Crumby cake

Just once, I'd like to get an order for a cake and be excited to make it and know that nothing will go wrong. Does that happen? Because it seems like more often than not, I have some sort of problem that, at some point, has me (a.) in tears or (b.) saying, "I can't DO this."

I made the cakes for my coworker's surprise baby shower cake last night. I had planned to leave the office early and get a head start, and of course that didn't happen. Thankfully, nothing went wrong with the baking. Score one for me. Since it was late and I wanted to get a good frozen crumb layer (a thin layer of icing to pick up cake crumbs intentionally), I decided to freeze it over night and finish the top layer and decorating this morning. Great plan! I mixed my gum paste colors and washed and set out everything I'd need this morning.

Unfortunately, my great plan got derailed when my nice fluffy soft frosting top layer picked up and mixed in with crumbs from the crumb layer, creating a super-thick crumb layer using almost a whole batch of frosting. Oops. Poor Dan came into the kitchen to find me in tears saying I couldn't possibly take money for this cake and I'd have to go buy one. He told me not to give up and it would be okay, that I'd promised a cake and I was going to deliver (sound familiar?). I frantically IMed Mrs. ESPN at work, who told me to put it back in the freezer and try again in a bit. Thankfully, the newly frozen layer didn't pull up when I added new frosting and I got most of the crumbage out. I moved on to decorating and that went smoothly as well.

All in all, I'm happy with how it came out. There are still some visible crumbs, but the rational part of me knows I'm looking at it and scrutinizing more than anyone else is. The buyer was happy with it, and that's what matters, right?

If nothing else, that sucker is delicious with a layer each of chocolate fudge cake and white cake with Oreo crumbles. Yum!!

And once again, I'd like to thank Dan for not letting me give up. It's nice to know he's got faith in me when I don't.