Eat Worm Cakes
Cut into an ordinary-looking chocolate cake, then tell everyone what supplied part of the protein. Worm cakes use food-grade mealworms, usually roasted whole or ground into flour, to turn a familiar bake into a manageable first encounter with eating insects. The flavour is mild and nutty; the bigger hurdle is convincing your eyes that the crunchy specks belong there. Mealworms are beetle larvae, not the earthworms found in garden soil. They are one of several insects produced for human food and can be folded into brownies, cookies and savoury bakes as well as cakes. Grinding them disguises the shape while keeping the novelty, whereas a few whole roasted mealworms on top makes the challenge impossible to ignore. Buy insects specifically sold as food, follow the packet's allergen and storage information and never collect wild worms for the recipe. Start with a trusted cake mixture and replace only a small amount of flour, or use roasted mealworms as a topping. Anyone with relevant food allergies should check the label carefully. Add this to your list for a bake-off where revealing the secret ingredient is half the fun.