Going Insane!

I'm dead sure i can never make the cut as a baker or work in a confectionery after my first ever baking experience! Its not that i make it sound that bad its that at times the whole process really and nearly drove me nuts. Here's what it was like.....

I spent 3 days deciding what kind of cake i wanna make and finally decided upon Tiramisu chocolate cake on wednesday. So i wrote down a list of the ingredients which i needed to buy on a list. First time i actually wrote something like that!

Thursday - I choosed to go to the 'market place' at Raffles City shopping center to try my luck because i know normal supermarkets like NTUC or shop n save are less likely to have those stuffs i want. I went after my project which means i had to carry a big bag containing laptop, adapter, book, mouse, camera, and all sorts of shit. To exacerbate matters, i was already exhausted by the time i reached there after such a long day. I really looked like some newbie in a supermarket walking around with a shopping list in palms and searching for my stuffs. I had to ask the salespersons for assistance on at least 3 ocassions! Eventually i found about 3/4 of the stuffs i needed but i decided not to buy the Mascarpone Cheese from there because i'm afraid it might melt by the time i got home. Big mistake.

Next i headed down to jurong east to get the baking tools such as mould, base and spaluta. Already nearly 8pm by the time i reached there and guess what.....when i went to look for the cheese there, it was UNAVAILABLE! I tried every single store and supermarket and they said they don't sell such cheese there! I thought of going all the way back to city hall to get it but my already overworked brains and exhausted body were crying for me to head home. I gave in to them.

I couldn't start on the cake on thursday as scheduled as a result of the missing cheese, whipping cream and brandy/rum. That means i only have the whole of Friday to ensure im successful because Tiramisu's a cake that needed to be refrigated for at least half a day to have maximum taste when eating it. Darling's birthday was on saturday. I feel stress, im afraid i might screw up everything and make a mess because i know nuts about baking and i've never baked anything before! Cooking yes.......baking no!

Friday morning i got up early as i had a long day ahead. I had to get a gift as well. Talking about getting gifts, im one who always have in mind something to get for anyone, be it a friend, family or partner. This time was no difference, i knew getting her a watch would be appropriate. Well i don't know why its appropriate, i just feel so. The problem was where do i get the watch?! The first thing that came to my mind was a bling bling watch. I din't have a second thought about getting it from Guess. Unfortunately, the Guess store at takashimaya din't have a really nice design and neither did the one at scotts road. At that time i realized i walked past a Guess outlet at raffless city while getting the ingredients yesterday. So off i went.

There were so much more different designs and colors at this outlet compared to those at orchard. There was one that really stand out from the rest though. A white one and it was really sparkling and outstanding. Beside pink, she loves white too din't she? I snapped it up!

Gift's done and i head down to the supermarket to get the cheese and rush home immediately. On the way back i realized i din't have any expresso coffee at home so i had to rush down to liberty supermarket at Jurong Point to get it. Rushed home in the rain to start my baking session.

I totally screwed up the 1st attempt. I tried to be clever and combined 2 different recipes of tiramisu cake and ended up with a WATERY cake! To make matters worse, the whole thing spilled out and over onto my table and floor. Thankfully my mom or dad wasn't home. The whole kitchen resembles that of some foam or snow place! I felt so angry, disappointed and devasted. I had a jolly hard time cleaning up the whole place while thinking of what to do now.

I wanted to give up, i thought of simply getting a cake or even telling her how badly failed. But being a strong willed and determined person, i din't wanted to gave up. I don't like believing in the word impossible. How could i even think of giving up? I decided to try again but i had NO CHEESE LEFT!!! Jesus!

I look at the clock and it was around 5.40pm. There goes my plan of giving her a surprise at midnight later on. But nevertheless, i rush all the way down to city hall...and that supermarket....AGAIN! That was the 3rd time i've been there! Grabbed the cheese and sped home to try it out all over again. This time i was extremely careful and did everything slowly and accordinly to the recipe.

At 9pm, i finally completed the cake. I was still afraid it would turn out tasteless or horrible because i didn't tried it although the mixture and cream smells good. I had another hard time cleaning the kitchen afterwards. My hands and fingers were numb at the end of the day.

Hopefully she'd like and appreciate it even though it was newbie stuffs. It certainly wasn't easy considering the efforts put in and this was the most expensive cake i've 'bought'......thanks to the cheese which costs $20 alone! Actually only 11 bucks for one but i screwed up the first attempt so....haha im such a newbie baker! But then i doubt many guys would be able to even complete baking one. It may be amateur stuff but at least it has sincerity in it! Hopefully this is a pleasant surprise for her, hopefully she'd never thought i would bake a cake for her!