Those were the thoughts running through my head when I bit into my long-time enslavement of making a tres leches (three milks) cake for hubby. The cake looked lovely, all glistening from it’s multiple layers of soaking in three milks and it’s 24-hour rest in the fridge. You think the smell would have been a warning… But, no, I took one bite, expecting ecstacy, only to discover: onions?? Yes, onions. I mmediately begain trying to find the culprit. Could my oven be dirty? Did I not use a clean pan? Was there an errant onion in my fridge, permeating its odor on innocent cakes? No. It was easier than that—it was my “egg beaters” that I had decided to use in the cake, to try and eliminate 1/100th of the calories in this scale-tipping cake. Ummm, but I had failed to remember that among the ingredient list of these egg beaters is onion powder. Yes, onion powder. I don’t know why it’s there, but it is.
I’ve used these egg beaters (technically, the Kirkland brand) with excellent results in other things that require only one egg, such as pancakes, quick breads, etc. I suppose in that small of an amount, the onion powder doesn’t surface. However, in a sponge cake that uses the eggs as it’s cornerstone…it was definitely a problem. So, into the trash it went. Yes, one big ‘ol carbon footprint from me. You really have to trust me…it was way beyond saving. [Of course, I made a new cake (real eggs) and wow—-it was amazing.]
So, since somebody failed to warn me, I’m warning you. Don’t use egg beaters in cake. Unless you really like onions. A lot.
I am so sorry that I couldn’t help laughing!! Thanks for the warning!
I feel your pain, going through all the work only to discover at the end, that some obscure ingredient was added to something. For instance why did they add “Vanilla” flavoring to Karo Syrup. Thanks for the reminder to read the ingredient label.
Ouch.
FWIW, there are other brands of enhanced egg whites which don’t have the onion powder. Thanks for the warning, though … I didn’t notice that about the Kirkland brand.