Posts Tagged "disaster"

Cake Baking Disaster

Posted by cafebebemama on Jan 20, 2010 in American Mum Me, Little Miss Adventures, Motherhood, Writing Workshop | 12 comments

Happy 1st Birthday Little Miss

When Little Miss’ 1st birthday was approaching, I began to have grand dreams about her birthday cake.  What I ended up with was a cake baking disaster!

You see, I am just a little bit competitive with myself.  Family and friends who know me are now chortling at that statement.  The pressure of producing something similar to what my other friends had made for their daughter’s first birthday was overwhelming.  One friend had made a glorious cake with a sugarcraft Upsy Daisy on top.  Another friend had make a phenominal present shaped box with various colours of marzipan decorations.  I am the world’s worst cake maker, in England.  It’s something to do with the flour and the pan and the oven I think.  I never created such disastrous results in the US!

So, for Little Miss’ first birthday cake, knowing my limitations, I looked at the store bought options in my area which resulted in a big, fat nothing.  I didn’t want to give my daughter an inedible creation.  Little did I know that I would be making an inedible creation!  I eventually decided to make my own cake but didn’t have the time to make it “from scratch”.  I resorted to a sponge mix from the local co-operative.  Thanks to the time constraints (courtesy of my procrastination) I had to make the cake at my in-laws using my mother-in-law’s fancy-schmancy cooker.  What I succeeded in doing was browning the bejesus out of the cake while still having liquid cake mixture under the crusty surface.  On advice from the MIL, who hasn’t baked a thing in years, I took it out of the oven to turn down the temp and put a bit of aluminium foil on top to stop the browning.  I let it rest for a few minutes while the temp went down in the oven.  After popping it back in for a good 15 minutes, I pulled the precious cake out of the oven.  Thanks to the changes in temperatures, I had created a giant HOLE in the middle of the cake.  Not just an average hole but one that went completely to the bottom of the  pan.  There could be no disguising it.  Want to see? (after the lurid pink icing was applied mind you):

What IS that Mummy?

In the US, the FIRST birthday cake is ever so important.  What’s usually done is the glorious cake that Mummy (or better yet, a baker) has slaved over is placed on the high chair of the honourable child and he or she is allowed to throw themselves into it.  Cake generally ends up in every orifice and icing coats the child from head to toe (and floor) but there is much frivolity and picture taking.  This is not so much the trend in the UK apparently as my husband had no clue what I was talking about!  But, you know what?  Little Miss didn’t really care that her 1st Birthday Cake was complete rubbish.  What did she know?  This was her review…

Never mind Mummy, It's alright!

I really should have realised my shortcomings and asked a family member to help me or even order a cake from a baker but I wanted to make my daughter’s first birthday cake.  I have now accepted the fact that I am complete rubbish at cake making (in this country) and that I should hang up my apron on this category.  I can admit it…I’m a CRAP CAKE BAKER and from now on, I will leave this art to the professionals and stick to what I do best…stressing!

(This post is in support of Josie’s Writing Workshop at Sleep is for the Weak using writing prompt #4- Tell me about something you did that would have been better done by a professional.  Thanks Josie!)