Baking Without a Net

TEST KITCHEN

Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So this is completely test kitchen...meaning...results may vary according to baker's mileage.

I need a Red Velvet Bundt cake (actually, I need two) for a specialty cake I'm planning for a party on Wednesday.  I tried a new recipe, one designed specifically for a Bundt pan - it worked beautifully.  Oh! and was very scrumptious.  Hot tip: I almost always bake two or three cupcakes when trying out a new cake recipe - this way I can taste the cake without cutting into it and that small bit of cake doesn't drastically alter the outcome of the cake.

 

 So far, so good.



"Now let's see what happens when I frost it with a bit of loose cream cheese icing." [turn back now]

 

 Ugh.  This doesn't look very appetizing...

NO!  This looks worse!  Eww!

Things were going in reverse and I didn't know what to do (note to self: check out YouTube videos for frosting a Bundt cake).  The little lumps in the frosting was butter that wasn't quite room temperature and wasn't beaten long enough in the stand mixer.  The frosting was too thick to drizzle and too something else to work out.  Yeah...

"So more frosting would be better?  Ok!"

  [It's like a buttercream crash - you just can't seem to turn away from at this point.]

 

No.  I don't think more is better in this case.  I think more practice would be better, more skills would be better, and probably more patience would be better too.  Sigh.

 

As I reviewed the pictures, I realized I didn't start off with a clear vision of what I was looking for and at least some idea of how to get there.  Now that makes sense.  Like life, I need to have a vision, some goals, and maybe a purpose....and a plan plus a skill set to get there.  I can't go it alone; a community is a must.

 

Life is like a Red Velvet Bundt cake from the Test Kitchen...there's going to be some lumps, some messes, perhaps some yumminess too...and if we're lucky, a metaphorical big red rose to hide behind and maybe a little light from the window to divert attention.  I love my life.