I fucked up the cake: measuring mistake (1 tsp. is not 1 Tbs.). Instead of fluffy white cake with hints of lemon and rose, we got a much more peasant-assed confection-- not exactly leaden, but not exactly light. The thing was supposed to have four layers, but what with the mismeasurement of baking powder, well, that wasn't happening. I theorize that because I've been making a lot of cornbread lately, I simply saw a cornbread-appropriate measurement when I glanced at the recipe...
The icing is quite silky and delicious: first egg whites and sugar are whisked over heat, then whipped into marshmallowy goo, and finally a great deal of butter is beaten in. We've eaten most of the cake despite the mishaps.
Inspired and frustrated by the process (which also involved making a large hood out of aluminum foil for refrigerated storage), I purchased a cake stand and dome and two 6-inch cake pans to ensure that we will have a cakeful future without having to eat massive amounts of cake. I also took a Sharpie to the cookbook.
6 comments:
I love this story, and the cake, which looks like a book. I was resisting your, and my, compulsion to throw out the fuck-ups in a sadomasochistic fit yesterday, as the italian meringue again came out completely lopsided -- t. made me fill them with instead of throwing them away, claiming they were like those japanese pots with deliberate dents. he's right -- they look way cooler than the "right" ones -- but I crave French perfection.
The hood is genius, prurient. I need a cake stand, and was eyeing them yesterday at surfas, but am spending my nonexistent disposable income on really really good baking sheets and almond meal.
The more I look at your Italian meringues, the more I adore them: they're so active-- like gorgeously-hued lava drifts. The contrast between the smooth caps and the dynamic dermis beneath is really wonderful. I think Terry's right-on.
But, of course, I too crave French perfection.
I sent Terry your CW transcriptions as must-reads. His response: "Ereck is awesome."
PS - Fans of chiasmus and other rhetorical devices should check out Kenny's terrific (defunct?) "What's That Device" series:
here (zeugma),
here (rhetorical fruit basket),
here (beloved chiasmus), and
here (anaphora).
Oops-- meant to post this comment below. Sorry.
Viva "What's That Device"! May it not be defunct!
I smell a game show. . .
let's start a real variety show! with skits!
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