'Mom', What was the first thing you ever cooked? asked Violet.
Sandy was quite pre occupied to answer her daughter's question. On not getting an answer, Violet asked again.
'ehmmm I think it was pizza' said Sandy, while still trying to measure out the ingredients for the cake that she was about to bake.
At the moment she was doing something alien to her cooking expedition. She was measuring! she never measures for her cakes. With her unconventional approach to things, she abhors measuring with cups or spoons. In fact, for all the baking she does for her kids, she is yet to have a measuring scale. She strongly believes one should develop a sense for such things.
So if she is finally doing the unheard thing, it's because of two reasons. One, the cake that she is now baking, is a surprise birthday gift for her daughter's friend and the other, the pretty measuring cups she bought couple of years back, never saw the light of the day.
Coming back to her daughter's question, she thought again and said it was pizzas followed by the many cakes, which she never ever tasted. "If only"s could fill up a whole page whenever she remembers those baking. If only she had clicked pictures, if only she had made them eggless. If only....
"Of course that would have resulted in the front door being changed to a wider one, anyways it's all in the past", she thought.
Now she was deep into the pan, trying to check what next goes. When Violet said she wants a cake baked, Sandy didn't even bother to ask what flavour. It was obvious what was needed.
'Mom, are you making one of your regular cakes?' asked Violet.
Sandy gave her a funny look and said "Do you even think your mom is so crazy enough to make something a second time?'
'Oh, but why are you looking so worked up and tensed?',
'Well, the reason is 'cos I am having my fingers crossed for the cake to turn out good' replied Sandy.
'What is the name of the cake?', asked Violet.
'ehhmmm...Chocolate Cake?' piqued Sandy.
'What!!? Mom, with all the chocolates and cocoa powder you have here, I know it is going to be chocolate cake, but what is the name?' asked Violet.
'See Violet, chocolate cake in any other name, would still be a chocolate cake. So why bother breaking your head trying to name it differently? questioned Sandy. Sandy knew all sane thoughts take flight the moment she is asked to christen something.
'I didn't want you guys to pointing fingers at me when you grew up. That was the only reason why Daddy had the sole privilege of selecting your names'
'Mom, but how would you differentiate this with the many chocolate cakes you already have?' asked a shocked Violet.
'Violet, English is a beautiful language with excellent adjectives okay, we will come up with something!' said Sandy. 'Now please don't disturb more or else I won't remember what goes next!'
She was happy she ended up doing this when her husband was out of town. Else she was sure she would have gone crazy!
Sandy was still so busy concentrating on measuring exactly 1/3 rd cup of something, when suddenly Violet asked 'Mom, curd is made from Milk right', so why are you mixing Curds and milk?
Sandy gave one of the stares that she is famous for. 'I don't know for what, the recipe calls for it and I am making it.'
'Mom, but you always have some explanation for everything right?'
Sandy wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a sarcasm, however she didn't have time for it, 'Violet, please, this is not exactly the time for a session on Science. I will do it later, sweety.'
After two seconds, "Mom, can you write something on top or do some decoration?
"Baby, mummy is not exactly in the mood to do an elaborate icing nor write anything on top!"
"Then how about doing some design atleast?. Remember you bought those cake design stencils? Can we do a design with that?
Sandy suddenly saw another opportunity to try those stencils that have been lying around for a while. She said they can do it in the morning.
So saying that she packed her to bed and got back doing what has been occupying her mind for the last couple of hours. She was on her second cake with the same ingredients. And the first cake refused to budge from the pan.
She is not a professional baker, yet she has been baking for a while now. Till date there has been none that failed on her! The cake ought not to get stuck to the pan, she thought!
After doing all possible stunts and steps in aerobics, she was panting, yet still unable to get the cake out! She knew it was supposed to be a moist dense cake, but it can't be this moist nor so dense (pun intended) not to budge away!
The second cake was much better but it was a heart and her daughter specially didn't want a heart. Though Sandy didn't have heart to send the first one.
With a heavy heart, the night passed away. She was up early to pack the cake and do the frosting. Violet saw that it was finally the heart that was going to accompany her, she is a sweet kid and said it was ok if this didn't budge from the pan.
Sandy had the cake design stencils ready and took the icing sugar for dusting. Just her luck! Even this refused to behave, and what remained were big botches of icing sugar on top! What fate! All her cakes turn out so well, just when she had to do something like this, things turn out worse!
"I am sure the cake will be delicious, Mom. And since we anyway need plates and things, it will save me space if I take it along with the pan"
So the cake was moved to the tin that was to be carried in, with frosting of thick rich chocolate sauce on it. Just looking at it, Violet was dreaming.
Looking at her mom's fallen face, Violet said "Mom, my friends are greatest fans of your bakes, so no worries!"
Hoping the kids will love the chocolate over anything else nor noticed the packing she had done with the frosting on top, Sandy packed her kids off to school. The day passed as slowly it could, Sandy waiting eagerly to know how the kids liked the cake.
On hearing the phone ringing, she sprang to pick it up.
"Mom, my friends are asking if it was okay for them to take the pan over to their home. They want their mothers to taste this amazing cake. Only they wished you had sent in two such pans, now how will they divide the pans?"
Sandy with a silly grin said she will try her best to see if she can bake another moist cake that gets stuck to the pan.
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And here's the moist chocolate cake with rich chocolate frosting.
I adapted this from Gayatri's Perfectly Perfect Chocolate Cake, since this was far from being perfect in shape, though it was very delicious and sinful taste wise, I simply thought moist chocolate cake would suit this better. She had originally adapted from Hershey's Kitchen.
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Moist Chocolate Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour/ Maida - 1 cup
Cocoa Powder - 1/4 cup (increase if you find it less)
Baking Soda - 3/4 tsp
Baking Powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Wet Ingredients:
Cooking Oil - 1/4 cup
Milk-1/2 cup
Curd/ Yogurt-1/2 cup
Vanilla Essence-1 tsp
Boiling Water-1/2 cup
How to bake the Moist Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 185 C. Grease and dust an 8" round pan.
In a blow, mix together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add curd, milk, oil and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.
Add the boiling water and beat until well combined.
The batter will be thin. Pour it into the greased and dusted cake pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the cake when a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Place the tin on counter and leave it for 15 minutes.
Flip it on to a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients Needed:
Butter - 1/2 cup
Cocoa Powder - 2/3 cup
Icing Sugar - 2 cups
Milk - 1/3 cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
How to make:
Sift the cocoa powder along with sugar in a thick bottom pan, add the butter and mix well.
When it starts melting, add milk and beat to combine.
Add the vanilla essence and mix well.
Use it to frost the cake.
Notes:
I initially baked it at 185 C for 20 mins, then baked again for 10 mins in 5 min interval. I am not sure what went wrong for the cake not to leave the pan. This reminded me of the mix in the pan cakes, that are mixed and baked in the pan to be served as such.
The other thing that skipped my mind was to line the tin with baking paper. That should have really saved the day.
Anyway I am planning to bake this again just to know I wasn't jinxed on this cake.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 33
Moist Chocolate Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting | A tale of a pan stuck cake
Tried this recipe?Mention @Cooking4all or tag #Cooking4all!
Priya Suresh says
I prepared the same cake as cupcakes, yes they are seriously very moist and delicious.
Omg,wat a beautiful story, kids always love their mom's cake na even its a disaster. My earlier baking experience are almost the same.
Manjula Bharath says
wow wonderful write up and love the conversion between sandy and violet 🙂 very nicely narrated !! chocolate cake looks marvelous 🙂 super moist and so yummy !!
vaishali sabnani says
Oh wow...that sure was interesting to read..and apt for the post...and this is such a hit cake..I remember baking it..super ...my mouth is watering.
Gayathri Kumar says
Valli, nice story and I pictured it with you even before I knew that this story is about you.... I enjoyed it a lot.
Sapana Behl says
Very nice and cute story . And the cake surely looks moist and yummy!
veena krishnakumar says
wow Valli...thats is a beautiful write up and you are tempting e to bake this:-)
Arthy Suman says
u r a very good story teller dear...love reading it, love the moist cake...
Wer SAHM says
moist and soft cake...
Rajani S says
This is my all time 'go to chocolate cake'. Of course I bake it with eggs!
The story is something we all can relate to, right :)?
Jayanthi Padmanabhan says
Nice write-up Valli.. I swear by Hershey's chocolate cake recipe as well.. it's winner alright.
Chef Mireille says
OMG - that must just melt in the mouth when eaten...love the story too!
Padma Rekha says
Ha haa haa Valli story sounds just like my story. same thing happend to me but only thing is kid is not there in my story. I too tried this cake for Gaytris egg less bakes that was a wonderful cake. you made it so perfectly looks so moist and mouthwatering.
The Pumpkin Farm says
wow Sandy made a lovely cake and she is so much like me, only the daughter replaced with son 🙂
divya says
wow .. they look gorgeous and super tempting
Pavani N says
Lovely story Valli. I can see my son eating my head off when trying to make something, so I can totally see myself in the story 🙂
I was planning to make this cake last week, but changed my mind and made something else. Will have to try this soon.
Saraswathi Tharagaram says
Lovely write-up Valli.. What a lovely cake..Yumm
Priya Srinivasan says
Delicious cake. i think i tried twice to perfect this cake. second time with silken tofu it was the best!!!
Harini-Jaya R says
Kids have a way to lift our spirits on a bad day!! God bless the kids!! Cake sure does justice to the name!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Lovely cake and story Valli! Thank god for kid, otherwise mommies would have no place to go 🙂