Recreate these Amazing Desserts from Popular Anime Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma in Your Kitchen

Trying anime-inspired recipes is a fun and unique way to try out world cuisine and learn new cooking techniques.

If you didn't know, Food Wars: Shokugeki No Soma is a popular anime that combines delicious food experiences with an exciting, fast-paced plot, making it a show you'd want to definitely watch and then rewatch. The story takes place at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy in Tokyo, Japan, where the teen protagonist, Soma, chooses to attend with the intentions of becoming an expert, world renowned chef.

There has been an ongoing on the internet of recreating foods in popular shows and movies, including anime. So many home cooks and YouTube cooks have launched themselves into popularity for bringing these foods from the screen to the stove. You can and should hop on this trend because it lets you bring the fictional creations into the real world to add a playful twist to your cooking experiments. From vicarious enjoyment, you can actually experience what the foods taste like. It will give you a chance to connect with the online anime community by sharing what you have made. Trying anime-inspired recipes can also expose you to world cuisine and new cooking techniques.

Here are three recipes from the anime that you try:

Buche de Noel

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup refined flour
• ¼ cup Cadbury cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Filling:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

• ½ cup softened unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup Cadbury cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract.
• In another bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
• Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the eggs and sugar, without deflating the batter.
• Spread the batter evenly in the pan with an icing spatula and bake for 10-12 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, place parchment paper on a flat surface and dust it with powdered sugar.
• Once the cake is done, quickly invert it onto the parchment, remove parchment, and roll the cake and towel together. Let it cool completely.
• For the filling, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until it’s aerated and fluffy.
• Unroll the cooled cake and spread the frosting evenly. Then try to roll it back as neatly and carefully as possible.
• Place it in the fridge to chill.
• For the frosting, create a smooth mixture of softened butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
• To make the frosting easy to spread, add the milk.
• Using an icing spatula or butter knife, frost the cake. Don’t do it smoothly because you want it to look like an actual log.

Dorayaki (Pancakes with Sweet Red Bean Paste)

Homemade Anko:

• 1 cup adzuki beans soaked overnight
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• ½ tsp salt

Pancakes:

• 4 eggs
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 ⅓ cups refined flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1-2 tbsp water
• Vegetable oil

Instructions:

• Boil soaked red beans in water or pressure cook for 4-5 whistles to shorten cooking time.
• Drain any water from the beans, which should be soft and mushy now.
• Add ¼ cup sugar, mix until dissolved. Then add the remaining sugar and a pinch of salt.
• Cook till most of the water evaporates. If the bean paste is too loose, don’t worry because it will thicken as it cools. Transfer to an airtight jar.
• For the pancakes, mix the eggs, sugar and honey until well combined and fluffy.
• Sift the refined flour with the baking powder into the eggs. Let the batter rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
• Take the batter out and loosen it with water.
• Heat a non-stick pan and grease it. Start cooking the pancakes one by one.
• Smear the cooled red bean paste between two pieces of pancakes. Press them together. Wrap it in plastic wrap.
• Store any leftovers in airtight jars.

Three-Layer Semifreddo

Ingredients:

Almond praline:

• 1 ½ cups sliced almonds
• 3 tbsp chopped hazelnuts
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp butter

Almond cake:

• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp almond flour
• 2 tbsp refined flour
• 1 pack crumbled butter cookies

Semifreddo:

• 4 egg yolks
• 5 tbsp powdered sugar
• Zest of a lemon
• 2 tbsp limoncello
• 1 ½ cups ground almonds
• 1 cup cream

Instructions:

Praline:

• Preheat the oven to 300 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Evenly place nuts on the prepared tray. Roast until fragrant and slightly brown.
• In a non-stick pan, melt butter. Add water and sugar; bring to a boil until sugar caramelizes.
• Immediately pour caramel over the roasted nuts, tilting to distribute evenly. Allow it to cool completely.

Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare your cake tin.
• Then separate the yolks and egg in two bowls. In the bowl with egg yolks, add both flours, mixing to form a paste.
• Whisk the egg whites with an electric beater and pause to mix in the sugar.
• Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk paste.
• Pour this batter in your cake tin and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Semifreddo:

• Cream the yolk and sugar until smooth. Then add the lemon zest, limoncello, followed by the ground almonds.
• Whip cream to stiff peaks, then vigorously fold half into the egg mix. Gently fold in the remaining cream.
• Transfer to a lined baking tin and freeze for 6-8 hours. Assemble all the elements: a slice of cake, a generous slice of the semifreddo and top it up with the praline.