Well, first, I had a wonderful day and got a new KA mixer! I was sooooo excited, and it is empire red to match my little fat chef kitchen. So, as anxious as I was, I couldn't wait to make the cake for Sunday lunch (my family always eats lunch at my in-laws on Sunday after church). My father-in-law is a chocoholic and I had intended on making a simple choc cake with white chocolate ganache filling covered in chocolate mousse with cherries. I was going to surround it in cigerellos, just for effect.

Anyway, day went great except hubby wasn't home in time to help with the youngest two of my four children. I had to start baking or I wouldn't have finished before midnight. So, I scrub my mixer bowl and paddle and such, and get to baking. After mixing the batter, I realized I didn't have any wax paper (to line the bottom of pans) but thought that grease and flour would surfice. So, poured in batter and placed in the oven. Meanwhile, I started on my cigerellos with two kids hanging at my feet. I got white chocolate EVERYWHERE and no cigerellos. I gave up, and just made some white chocolate hearts to stick on top. I was okay with that, until, I checked the cakes, two were perfect and two were lopsided. I turned them in the oven hoping to correct, but it was a little too late. Cakes were done, placed pans on stove to cool, and got busy with kids and forgot to turn them out. So, when they were cool, I attempted to stack and fill. First layer crumbled and kids and hubby ate it. Second layer spit in half. Repaired and and filled with ganache anyway. Third and Fourth layers also split and cracked and made one heck of a ugly cake. Filled them and gave up. I was so ticked and frustrated. Then I went to make my mouse and using my new mixer I overwhipped the cream and ended up with crumbly choc yuck. Threw that out and covered the crumbled sides with buttercream and dumped the cherries on top. IT is SOOO UGLY and an embarrassment to take anywhere.

Oh, and I attemped to drizzle white chocolate on top with my handy squeeze bottles and the lid popped off and made a big hole and clump of chocolate.

It was not my evening. I have decided that I never want to make that chocolate recipe again.

Please tell me that this is just a one time thing, I don't know that I can continue to bake if it isn't fun anymore.

Help, need some reassurance from you pros.

By the way, thanks for reading my book! (LOL!)

Mandi

Hoo boy, sounds like Murphy's Law came hunting for ya. Don't sweat it. You just had a bad day. This isn't destined to be a forever thing.

((((((hugs)))))) to you! I'm sorry that happened. I'll bet it tastes terriffic, though.

That's cake was what my mother's mother would have called a "flop cake". It probably tasted good, despite its appearance. We all experience that once in awhile.

I am not an "pro" Mandi, but if you truly love baking and decorating don't let this one bad incident keep you from doing more. It was just one bad day, you might have many more, but if you love it, just keep at it. Best of luck in the future!!! :-d p.s. you should see me in the kitchen trying to work, with four kids as well, hehe! all of them constantly wanting my attn, as if staying home and not working isn't enough for them, hehehe