(S1E1) Cake Week

The Showstopper

The Signature Bake: Carrot Cake with Boozy Raisins and Roasted Walnuts with Mascarpone Frosting

Rule: Bake a cake that is special to you.

Rule: "Produce a cake that looks good, tastes better, is evenly risen, evenly baked, and moist."

Time Limit: 3 hours

Carrot Cake has always been my mums favorite and it was also the first cake I had ever made for somebody. Nothing special, just a cake from a box and frosting from a container.

However, this time, it won't be a cake from a box and frosting from a container, and I have spiced it up a bit. I used fresh grated carrots, fresh grated ginger, golden raisins soaked in brown sugar bourbon, and roasted walnuts with a mascarpone frosting.

Sounds pretty tasty, right?

Ready. Set. Bake!

I know I have to get my pans buttered and floured, my raisins soaking, my walnuts roasted, and get my cakes in the oven as soon as possible.

2 hours and 30 minutes left -

I have my raisins soaking in the bourbon, my walnuts toasted, and my pans greased and floured, but I am still grating these darn carrots!

Readers, I have been grating carrots for 20 minutes.

I have some bad news...this is hard to say, but...

I am breaking up with my grater.

I still have 9 more carrots to grate and I have probably only completed 5...It has one job and it can't even do that!

Well, back to it.

1 hour and 30 minutes left -

I just got my cakes in the oven, finally.

I now understand the stress these bakers experience. You think, oh, it is just a cake and frosting, it can't be too hard. However, when you are timed, it feels like everything is going wrong. The phone ringing, can't find the right bowl, the carrots won't grate fast enough. There are so many things that can go wrong and when you are timed, they do go wrong. The issue is, you don't have time for these things to go wrong.

But, it is okay. I can do it! Right? My cakes only need to bake for 35-45 minutes.

30 minutes left -

it has been longer than 35-45 minutes and my cakes just came out of the oven...do I have to say it? Well, I am going to tell you, they are TOO HOT!!!

Thankfully, I have the frosting done; however, thinner than I would like, but still tasty.

I have also toasted a few more walnuts and soaked a few more raisins for the filling and the topping.

All I need now are my cakes to cool.

8 minutes left -

Still hot...I decided to toss them in the freezer to see if they would cool faster.

2 minutes left -

STILL HOT!!! Well, I have to get my frosting on the cakes and my toppings on or this wont be a cake.

So, I slather frosting over one cake and sprinkle my walnuts and boozy raisins on top.

Great! No issues yet.

I place my second cake on top of the first one and it is looking good. There is no melting. I am feeling good. I have just a few seconds left so I toss a few more walnuts and boozy raisins on top before my timer goes off, then done!

Cake looks good and everything is still in place.

Then...

My icing starts to melt.

At least the cake is still cute, right?

I know Paul and Mary would have at least said something nice on the presentation. Maybe...Hopefully...

The Tasting:

I am so happy that I don't have Mary and Paul tasting my cake because it looks good, it is evenly baked, evenly risen, and moist; however, because the frosting melted it melted right into the cake, so now the cake is slightly gummy.

I do have to say though, the flavor is really good!

That fresh ginger added a nice zing and the walnuts added a crunchy texture to the cake; which is really nice.

But, I am still so so so happy that Mary and Paul did t try this cake. I know they would both comment on how the frosting melting into the cake and created an gummier texture.

Paul would have maybe said something along the lines of - it looks good, it looks moist, but the texture is just not there.

The Technical: Mary Berry's Perfect Victoria Sandwich

Rule: Each contestant is given the same exact recipe, the same exact time limit, and the same exact ingredients.

Exception to the Rules: Unfortunately, because I have watched the show, I know what I am baking. In addition, because I have to go buy the ingredients, I know what I am using. However, I will try to use the instructions the bakers are given.

Instructions:

Mix to a method of your choice.

Divide between two tins.

Bake for 25 minutes at 180 deg C.

Time Limit: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Unfortunately, the show does not mention how long the bakers have; however, knowing it is a technical challenge and Mary Berry's timing online for her cake is about an hour for just the mixing and baking, I chose an hour at first and then after discussing it with my boyfriend, we decided an hour and 30 minutes was more realistic.

Last exception, I don't have self rising flour and weirdly enough, I couldn't find it at the store, so I had to make my own. Sorry readers and sorry GBBS; but, I promise, that is my last exception.

Ready. Set. Bake!

One minute in and I now understand why technical challenges are so scary. It is not just that you are baking something that you don't know, it is that you are timed baking something you don't know.

One minute in and I crack my first egg wrong.

You are probably asking, how do you crack an egg wrong Melissa?

Well, this is how.

I didn't crack the egg completely, so just the top pooped off and then the yolk wouldn't come out. I spent probably 30 seconds shaking this egg out of the shell.

Not just that, I crack my second egg and egg shells crumble into the bowl.

What is happening?!

However, we move on. (Also, don't worry, I took the shell out.)

Ten minutes in and I have already done something I would have never done. I creamed the sugar and the eggs together. Why would I do that?

I have always creamed my butter and the sugar together. Never, have I ever, creamed the sugar and eggs together.

Well, I guess we will see how it bakes.

Then, I go to weigh my flour and notice that my scale is on milliliter and not grams. Being an American, I don't know the metric system and how sugar weight and flour weight equal out. I know this sounds like a dumb comment, but really, no idea.

Remember, I have already mixed my eggs and my sugar.

I am now shocked.

Dumbfounded.

10 minutes in and I have already screwed up 3 things.

I decide that I need to start over. I'm willing to deal with funny cracked eggs, weird mixing techniques; but if the measurements are off, I am risking having a cake that is too sweet or not sweet enough.

I toss bowl number 1 in the sink and I grab bowl number 2 and get started.

Eggs crack great and are in the bowl.

Sugar measured right and added to the bowl.

Whisked.

Wait!

Crap!

Why did I do it again?!

Well, I don't have the time to start over; I'm already 15 minutes into this bake and I already feel horrible using 8 eggs for one cake.

I decide to trudge on.

"If you don't laugh, you'll cry", Jonathan Shepherd says when he is working on his technical and yes, he is correct. You just have to laugh.

I toss the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and hope for the best.

I end up using a spatula at the end to make sure I don't over beat the cake, but I can see that there is butter spotted throughout the batter. It should be okay. Hopefully.

I poor my batter into the tins. It is thick and smooth and is as good as it is going to get.

I toss them in the oven with 1 hour left of the challenge and I just hope that it comes out correctly because at this time, hope is all I have left.

Well, interesting thing, this challenge did not include making the raspberry jam; instead, the bakers were given jam. Perfect! One less thing to do.

30 minutes left -

Cakes are not done...

20 minutes left -

The cakes are done!!! Thank Goodness! However, I now have 20 minutes to get these cakes cooled, jammed, and powdered.

I can do this!

I transfer the cakes onto a cooling rack and start fanning the crap out of them.

10 minutes left -

I am still fanning the crap out of these cakes and my arms are getting tired...I think to myself, "I wonder if all the bakers realize how irritating it is when they don't have time to cool their cakes..". Who am I kidding, of course they know how irritating it is.

I think back to the fact that in my first challenge my icing melted into the cake.

Icing Cakes 101: Always wait for the cakes to cool completely before icing. Cake gods, how can I cool my cakes faster? I really really really don't want my jam to melt into my cakes this time...

3 minutes left -

I have to put this cake together.

I place one cake on a cake board and smother jam all over the top. I have no idea how much jam I need, but I'm going to put what I believe would be a sufficient amount of jam on it.

I place the second cake on top and can feel the warmth, but it is not bad, hoping for the best.

I grab my sifter, sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar over the top of the cake, and then my timer goes off.

Hopefully, like, all my hopes in a gift basket and giving to the cake gods, please let my cake be cool enough.

The Tasting:

In the show, Mary and Paul cut the cake in half to see what the cake looks like on the inside. Compared to the other bakers, I don't think I did that bad. The texture is soft and fluffy. The color is good.

Tasting the cake, it definitely seems to have a very egg-y taste. Not in a bad way, but I am definitely able to tell that this egg based cake.

The hard part is that I have never had a Victoria Sandwich before, so I am not exactly sure what I am looking for. But, it is very airy (surprises me after I have mixed it so weird), not too sweet (happy I started over on the sugar part), and simple.

I would have to say I would probably make this cake again, but for a tea party or for Kaffee and Kuchen.

I would give myself a "not bad" rating.

The Showstopper: Chocolate Celebration Cake Celebrating Winter and Snow

Rule: Perfect execution and a touch of originality - your own personal flair

Rule: Develop and bring in (your) own recipe - make it for a special event - and use chocolate

Time Limit - 4 hours

I don't actually know what the time limit of the bake is; however, with the other seasons, the cake showstopper time limit is normally around 4 hours.

I have decided to make a chocolate cake with a milk chocolate ganache filling with a layer of raspberries. The Frosting will be a white chocolate buttercream with chocolate decorations, which include trees and reindeer.

Ready! Set! Bake!

Step 1 - get these cakes in the oven, so that they have enough time to cool and I do not have the same problem as I had in my first two bakes.

I toss my ingredients together and mix everything in the correct order with no issues.

I feel very focused and both my cakes get tossed in the oven 30 minutes into the bake.

3 hours and 30 minutes left -

Ganache Time!

I place my heavy whipping cream on the heat and start to chop up my chocolate so my chocolate melts evenly when I pour my cream over it.

As I am chopping the chocolate I start to smell something funny and realize I have scorched my heavy whipping cream. There is no way I can fix this, I just have to start over. Thankfully, I had not poured it over the chocolate yet.

I toss the cream and add more to the small pot stirring constantly. I don't want my cream to scorch again.

I believe my heavy whipping cream is warmed through and I pour it over the chocolate. Well...half way through melting the chocolate I realize I actually did not heat my heavy whipping cream enough and it is not melting my chocolate completely.

I now have chunky ganache. That is okay, still tastes great!

Let us just say it was supposed to be that way, okay?

I place the ganache in the fridge to make sure it sets in time.

3 hours left -

My cakes are almost complete, the ganache is cooling, and I am feeling great about time.

I still have my frosting to get done and also still have my chocolate decorations that I need to make. I have to be honest, I have never been able to temper my chocolate correctly before...

I am definitely going to leave that to the last minute and work on my buttercream instead. I know that sounds stupid, but at least if my chocolate decorations don't work out, I have a frosted cake to present.

I get my white chocolate melted and realize that this also smells a little funny....I taste it and it is off. I check the date and realize that I just bought expired chocolate from the grocery store. Well, that sticks. Literally.

Thankfully I had a few extra bars that were not expired.

I toss the melted chocolate out and wash my bowl real fast, then dry it very well so that there is no water residue left in the bowl (never mix water and melted chocolate). I add the new chocolate into the bowl and wait for it to melt.

2 hours and 40 minutes left -

Cakes are done and on the cooling rack!

Thankfully, the white chocolate melts quickly. I add it to my whipped butter and finish my frosting making it smooth and tasty in 20 minutes.

Great! I am feeling awesome!

2 hours and 10 minutes -

I have my cakes cooling, the ganache setting, and my frosting is finished. I couldn't be happier right now.

Now, the hard part, the chocolate decorations.

I want to make white chocolate and milk chocolate trees. I know I will have the hardest time tempering the milk chocolate, so I am going to start with that first.

I melt the chocolate and then once completely melted I start adding solid pieces of chocolate to bring the melted chocolate to the correct temperature. I had read that this method could take 30 minutes or more and I need to be patient.

Try telling a person running a race to be patient. Not happening. I know it is a race against myself, but still.

I know I can't speed up the process, so I might as well take a deep breath and try my hardest to do this right the first time.

I keep mixing and mixing and mixing and mixing...30 minutes pass, my arm is definitely tired.

I had read a trick online that I can test the temperature of the chocolate by touching it against the inside of my wrist and if it feels cool, it is ready.

The first few times, it was not cool. Definitely stung like a b**** the first time.

Finally, after mixing so much, it feels cool against my wrist. Let's hope this works.

I spoon the chocolate into a piping bag and start piping the trees and the reindeer.

The chocolate should start to harden within a few moments after piping it and it does not.

I don't know what else to do, so I place the chocolates in the freezer and hope that it hardens in time.

1 hour left -

The chocolates are starting to set!

However, I realize I won't have enough time to make the white chocolate pieces. I decide to make a few more milk chocolate trees. I pick up my piping back and realize that the chocolate has started to harden. I have to hurry and get some more trees pipped.

I pipe about 7 more trees and my hands start to get weak from squeezing the bag. It is not worth it anymore. I will work with what I have.

45 minutes left -

I need to get this cake put together.

The cakes are cooled, so I place one cake on a cake board and take my ganache out of the fridge. Crap! My ganache is too cold. It is so stiff that I could make truffles.

I use my hands to soften the ganache slightly, so that I can at least press the ganache to the top of the cake.

I break the raspberries apart and layer them over the ganache. Thankfully these raspberries are not too juicy, so it does not cause my ganache to separate.

I plop the next layer of my cake on top of the raspberries and press down slightly.

35 minutes left -

I take the white chocolate buttercream and spread a thin layer over the cake to capture all the crumbs and toss the cake in the fridge so the buttercream stiffens slightly.

As the cake sits in the fridge, I pop the chocolate trees off my silicone mat to prepare them to be placed on the cake.

25 minutes left -

I pull the cake out of the fridge and add the last layer of frosting and give the cake a nice clean finish.

10 minutes left -

I press the decorations into the cake.

5 minutes left -

I have a little ganache left and I decide to roll them into balls, roll them in some coconut, and then line them along the edge of the cake to create a boarder of truffles.

Times Up!

The truffle edge was not completed...I have about 9 small truffles along the edge.

The Tasting:

Holly Molly! This cake tastes AMAZING!

It is moist, rich, chocolaty, not too sweet, favorable.

Probably one of the best cakes I have ever had.

I would hope this would save me from elimination and I am sure Paul and Mary would actually have good things to say about this cake.

Sadly, I have no idea what they would say.

I promise you that I am not just tooting my own horn. As you get to know me, you'll find that I judge my bakes really hard. But I am telling you, wow, this cake is awesome!

The one negative comment I have, I think I would like more of the raspberry flavor.

Next Time on The GBBS Challenge: Biscuit Week!

I am definitely excited for some tasty biscuits.

Cake is Served!

This was way more difficult than I thought it was going to be.

It is not just the bakes that are hard, it is the commitment to do these bakes too. Sometimes, all I want to do is just video call my boyfriend and watch television. However, this is pushing me to be so much more and pushing me to keep a baking routine even when things are hard.

The things that make it worth it are the comments I get from friends, coworkers, neighbors, and loved ones.

I took my cakes into the office because I didn't want them to go to waste and received so many encouraging comments. "This tastes great!", "Can you make this cake for me?", "I need another piece.".

All these comments mean so much more than my coworkers think and they would mean so much to any baker, even any cook.

Sue Perkins said something that really connected to me, "Part of it does have to be rigorous, the structure of it it is a competition, there will be a winner. But along the way, I think it is important to remember that making something for somebody is an act of love and an act of committing their time and their energy and their passion and is it incredibly [inaudible] painful when someone rejects that. If I made a cake and if someone left some, I just feel that there would be a part of me still left on that plate going, "please, please just take it cause I made it".

I can not express how much it hurts to put your heart into something you bake for someone and to have that someone choose store bought over your home made treat. It is so heart wrenching and it makes me feel like baking is a waste of time.

However, baking is my passion and it is the thing I would love to do for the rest of my life and I truly believe sticking with this challenge will push me, drive me crazy, and make me cry. But I also know I will learn new techniques, I will learn new bakes, and I will learn to be more confident and who knows, maybe it will help me open my own bakery someday.