Cake

This post will be written in real time so you can get the full effect. I hope this goes well...

5:00pm

It's been a very long time since I've tried to truly cook something from scratch. Well, today I am breaking that very long time. (I have already given notice to the local fire department, and they are on stand-by.) I just got back from the store with all the ingredients that I need (well, hopefully all the ingredients...).

I get myself in some crazy situations. I believe that I can do anything if I just try. Well... Tara's (co-worker/friend) daughter is having a birthday party very soon. She found a cake online that she loved, and I opened my big mouth and said, "That looks so freaking easy and fun! That's just simple. Way simple. Way easy." (Me...the person that can't cook. And, yes she knows about my pork chop cooking incident.) So, I think you can imagine where this is going...I'm about to start on the birthday cake. The good news is that this is just a trial run. So, if it flops it's not a major set-back and a little girl won't be thinking that I ruined her birthday party.

5:10pm

I'm currently looking for the cake pans and the big blender.

5:14pm

It's not called a blender. It's called a mixer. Found all the stuff. Now, as a side note, I have never, ever, ever, ever, never baked anything in my life besides some cookies. (They weren't from scratch. They were the Pillsbury kind that you just break off, put on a cookie sheet, put in oven, take out of oven, and eat.) Another side note, when I was in high school I took Home Economics and could do a mean basket weave...go ahead and laugh...and go ahead and be impressed.

5:20pm

Becoming overwhelmed...

5:22pm

Blend dry mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl at low speed until moistened (about 30 seconds). Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Ummm.. I don't see a "blend" button or a "beat" button. Becoming slightly more overwhelmed...

5:30pm

I think I'm "beating" it right now.

5:33pm

I'M IN A DELIMNA...I don't know about cakes rising up and stuff. I don't know how much to put in each cake pan. Oh Lord...

5:38pm

Almost finished with the second cake batter mix. Still don't know about the rising of the cake...

5:45pm

"Beating," "Blending," "Whipping," "Whatevering" to the third cake mix. I've decided to fill the cake pans almost 3/4 full. This is either gonna be good...bad...or ugly.

5:50pm

Cake pans just went into the oven. Thank God I didn't have to try to fit another cake pan in there. I'm gonna go ahead and clean up my mess. Still very nervous about this rising of the cakes business.

5:58pm

Just finished cleaning up. Happened to look at the oven and OMG the cake pans are filling up fast! Again, this is either gonna be good, bad, or ugly...

6:02pm

I've pulled up a chair, and I am staring at the cakes baking. Looking for any sign of rising over the cake pan.

6:05pm

Oh my my my. One cake pan is to the brim and another is on it's way! (I'm breathing like I am in labor... he he who who he he who who). My oven mittens are on stand-by in case I have to pull them out. But, if I pull them out that will mess up the baking process. (It will save me from having to clean up a really big mess though.) But, then I will have to start all over again.

6:18pm

The oven timer just went off and just in the nick of time. I think 2 of the cake pans are about to over-flow!

6:19pm

I stuck of fork in them, and they aren't done. Ugh. Please don't overflow! (In the meantime, I need to look up the number to "Merry Maids." Just in case this gets messy.)

6:24pm

Hope is begging to go outside. Ugh. Uh-oh...the oven timer just went off.

6:25pm

Cakes are still not done, but I did find the number to "Merry Maids." (They won't be so "merry" if they have to clean this up...)

6:32pm

Louie and Prada just peaked their head around the door. They saw I was still cooking and turned around and headed back to their bed.

6:35pm

One cake pan is ready!

6:39pm

Hope just reminded me that she is still outside and wants back in right now!

6:41pm

All of the cake pans are finished! Oh Lord...Now all I have to do is decorate.

6:43pm

The store didn't have blue icing. So, I bought white and I now have to try to get it blue. I'm putting all of the icing (I hope I have enough) into a big bowl so the blue will be the same blue on each cake level. (PS, I didn't think of this. It was written on the icing container. Very smart!)

6:47pm

Taking some Advil. If this cake turns out right...Tara will have to just keep this one for the birthday party. I don't know if I can do this again.

6:56pm

I think I have the icing the color I would like it to be. The cakes still need to cool off more. Can I put them in the fridge? Nah, I'm not gonna try that.

8:33pm

Cakes have cooled off. About to start the icing process. Feeling overwhelmed again...

8:57pm

Just finished icing the bottom and middle layer. It's not looking like I had expected, but I'm not finished. Working on the cake topper right now.

9:24pm

I give up. The icing didn't do right, or either I didn't know how to do it. I did a pretty good topper though! But, then I started doing the decorating along the sides of the first and second layer. I thought I had bought frosting tubes, but it was gel that you mix with icing to change the color of the icing. Tara will just have to hire someone. On a very positive note, the hardest part (the topper) looks pretty good even though it's not finished. Below is a picture of what the cake is suppose to look like. There's also a picture of my cake. You Live, You Learn.