[K-Drama Foods] Yun Ho's Cake in Unstoppable High Kick

I finally had the privilege of watching Unstoppable High Kick… seven years after it aired. Whew, where was I when it was airing? I think I know — I was desperately trying to connect with people who loved Coffee Prince, so I registered as a Soompi member to fixate on Coffee Prince on our forums. But I’m a firm believer of things happening for a reason and this obviously is one. Fate is not that cruel to have me torn between two loves. So Unstoppable High Kick came at the perfect time, and I must say it was my constant stress reliever and mood lifter during my down moments. 

One of the reasons why I was drawn to the sitcom was the characters of Yun Ho and Min Jung (portrayed by Jung Il Woo and Suh Min Jung, respectively). Weren’t they cute together? I think the high school boy crush Yun Ho has for his teacher is really adorable. He easily switches from boy to man when she’s around, always to her rescue when she’s being made fun of because of her naïveté and clumsiness. Oh, how Min Jung affects his demeanor and mood! His face lights up when he sees her and he feels he can make things easier for her, then he broods when reality sets in — she’s dating his uncle, Min Yong. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking Min Yong should just go back to his ex-wife, Shin Ji (who’s not over him anyway), although Yun Ho and Min Jung ending up together is far too complicated in more ways than one.

I have many favorite scenes in Unstoppable High Kick, but the one that tops them is when Yun Ho ran away from home and went to Min Jung’s apartment for support. Min Jung accidentally spilled some beverage on his shirt, so he had to wear her clothes. That was funny, and I’m sure that deep down inside, Yun Ho loved every minute of it. I think he’s on a roll because Min Jung fell asleep with her head resting on his shoulder while they were watching TV. The way his facial expression changed was so priceless — from surprise and shock to the overwhelming realization that his crush is so physically close to him. The awkward scene was saved with him falling asleep as well (much to Shin Ji’s amusement when she saw them). I think she’s also the first one to discover Yun Ho’s feelings for Min Jung.

But this is only a part of what could have been Yun Ho’s most memorable night with Min Jung, because fast forward, and they’re in the kitchen baking a cake. They had so much fun mixing, whipping, and eventually flouring each other playfully, only to be reined in by one phone call from the uncle. Min Jung had to leave him as she is meeting Min Yong. The poor boy was left alone to his devices, but finished making the cake anyway. He fell asleep waiting for her, still hoping he could share the cake with her but in vain. His uncle found out his whereabouts and dragged him home. Tough luck! My ship just faced another hurdle, so it won’t be sailing anytime soon! Makes me wonder what Min Jung felt when she took off the cake holder lid and saw the cake. Was that concern or was she touched that Yun Ho waited for her to be home so they can eat the cake together?

I wondered how the cake must have tasted. In my “not a chef but I can cook” perspective, I know he had a nice base of a cake the way it looked puffed and airy; he had a nice sheen going on his chocolate ganache, and the strawberries are fresh so it must be awesome, even if it looked kind of sad. Well, since it has become a habit for me to recreate whatever stirs my foodie sensor from my K-Dramas, I decided to make my own Yun Ho cake — a vanilla chiffon cake with lemon cream cheese frosting.

I can’t claim that it’s prettier than Yun Ho’s, because it’s not, but it is light, tender, and delish-y. You can check the recipe in my blog if you want to give it a try.