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Had planned to spend my weekend monitoring crab heartbeats (true), but wasn't able to get time on the crab-heartbeat-monitoring equipment. What to do with this unexpected wealth of free time?
Cake. Obviously.
Went on an expedition for glycerine so I could make fondant, then settled in for some serious baking.
Short version:
Sunday AM: Planned cake. In my mind, it is a towering work of genius.
Wednesday AM: Completed cake. In my kitchen, it is somewhat less towering and masterful than planned.
Wednesday PM: Cake devoured by rampaging marine biologists.
Long version:
Sunday: Baked 9x13 and 8x8 chocolate sheet cakes. Made fondant, and kneaded it for an ungodly length of time, then set it aside. Texture seemed good, so I considered this a successful first foray into making fondant, and cracked open a beer. Made orange buttercream. Tested orange buttercream repeatedly. Cut large cake into quarters and stacked them up with buttercream in between. Prayed fervently to whatever higher power is invested in cake structural stability. Light coating of buttercream over all, and rolled out fondant & draped it over. Considered it a less-successful first foray into using fondant. Coated little squares of 8x8 cake in buttercream & fondant, and stuck them on top for towers. Considered that this was not as seamless as hoped. Rolled out very thin layer of fondant and coated cake, towers and all, again. Rolled out tree trunks of fondant and distributed around cake. Finished beer. Slept.
Monday: Went for beer after work. And dinner. Came home and painted tree trunks. Did not complete cake on schedule. Slept.
Tuesday: Went to pub quiz after work. Painted windows and some deer. Did not complete cake on schedule. Slept.
Wednesday: Painted more deer and roofs. Completed cake! Took millions of pictures and fed it to my coworkers, who pronounced it delicious.
