I just baked my first cake ever.
 

Was a carrot cake.

Dunno how I've gotten this far in life without making a cake... but I've somehow managed it.

The cake part was fine, and easy enough... professional brewing prepared me well for such matters... it was the icing that was a bit problematic. Almost didn't have enough... think I wasted too much between the layers... also didn't have one of those icing spatulas... so it looks a bit like a 9th grader's Home Ec. project.

Shoulda taken a pic before I put it in the fridge... but after getting that Aluminum Foil delicately wrapped around it, there's no way I'm opening it back up until serving it tomorrow night.

I have a new respect for chefs that work with icing.

from scratch?

My favorite .... now I want a piece!

No. First go was the kit-type... figured I'd learn to walk before I run.

Still, it was an advanced kit... requiring extra ingredients like raisins, and canned pineapple, and nuts going into it... Next time, it'll probably be from scratch. I'm a slow food kinda guy whenever possible.

I did a scratch cake back when I was 10 or 11. Too much shortening. Will never forget that result.

Yeah... my favorite, too.

It leaves a bit to be desired visually, but I'm sure it'll taste great.

If you're local this weekend, I'll save you a piece. :)

Did it collapse? It'd seem that too much fat might do that.

Before I iced the cake, I googled "how to ice cake" just to get some feedback... and up came a number of "how to" articles... a couple even with instructional 2 minute videos...

I think that was part of my problem... the chef in the video obviously had more icing to work with than I did.

Still, gotta love the internet. Just about anything's doable.... I went from having no clue to being a seasoned novice in about 7 mintues of reading/watching.

Thanks, but I don't think I'll be even close. What's interesting is watching an experienced cake person apply the icing and having exactly enough.

Collapse? I have a feeling it never rose. It was pretty dense.

Giant cookie, then? heheh.

OK, not just a bit too much... but _too_ much. :-)

lol... about time!

Hehe. Congratulations! So what are you gonna bake next?!

:winkwink:

Good question.

I've made bread before... but I'll probably do another cake... this time from scratch. :thumbsup

Not for a bit, though.

It was a long time ago, but I may have read TSP and TBSP wrong.


Or cup and quart.

really not a spacecake?

Invest in an oven thermometer...a good one. I've rarely found an oven that preheated to 400 when it was set to 400. 25 degress can make a HUGE difference, especially when baking. Dammit!...now I want cake.

Not for tonight's crowd. :winkwink:

Good advice, thanks. I've often thought my oven could probably use some calibrating.

I plan to hit the Studio City Farmer's Market tomorrow morning... if you're local, and able to make it there, I'll save ya a slice. :)

There's a kick ass dark chocolate cake recipe on the back of Hershey's special dark cocoa powder.
And yeah for sure, old fashioned in-oven thermometer a must for baking. I set mine to 350 and it'll go to 375 every time. Pain in the ass, but the only way to know.

You are selling slices of your carrot cake at a farmer's market?

You could probably make more if it was a spacecake then.

Tooth picks on top w/ plastic wrap works best. :thumbsup

Make one from scratch! Carrot cake is really easy, specially if you start with pre-shredded bagged carrots. I make mine in a large brownie pan, cause I've never been good with frosting layers.

For sure.

Only meant I'd be there as a consumer, though... like most Sundays. Let's see how the trial run here goes before I build my cake-selling empire. :winkwink:

I broke down and picked up more icing on the way home today, so that the cake wouldn't appear bare... looks much better now.

I remember my mom doing the toothpick/plastic wrap thing... good call. :thumbsup

I get the feeling I'm gonna try making one from scratch sooner than later, after all... especially since I just learned how easy the icing is to make from scratch, too.

Before anything like that, though... I'm getting the oven thermometer... and one of those spatulas designed for icing. :)

Next will come cookies in shape of animals and muffins :)

Aluminum foil? Go buy a plastic cake container. They are cheap and might encourage you to bake more often.

not enough icing???
































Bukkakke!!!!! :1orglaugh

This thread could have been mine last year. I think I did post one like it in fact. And mine was also a carrot cake... great minds and all that. :D

Mine turned out pretty good, was from a kit as well. Good ol Betty Crocker.

And I'm a god with the icing. I do have the spreader tool thingy, and bought extra cans of icing ahead of time because you can't have too much as far as I'm concerned.

Congrats.

i want some cake..

Pics or it didn't happen :)

the first real home made cake i had was a space cake by my brother... i never forget that result either - i was fucked up for about 3 hours straight :Oh crap

I've actually made cakes from scratch (please don't tell anyone as I need to keep my "I don't cook/bake" image in tact so I don't have to do any of it....). One time I made a cake THREE TIMES and it came out flat. Couldn't figure it out. By that time I had run out of baking powder and had to buy more - perfect cake #4. So....don't use old baking powder ;)

I think that's 1 more cake than I've ever made.

~Alli

that is beautiful

:drinkup:drinkup nice!! what next you will going to bake?? :1orglaugh

I prefer to buy rather than to make my own :):):)

good for you...congratz...do you have any pics? maybe you've had the time to take picture before serving...as a remembrance of your first baked cake...:D

Congrats..I always find the icing/frosting easier than the actual cake.

yay, how fun! now i am craving carrot cake. :) thanks a lot. :)

Carrot cakes are YUM YUM

ahaha still nice to know that at least you tried it! :1orglaugh

"practice makes perfect man!" :winkwink: