Science Smarts: The science of Santa snacks

By Patty Rooks on November 23, 2024.

As I drive around, I am seeing signs of the Holiday Season fast approaching. I am not sure how I am going to fit everything in before the holidays are here, so hopefully I have a bit of spare time this weekend to prepare for Christmas Eve. I cannot forget about having a snack for you know who.

Santa has a busy night and we have to be sure that there are delicious snacks placed out for him so he can keep up his strength as he delivers all of those Christmas presents to the good boys and girls! Instead of cookies, I thought we would leave him some cupcakes so we can learn about the science of baking. Let’s get started!

*Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

– Measuring cups

– Measuring spoons

– Mixing bowl

– Cupcake tin

– Cupcake liners (make them festive!)

– Oven

– Mixing spoon/whisk

– Frosting of your choice

– 3½ cups cake flour

– ½ cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa

– 1½ teaspoons salt

– 2¼ cups granulated sugar

– 2 teaspoons baking soda

– 2 cups oil

– Red food coloring

– 1½ teaspoons vanilla

– 2½ teaspoons vinegar

– 3 large eggs

– 1¼ cup buttermilk

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a big bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, salt, sugar, baking soda.

3. Sift and mix well.

4. In a separate bowl, measure and add together the vinegar, vanilla, oil, and food colouring.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix gently.

7. Mix in about half of the buttermilk, then the other half.

8. Beat well for about one minute or until smooth.

9. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Put about 1/4 cup of batter into each cup.

10. Bake for 21-25 minutes.

11. Allow cupcakes to cool.

12. Frost with your choice of frosting.

13. Set out on a plate with a glass of milk for Santa to enjoy!

What is going on?

This recipe is unique as the cake is red. Even if you did not add the red food colouring, there will still be a tinge of red. This is because there is cocoa in the recipe. The vinegar and buttermilk didn’t just react with the baking soda.

They also reacted with the coca powder you added in the recipe. Cocoa powder has something in it called anthocyanins; these are compounds that are also found in foods like red cabbage. Did you know that red cabbage leaves can be made into a liquid and then used as a pH indicator?

The indicator changes colour based on the pH of the liquid you put it in. It will get redder in the presence of strong acids. It is the anthocyanins that cause this colour change in the cabbage, and they do the same in the cocoa, giving the cake a reddish colour.

Just a reminder do not forget about booking your hands on learning kits, or your Science Experience 101 support for Science Fair with Praxis as soon as possible. We look forward to helping you out with all of your science needs this school year!

Patty Rooks, senior scientific consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community.” Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: 12 826 11th Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403-527-5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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