The Best Laid Desserts

I set out today to make a three-layer "celestial" chocolate cake to celebrate another friend's banki-versary tomorrow. The book shows a resplendent picture of three dark chocolate cakes, cushioned by luscious whipped cream and enveloped by a creamy chocolate frosting.


First I consulted the recipe and gathered my supplies.

Then I creamed the butter and sugar. Remember to leave out butter, eggs, and most cold ingredients for several hours before baking so that they come to room temperature. This is the case for most recipes.

I ended up with a ton of rich, chocolate-y batter, which I poured into three prepared pans. Then I baked at 350 degrees for about 27 minutes. The kitchen was smelling good. And I was excited to see the results.

Unfortunately, and despite what I felt to be sufficient pre-greasing and flouring, the little buggers stuck to the pan. Badly. And I got irritated.

Then I had an idea.

I turned the broken cakes into a trifle, using the same whipped cream and substituting chocolate chips and some frozen whipped topping. (That's Cool Whip.) It's not exactly the same as the recipe, but it should be ta-ta-ta-tasty when eaten ta-ta-ta-tomorrow.

I'm trying to see this as a metaphor...and a reminder to always keep certain necessities on hand.