Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Serendipitous Satisfaction

Those who know me would know by now Tuesday is the day that spawned my baking interest. It is the day that all the family (not that it's very big) gets together at home for family dinner, and the sound of 7 screaming excited kids permeates the air like the smell of baked apples with cinnamon in a wintery day.

In days of yore, I'd come home after work, and proceed with the latest experiment du jour, to prepare dessert for this family feast. The maid and I jostle for oven space, as inevitably there is a roast roasting in there, and usually at a different baking temperature than that of cakes. As time went by, and I became more ahem, "proficient" at baking, it was no longer a big mammoth project, and I could juggle dessert in between coming back from work, and going to the gym, and after gym. Sometimes, I'd make the dessert on Monday nights. As was the case this week. The oven was running for some other cake order, and with the fuel hike, etc, I am now very conscientious about using the oven for just one cake, so I try to utilise it to the max. The one baking in the oven was a brandy truffle, in a bain marie, (imagine a woman named Marie (not Osmond) soaking in a really hot tub). What other cake, I wondered, wouldn't mind sharing a steam bath? Aha, a cheese cake.

So, utilising my newly found skills, I quickly whipped up a lemon cheese cake and chucked it into the oven, ....knowing for a fact that the oven settings were different than what I usually use. Oh dear oh dear, if this cake was for selling, I'd have had to do some major plastic surgery, but that's the nice thing about home made cakes, the more home made they look, the better.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Ah, just like my .....hmmm, was going to say grandmother, but nah, no one in my family before me baked, so I can't refer to any ancestry, just like ....Aunty Nigella? Rustic and utterly homemade. Complete with cracks and lots of aesthetic flaws.

And then, to my horror, as I returned from the gym, I saw THIS lying on the kitchen top!!! Sacre bleu, gasp, stealing my thunder for Tuesday dessert.


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Not just any cupcakes, but from the legendary WONDERMILK CUPPACAKES themselves. Wah, it's like the epic duel between Nadal and Federer at Centre Court. Or not.

Anyway, I'm being overly dramatic here. Of course, the adults all opted for this luscious, light but smooth, flawed but perfect, baked lemon cheese cake. With a dollop of cream, (flush..... (sound of water down a toilet bowl)....I hear the sound of my gym workout gurgling down a whirlpool of clear water)....it was rather heavenly.



Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The verdict? Oh well, I guess one mustn't be too greedy, and be content with whatever God has given you. Aesthetic beauty is afterall skin deep, or in this case, icing deep.



13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The last sentence says it all. Flawed cheesecake 1, Cuppacakes 0, eh? Goddit. Anyway, how can butter and cream fight with margarine, hor?

Ciki said...

i'd take the cheez cake... erm.. wondermilk who ? :P teehee

HairyBerry said...

for me, your cheesecake is both nadal and federer. cupcakes are not my thang, so i guess they are not seeded lar in this so-called match. but them are good for an exhibition match though, cos branding sells mah...hehehe...

Big Boys Oven said...

Can I have your chessecake rather than those heavy sugary mini cakes!

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

hahah inner beauty..yes..nvr judge the book by the cover or the summary at the back though nowadays pictures of the damn author glam the back instead..

daphne said...

the cupcakes look sweet..and I go for cheesecake ANYDAY!

fatboybakes said...

daphne, actually, i guess you cant really blame them for the in-your-face diabetese inducing icing. after attending several piping classes, i realise there really is no substitute, it HAS to be sugar laden. so if you want "beauty", no choice lor.

nipples, just got suckered into buying a lousy book ah? u sound embittered.

BBO, see foo like you, aiyo, where can eat this kind of cracked home made cakes la. hahah.

hairy berry, yalar, neither are they seeded for me, (unless there's poppy), but i couldnt think of any other recent memorable "duels"

C&C, awww, how nice of you.

LL, margarine?

Babe_KL said...

i've tried those cupcakes and i have to say they're dry and lousy. most likely the kids or some sickly sweet teenage gurls would opt for them. gimme the cheesecake anytime!

Spot said...

Hiss Hiss Hissssssssssssssssss.

That expression of contempt was NOT for anything that came out of your oven, just so you know. :)

Oh if that brandy truffle was for an order we sent your way for pickup last Sunday - my friend absolutely loved it. Yay!

fatboybakes said...

spot, you arent the maker of them cupcakes are you? ooh, thanks for the referral. your friend told u about the big drama re the miscommunication for pick up time?

babekl, hahahaha.....err...better not say anything.

Spot said...

No ler, we make nicer looking things. You forgot ah, we're even on your blogroll :)

Just hissing at the *cough-non-competitors-cough* makers of those cupicings.

Henry Yeo said...

no contest, cheesecake please
(I hate cupcakes, don't know why)

fatboybakes said...

spot, hahah, of course i remember. u the queen of sugarpaste. just to make sure mah, before slagging off the cupcakes.

henry yeo, i think its coz cupcakes are inherently a girly thing.