Friday, July 10, 2009

B1 bakes a Birthday Cake

We were having dinner, B1 and I, when he asked me what I wanted for my birthday.

I mulled over it for a while.

"I'd like you to bake me a birthday cake."

So after watching way too much Hogan's Heroes, we strolled to the nearest supermarket on our way to return books at the library. Since it was already nine plus and B1 being a beginner in the kitchen, I decided a box mix would be best.

But it wouldn't be Terrier, if there wasn't at least one misadventure involved. I fell for dear old Betty's (Crocker) trick. Suckered by the beautiful picture of the chocolate fudge cake on the box, I didn't realise that the lovely frosting on the cake was not included. Guess I missed the words warning me from the bottom left side of the box...




B1 asked if I still wanted the frosting. I was sure the cake wouldn't be the same without the pretty chocolate frosting. So we walked back to the same supermarket again (not before hopping over to the petrol kiosk's mart in the vain hope of finding some frosting), while the cake was happily swelling in the oven. Trust me, it sure felt a lot longer the second time around.

Couldn't find Betty Crocker readymade frosting. Oh Cold Storage, how could you have closed down your branch and abandoned me to the tender mercies of your competitors? Ended up purchasing icing sugar and cocoa powder. We stole the frosting recipe off another box mix. B1 asked me if I had milk at home. I was sure Father had some in the fridge so nodded. Being very lazy people, we did not call home to check. After all, I confidently informed B1, we could create milk from evaporated milk + H2O.

I discovered to my horror that I only had chocolate milk at home. In my haste to simulate milk with water and the branded milk powder (haha, instead of evaporated milk) that my mother drinks to prevent osteroporosis, and mentally calculating how much milk powder would I need to make 30ml milk, I forgot the one and only measuring cup I had was 1/3 cup, 80ml...





In went 80ml, and the very confused us stared down at the mixing bowl, wondering if frosting was supposed to look more like chocolate sauce. I later realised my mistake. Out the window went the exact measurements, I just kept chucking icing sugar, butter, cocoa and milk powder to thicken the mixture.

It became a thicker chocolate sauce, but went fantastic with the cake all the same. Anyway the cake came out magnificently. Either B1 is a much better baker than me (my cakes and biscuits consistently come out as biscuits), or cake mixes is the right way to go.

After a hasty Happy Birthday song, I had my second birthday cake for the year, lovingly mixed by the exhausted B1 (he beat the crap out of the cake and frosting), and nicely accompanied by a chilled Innocent Bystander Moscato 2008.


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