Matt's Birthday Pt. II
So I started to tell you about my labor of luv on Matt’s birthday, but it’s really kind of sad in a way, because it really took days. And it was only possible because I had no work for 3 days! Even sadder still, were the failures. I’ve mentioned before that baking is one of my weaknesses, so the failures weren’t really surprises. But the ones that exceeded my expectations, like the apple tarte from the previous story, made me tremendously happy. Now for the ‘main birthday cake’, I really wanted it to be special, so I did a search for a recipe that includes all of M’s favorite ingredients- coconut, pineapple, and carrots. When I found a recipe that included all 3 of those and more, it was like magic.
But translating a baking recipe into vegan-friendly one is always problem-prone, at least for me. To my horror, this time, the batter turned out to be very thick, like clay. So I thought I’d soften it up with some water. Bad idea. After baking, it turned out to be way too moist, but not light and fluffy. I know that carrot cakes are usually more dense, but this just wasn’t right. The flavor on the other hand, was amazing. Despite its weird consistency, we both found it to be delicious. This is definitely something I’d like to try perfecting. I just wish that it didn’t take a whole fricking day to bake and assemble. Speaking of assemblage, the way it looks was a bit of a failure too, but I think it’s a little funny. It’s a pretty pathetic attempt at imitating the look of Lady M’s Gâteau aux Marrons, although you’d never know from these images.
So this one wasn’t a complete failure. And neither were the mini cupcakes I made for the birthday party. I can’t tell you how it’s made, because I just ‘winged’ it, but it’s pineapple cake with coconut frosting, with candied pineapple slice on top.
If the images of the brownies on top recalls something that you would normally not want to associate with food, you won’t be shocked to hear that that was the biggest failure of them all.
But it’s quantity that matters, right? I’m just kidding. At least, with this, despite the flu, and the hardship of leaving his 20’s behind, M began his 30’s as the man with the most cake. Literally.
