Disaster is a Learning Experience

[NashVegas]

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh!

I am mostly done with an orange-filled cake recipe from The Joy of Cooking. The cake, itself, came out fine except that the amount of batter it created wasn't enough to properly fill the three tins it called for. I went with three anyhow, and a hope.

They baked perfectly, just came out a little on the short side. So much for hope. So I went ahead and made the custard they called for, to go between the layers. Bottom layer: right side up. Middle: right side up. HUGE MISTAKE Department: top layer upside down. It's what I'm accustomed to doing with layer cakes and usually works just fine when needed. Of course, it goes with a little trimming, too, but these cakes were no more than 1/2 inch thick. So again ... I hoped.

The top layer immediately started sliding around all over the custard, and cracked down the middle. I managed to get it off and said to hell with it, put it back on, right side up, and slapped some icing on the top. Gobbed, really.

It's holding so far, and I reckon it will taste quite yummy at least. I'll cry if it doesn't.

Lesson learned: unless the recipe outright says, "these cakes will rise like a young Ron Jeremy," trust your own judgement on layers/batter.


No, I will not be posting a photo.

[NMDemDist2]

1. to quote our dear Warpy from another thread

"They can't all be gourmet extravaganzas, you know."


how would we learn if we didn't experiment? it'll be nummy/yummy I'm sure (even if it looks a little sad)

:hug:

[NashVegas]

2. No One Will Complain on Superbowl Sunday

That's the glory of it.

[Tab]

3. Lesson learned

'unless the recipe outright says, "these cakes will rise like a young Ron Jeremy,"'

I don't know about you, but if I encountered a recipe that said that, I wouldn't even consider making it, much less eating it.

I'm sure somebody out there would, though.

[NMDemDist2]

4. cue.... OLL

:rofl:

[NashVegas]

8. Oh You're Just No Fun!

Relax, Tab. :D

[SoCalDem]

5. EXTRA long toothpicks are your friend when layering cakes

just remember where they are and remove them as you cut the cake.. It will taste DEE-LISH!

and no one will even notice that the layers are not what you planned:)

Bamboo skewers are good too, just break them in half

[SoCalDem]

6. another tip..

remove the layers from the pans, place on cookie sheets and freeze for a bit.. Frosting them when they don;t wobble and crack is much easier..

This is a good tip for slicing meat gefore cooking as well..slightly frozen is easiest

[NashVegas]

9. Ooh I Like That

It's oh-so practical! Thanks, SCD

[Sparkly]

7. When all else fails...

... turn the cake into a trifle! :D

[NashVegas]

10. Thought About It

But I don't have a trifle glass.

hmmmm ...

[Sparkly]

14. Maybe you could do it in individual glasses or goblets?

Like little parfaits. Sprinkle with a liqueur and douse it all with whipped cream. Then say you carefully followed a recipe from a fashionable new restaurant in Paris... :shrug:

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

11. Okay, do what I did one year.

I made a three layer cake for Super Bowl. It cracked down the middle. I glued it together with extra frosting. Then I had a friend cut if for me & when the pieces all crumbled up I just blamed her.

Hey, it worked for me. :evilgrin:

[Stinky The Clown]

12. I could TOTALLY see me doing that!

I'm that kinda guy! :)

[Sparkly]

13. I can't imagine who you'd blame.

:hide:

[Stinky The Clown]

17. Hahahahaha .......

.... you better hide ...... cuz you're in the line of fire, babe!

[kestrel91316]

15. If this had happened to me, I probably would have just

chopped up all the cake pieces and filling coarsely and packed lightly into a bowl and called it TRIFLE.

Then I would have eaten half of it in one sitting, with a spoon, while standing over the sink.

[noamnety]

16. I haven't had good luck with cake experiments

My worst was a tamarind cake that wasn't going well at all, so half way through, I turned it into a marinade for chicken. It actually worked quite well for that.