Have you ever returned to your car on a hot summer day and felt the intense heat radiating from the dashboard? For most of us, this is a sign to crank up the AC. But for a growing number of adventurous individuals, this heat is seen as an opportunity – an opportunity to cook. Inspired by viral sensations like Joe Brown, who famously cooked gummy pizza on his dashboard, Dashboard Car cooking is gaining traction as a quirky, solar-powered culinary experiment. But is it truly feasible, and more importantly, is it safe? Let’s dive into the sunny side of car cuisine and explore the possibilities and pitfalls of dashboard car cooking.
The trend of cooking in unconventional places is not entirely new, but the dashboard car has emerged as an unexpectedly hot spot. Joe Brown, a TikTok content creator, inadvertently became a pioneer in this field. Before his now-famous gummy pizza endeavor, Brown started with sidewalk egg frying during the COVID lockdown in Gilbert, Arizona. This simple experiment, born out of boredom, quickly escalated into rooftop grilling and eventually, in-car cooking. From cupcakes to pizza and even chicken nuggets, Brown showcased the surprising heat that a car dashboard can generate, captivating millions with his humorous and often messy culinary adventures.
But beyond the entertainment value, there’s a scientific curiosity at play. How hot does a dashboard car actually get? Parked under direct sunlight, especially in regions with high temperatures, the interior of a car can heat up rapidly. The dashboard, typically made of dark-colored materials that absorb heat, can reach surprisingly high temperatures. While the exact temperature varies depending on factors like outside temperature, car color, and windshield angle, it’s not uncommon for dashboards to exceed 150°F (65°C) and even reach upwards of 200°F (93°C) in peak summer heat. This is certainly hot enough to cook some foods, albeit slowly.
One intrepid experimenter, Heather Martin, decided to test the dashboard car cooking theory with a classic recipe: wacky cake. This Depression-era cake, known for its simple ingredients and lack of eggs and milk, seemed like a low-risk option for solar car baking. Martin’s experiment, conducted in Texas heat, provides a fascinating glimpse into the realities of dashboard car cooking.
Using foil-lined metal pans and tilting them toward the windshield can increase your in-car temperature.
To maximize the dashboard car’s heat, Martin employed a few tricks. She preheated foil-lined metal pans on the dashboard, tilting them towards the windshield to concentrate the sun’s rays and increase the in-car temperature. After about 45 minutes of preheating, the dashboard reached a promising 176°F (80°C). Mixing the wacky cake batter indoors, Martin quickly transferred it to the hot car to minimize heat loss. Working swiftly inside the scorching vehicle, she poured the batter into a springform pan, initiating her first dashboard baking experiment.
Wacky cake batter is leavened only with baking soda, so the bubbles are delicate and short-lived.
The initial attempt with the springform pan, however, turned into a “hot mess.” After an hour, the cake batter had partially baked but disastrously slid off the dashboard, flipping onto the car seat. Despite the mishap, Martin considered it a “proof of concept,” acknowledging that baking was indeed happening on the dashboard car, even if control was a challenge.
Experiment 1: The springform pan.
Undeterred, Martin refined her approach for a second experiment, opting for a mini muffin tin. Preheating the muffin tin on the dashboard car to 185°F (85°C), she baked a smaller batch of wacky cakes. After an hour, the mini cakes were cooking, albeit unevenly, resembling “a giant Easy Bake Oven with the massive light bulb 93 million miles away.” The tops cooked faster than the bottoms, indicating the dashboard car’s heat source was primarily from above.
My first attempt at dashboard cooking was a literal hot mess.
After two hours, the dashboard car cupcakes reached an internal temperature of 193°F (89°C). While not the ideal 200°F (93°C) for conventional cake baking, the mini cakes were surprisingly edible. Though denser and with crunchy edges, they were recognizably cake. The experiment highlighted that dashboard car cooking is possible, but requires adjustments to traditional baking expectations.
Saved by some kind of cake-pan gymnastics. Whew.
I set up my mini muffin pan with a probe thermometer for easy monitoring.
The internal temperature of my dashboard cupcakes reached an incredible 193 F.
Dashboard wacky cake doesn’t rise to the occasion as well as the oven version, but it’s not bad.
Oops. Dashboard cake turned into dashboard crumbs.
Dashboard cake started out a hot mess, but it cleaned up pretty nicely.
However, before you rush to bake your next cake on your dashboard car, it’s crucial to address food safety. Cooking at lower temperatures for extended periods, as is the case with dashboard car cooking, increases the risk of foodborne illnesses. Bacteria thrive in the “danger zone” between 40°F (4°C) and 140°F (60°C). Joe Brown himself experienced a bout of illness after consuming rooftop-cooked pancakes that turned “rancid.” Foods like bacon, steak, and cookie dough containing eggs are particularly risky for dashboard car cooking due to potential bacterial growth.
For safer dashboard car culinary adventures, consider recipes with low bacterial risk, like the wacky cake which lacks perishable ingredients like eggs and milk. Always use a food thermometer to monitor the internal temperature, ensuring it reaches a safe level for consumption. Refer to food safety guidelines, such as those provided by the FDA, to understand safe cooking temperatures and prevent foodborne illnesses.
Beyond wacky cake, the possibilities for dashboard car cooking are somewhat limited by temperature and cooking time. However, melting experiments, like Joe Brown’s gummy bear and crayon melting videos, are popular and safer alternatives. The dashboard car can also be used for warming pre-cooked foods or even toasting items like waffles, as Brown explored in his later experiments.
Dashboard car cooking is undoubtedly a novelty, a fun experiment highlighting the intense heat our cars can generate. It’s a conversation starter, a testament to solar energy’s potential, and a quirky way to pass a hot summer day. However, it’s essential to approach it with caution, prioritizing food safety and realistic expectations. While a dashboard car may not replace your kitchen oven anytime soon, it offers a unique perspective on alternative cooking methods and the power of the sun, reminding us to be both creative and responsible in our culinary explorations. Just remember Joe Brown’s gummy pizza cleanup – glory might come with a sticky price! And always prioritize safety, perhaps starting with melting gummy candies before attempting a full meal on your dashboard car.
