Thursday, August 5, 2010

Massive MASSIVE Cake Fail

I have no pictures, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

I really used to think I was a pretty good little baker. Until this. And this. And this.

But it has been a while since those minor catastrophes. And I started to feel like maybe there really is a domestic goddess inside me, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to show herself.

And today that opportunity presented itself. Our friend Bowen turned 20 yesterday. Our friend Jeff turns (ahem) 40 tomorrow. A party was planned to celebrate both today. And I thought, "What would be nicer than a different cake for each of these great guys?"

Nothing! Nothing would be nicer! Especially if someone ELSE had had the great idea and executed it a little bit better.

So I made Bowen an almond poppyseed bundt cake. It turned out mostly very well.

And I thought I'd make Jeff a triple-layer triple chocolate cake. The cake layers came out of the pans beautifully. The frosting tasted great. I assembled it, and even used skewers to keep the layers in place. I thought the frosting might be a little too soft, but figured it wouldn't be a big deal.

Well...it was a big deal. Because by the time we got to the party, the layers had shifted. It was now the Leaning Tower of Cake.

And by the time we went to light the candles? The top layer had lost a quarter of itself to gravity.

What else could be done? Nothing. We stuck in the candles and went ahead with our celebration. Jeff said the cake was perfect for the occasion: all broken-down and off-kilter. We all laughed and laughed and laughed. Maybe the darned cake was scary-looking, but it was delicious and hilarious, all at the same time.

But the next time my inner domestic goddess gets big ideas, will someone shut her up and remind her about the LAST time she got too ambitious?

(And will someone give me a foolproof cake recipe?)

8 comments:

collin said...

Cute post. Liked it a lot. Thanks for sharing.

Take the Cake Personality Test and find out which cake are you like. I have taken the test and have enjoyed a lot. Hope you too will enjoy it. Have Fun!!

Gaylene said...

So let me just say about cake baking--it is over rated and I am not cake fan. but there are just some things that we can do and some things we can not. I, to this day, still cannot make a simple box of prefab Mac and Cheese. It just never turns out. The cheese is too runny, the noodles for some reason never cook enough, I burn the milk...you name it, I just don't do Mac & Cheese and it isn't even scratch. So truly---don't kick yourself over it!!!

Amber said...

The fact that you made 2 cakes, and the second cake was layered, and you used skewers to keep it up, is proof you are a domestic diva. I have fired my inner baker.

Christina said...

Ditto to Amber!

Shannon said...

Kerri, I just think you should know that you are one of the coolest people I know! I love this, and I think you are awesome to have attempted it. My birthday is this month if you would like to try that fabulous sounding chocolate thing again. :P

Holly said...

I too failed at a cake this week. It stuck to the pans so I had to take it out in pieces and glue it together with frosting. The afternoon sun through the kitchen window was too much for that pieced together wonder. You get the picture.

Danielle said...

What I LOVE is that you keep trying. That shows that you are indeed a domestic diva. Any lesser person would cave-in and get a crummy store-bought cake.

Steph Sharp said...

I would switchto cookies, or pies.