Cakeology

There's a box of cake mix in my pantry that I bought many months ago and I have yet to use it. Part of the reason is that I'm waiting for the right time. Part of the reason is that I don't want to bake it alone.....you see, I'm an awful baker. Sad but true. I really am working on it......but not really cause its not that big of a deal. Gah! And its red velvet too, which is my favorite type of cake(and apparently eveyone else's, I've discovered) complete with cream cheese frosting. All I have to do is mix it make it bake it.....a street party(only a handful of people will get that).

Here's the thing: I don't want to make it, I just want to eat it. Not just eat it, savor it, relish in it, full on enjoy the crap out of it.  I feel like that's normal right? Most people simply want to enjoy their lives witho- cakes! ...most people want to enjoy their cakes without having to do all that work, ya know? I mean, first you have to get everything ready...where do you even begin to look for all the things you need to make a fruitful and productive....cake. Then there's the ingredients.  A little bit of this, some of that, portions of other things, and of course there's the substitutions to take into consideration....some people are allergic to nuts or drama, so maybe one could use applesauce or something.  Of course theres the mixing, which is generally easy but can be made much more complicated without a proper whisk and really no one wants to end up with powdery clumps of missed opportunities.  And what happens when its time to go through the fire?  What if its just too hot or ya stay in there too long and get spit back out in an overcooked, hugely unvelvety heap?  It all seems like soo much work but just know that its worth it in the end. Cream cheese frosting covers a multitude of inadequacies and usually theres some left over for later. Though I would caution not to add the frosting too soon until you've had a chance to cool down otherwise it'll melt away quickly and not be as enjoyable.  I suppose the first step to being a better baker is to know what your end result should look like and knowing what steps you need to take to get there, so I don't really think I'm that far off track by any means.  Knowing that at some point ther'll be some heat makes things a little more uncertain, but when you think about it, those are the times that help us to rise.....to fill the mold and become the the people we want to be. Only then can we fully enjoy and experience the finished product. One can't expect to just toss some frosting on raw batter just like its not feasible to expect to gain the rewards of life without a decent effort...things that are not earned are not as valued, and no one wants complacent cake.  I'm not sure that I'll be able to bake the best that ever was baked, but I know that if I keep trying, I will eventually learn enough and gain enough experience to at least make something that I can be proud of. Maybe I might someday even be able to bake something that is good enough to be put on display and inspire others in their...baking...

Anyhow, I'm off to preheat the oven...