a grass roots collective of bakers, event planners, and mental health advocates who raise awareness of mental health issues by selling gray cakes and donating money to local charities.”
Since this project’s inception in 2013, pop-up shops have emerged in many cities throughout the world. Anyone, from professional bakers to home bakers, can participate. Depressed Cake Shop has a toolkit for anyone interested in getting involved and setting up a “shop” (which in this case means an event and not an actual, physical shop). The only rule: cakes (or other baked goods) should have a gray exterior to symbolize the dark cloud that people suffering with mental illness often live in. But, they should have a pop of color inside to symbolize hope. All of the proceeds from these efforts go to mental health charities.
This gray cake movement really hits home for me. My mom has suffered with severe mental illness for most of my life. Watching her become increasingly debilitated, both mentally and physically, has deeply affected me and the person that I am. It has been (and continues to be) heartbreaking and overwhelming for her and those of us who care for her. We have seen many dark days…days that make me wish we didn’t know this illness so personally. But, on some level, I feel blessed because it has softened my heart, made me compassionate, and made me strong. This cake is for my mom and for all who fight these silent battles. You are more than your illness.
In support of this crusade, I made a cake using three different shades of gray frosting and a stormy meringue cloud (complete with a silver lining). Its interior is happy and bright to symbolize hope and healing.
I used Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake recipe from her cookbook, Baking from my Home to Yours. It’s a wonderfully delicious, tender cake with a light and delicate lemon flavor. I really love it and it has just the right sunny notes I had been searching for to match this cake’s message. The original recipe calls for filling the layers with raspberry preserves and meringue buttercream, which sounds heavenly. Since I wanted to keep the cake yellow inside, I filled mine with lemon curd instead. It turns out, the tangy lemon curd was a perfect complement to the light, lemon flavor in the cake. You can use homemade lemon curd or buy a good quality one in your store’s jams and preserves section, which is what I did.
I followed Dorie’s recipe for the meringue buttercream. If you’ve never eaten meringue buttercream, it is silky smooth and a dream to work with. There is no grittiness at all, as there sometimes is with other frostings. This is because in meringue buttercream, sugar is heated and dissolved into the egg whites at the beginning of the recipe. Butter is mixed in once the meringue has cooled a little and then fresh lemon juice and vanilla are added. After a few more minutes of mixing, you’ll have a shiny, creamy buttercream that tastes delicious, feels satiny, and pipes beautifully.
I tinted some of the buttercream yellow and some gray. Then, I used the yellow to make a dam around the cake layers. It serves to keep the curd from oozing out. I also used it for a light crumb coating. The gray buttercream (in 3 different shades) covered the cake’s exterior. I spread the different grays on randomly and then smoothed them out using an icing spatula and a bench scraper.
I whipped up some meringue and tinted it slightly gray to make clouds and meringue drops for decorating the cake top. I flavored them with lemon extract to go along with the whole lemon vibe…delicious.
This cake is just an example of the many ways to make a depressed cake. I’ve seen some online with rainbow-colored cake layers inside and ruffled, gray frosting. I’m thinking a bright pink interior would be awesome too. I’ve also seen gray cookies, cake pops, and cupcakes all for this very important cause. Thanks for the inspiration Depressed Cake Shop. I admire your vision and your work.
When I am able to create a post like this one, that is deep with meaning and purpose, it feeds my soul and motivates me. Let’s help put an end to mental health stigmas by speaking openly about the issues. Let’s show compassion to those affected and to their families, so that they may feel the light and hope that is generated by acceptance and love. I believe these small ripples can inspire waves of change.
If you would like more information on how to get involved in this effort, visit The Depressed Cake Shop , “Where there is cake, there is hope…and there is always cake.”
Depressed Cake – Lemon Layer Cake
Inspired by the Depressed Cake Shop’s initiatives to raise mental health awareness and donations, this cake has a gray exterior to represent the dark cloud often experienced by those living with mental health issues. It has a pop of color inside – bright and lemony to symbolize hope and healing.
Cake
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk (I used buttermilk)
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 1 stick (8 Tbsp or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
- yellow food coloring gel (optional)
Buttercream
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large egg whites
- 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- yellow and gray or black food coloring gels (optional)
Filling
- 1 cup lemon curd or other fruit preserves, homemade or store bought (warmed gently in microwave until spreadable)
Meringue – for cake topper decorations
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
- gray or black food coloring gel (optional)
Cake
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Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 6 inch or two 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet. (I used three 6 inch pans)
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In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and egg whites.
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Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
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Add the butter to the sugar/lemon mixture working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer. Beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.
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Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Add yellow food coloring gel until desired color is reached. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.
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Divide the batter between the three 6 inch or two 9 inch pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.
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Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, invert and remove parchment paper. Cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).
Buttercream
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Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.
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Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
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On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. For tinting the buttercream, divide it into 4 separate small bowls and color as follows – tint 1/4 of the buttercream yellow and color the rest 3 different shades of gray. You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream bowls and set them aside briefly (if not using right away).
Meringue – for cake topper decorations
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Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed using the whisk attachment. Continue mixing until soft peaks form.
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Add sugar gradually with mixer still running. Beat until mixture appears thick and shiny. Add lemon extract and a tiny amount of black or gray food coloring gel (if using) until desired color is reached. Beat for another minute. Once stiff peaks form, add meringue to a piping bag.
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Snip off end of piping bag and pipe desired shapes onto baking sheet. If making clouds, insert two wooden toothpicks into cloud bottom prior to baking. Bake for 30-60 minutes. Small shapes should be crisp after 30 minutes, while larger shapes (such as the clouds I made), may take an hour or slightly longer. They should feel crisp to the touch.
Assembly
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Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice the domed tops off of each cake layer. Put layers cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.
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Using a pastry bag with the end snipped off, pipe the yellow buttercream in a circle along the outer edge of two (if making a 6 inch cake) of the three layers, cut sides up, to create a dam. If making cake in 9 inch pans, create dam around only one of the two layers. Fill centers evenly with lemon curd or preserves.
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For 6 inch cake, stack 2 curd-filled layers on top of each other and invert the remaining layer cut side down. This is the top layer. For 9 inch cake, invert second layer onto curd-filled layer.
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Frost with a thin layer of the yellow buttercream to create a crumb coating. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the crumb coating to harden.
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Using the different shades of gray frosting, apply to outside and top of cake in any manner you wish and smooth with a cake spatula or bench scraper.
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Decorate the top with additional piped meringue buttercream and meringue decorations, if desired.
Storing: The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.
Meringue decorations may be made a week ahead and kept well sealed at room temperature.
Cake layers and buttercream adapted (slightly modified) from Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake recipe
You are an artist in the kitchen and with your thoughts and words. Your recipes come with such meaningful and empowering messages. Thank you for spreading your gentle message of love and understanding with the world.
Thank you for your kind words xoxo
Can we re post this on The Depressed Cake Shop website?
Yes, of course. Thank you
Beautiful post Blanca ❤️
Thank you so much, Michelle
Brilliant! I’d like to ask your permission to use your written words (and your cake!) on October 10th. I want to make several cakes and deliver to several mental health practices in my small town who are clients. Your words are powerful and go a long way explaining the meaning. Since October 10th is National Mental Health Day…this would be perfect!
Hi Tracee. It’s such a nice thing for you to do and I am very supportive of anyone wanting to help this cause. Feel free to use my words and my cake. I only kindly ask that you credit my site somewhere. Thank you for being an advocate ❤️ I would love to see your cakes!
Absolutely! I was waiting until I heard back to see if was okay to put your website on the card. I’ll def take pics and send them to you! I’m glad I’ll have time to practice. I’m a baker of bread. Pastry will stretch my talents! That and my brother ken humerus!
Sorry…I broke my humerus at the end of May and had major surgery to piece it all back together. I’m still in PT 3 days a week!
Best wishes for speedy healing!
For obvious reasons (see name of my site), I love this post.
Thank you Bailey. You are courageous to write so openly about your struggles. You are not alone xo