Post-pandemic cake competition

I didn't use to bake. I basically only baked when I was entering in the cake competition just out of good intentions, and not out of any faith in my baking capacities. And I didn't tend to get very far. My last attempt had even been vegan, and I hadn't been overly surprised it was knocked out in the first round. I only once won a round. And once it was a draw and then both me and my opponent had to go through to the next round!

And then the pandemic hit. That was the end of the cake competition! But it was the start of something else; I started baking myself. I got into the habit of having a coffee break that involved cake at around 10:30. If I did that, then I would be okay having lunch at a normal time. And then I would have dinner at a normal time too. And that would be it for the day then. If I would have lunch a lot earlier, I would probably either need to have a coffee break with cake in the afternoon, or have dinner earlier, which would probably then require another meal of sorts in the evening. When I was still at work, I would have lunch with my colleagues at a set time, and I would generally be senselessly ravenous by then. If it's just me on my own I'm never going to wait that long with having my sandwiches! But this new regime, with making waiting for lunch doable by having a snack late morning, worked well for me. And I'm not overly keen on cake you can buy in a shop. I do like home-made cake though! 

When the pandemic was over and the cake competition would start again, I immediately signed up. I don't think my chances have improved; yes I have become better, but so has everybody else! But at least it would be easier as I would have recipes that I would have already tried out before.

Due to the strike, my round was postponed. And it was December by the time I got to bake. And I had decided to bake ginger cake. That was one of my later attempts and I really liked it!

I made the cake the evening before. I normally make it quite flat, but given that normally I am baking for one person, and not for an entire academic School, I needed to go bigger. And my oven only has so much space! So I had to bake higher. I was using two cake tins I had inherited from Susan. That did mean, though, that I wasn't used to the timing and temperature, as baking a flat cake is a lot quicker and easier to get right. They came out a little bit dark! But I had faith that they would be well-baked but still moist.

On the day itself I decorated them a bit with warm date syrup and bits of crystallised ginger. And then I was ready to bring them to work. With these cakes I was going to drive. Apart from not fancying lugging two big heavy cakes over the hills on bike, I also didn't think the cakes would benefit from such transport. So by car we went!

When it was cake time I saw what the competition was. a gorgeous Thanksgiving cake! I was wondering who had baked that. And I figured I was going to be eliminated. That cake was excellent. And mine was indeed firm but moist, but also a little bit burnt at the bottom! Oh dear.

By the time the results were announced, I was supervising a practical on the main campus. And I had done it again! It had been a draw. And that meant we both were on to the next round. I now also found out who my opponent had been. It was a lady who does research on, among other things, the psychological impact of protecting the marine environment. I'm happy she will bake again!

The next round will be in the New Year. I am already thinking of potential recipes to use!

The undecorated cakes

Ready for transport