Lesson 62. Cake doesn't always look the way it tastes.

I had this lovely romantic idea that I would surprise my sister at midnight tonight. The candles would flicker in the dim lit corridor, only outlining the number '21' and she would squeal with great delight. The cake would be perfectly shaped, without imperfection or blemish. It would be the kind of cake that belongs on a 'Rachel Ray' episode and merely the shape of it would be breathtaking. Everyone would take a moment of silence purely because they were humbled by the presence of my culinary masterpiece. They would then in great depth, discuss it's features. Its gentle curve, glossy frosting, shredded chocolate to perfection. It would seep into their dreams as they kissed the world goodnight via pillows. My cake would change the lives of those who experienced it.

This was not to be. Unfortunately for me, the cake lost many organs and limbs during the transfer between tin to cooling tray to plate. Cake debri lined the bench top as did my disappointment. With the help of my handy dandy extremely talented and good looking assistants, I scooped up the remains and did my best to mould them back into the cake with my multi-shade cocoa icing. Needless to say, it was far from beautiful. The shredded chocolate was splendid but that was about it. It was lumpy, it had bits missing, the icing was far from glossy. Suddenly my life changing cake ship sunk. I let out a few sighs and moved on from that dream, it was time for the second phase of Happy Birthday little big beautiful sister. We arrived at her house and spoke in hushed tones and giggles with my favourite radio presenter come sisters flatmate of all time. Once candles were lit I burst through the door with a hearty happy birthday singsong followed by my boyfriend, one best friend, and one Cammy wonder. She did squeal with delight. We gathered round in the kitchen and each was cut a slice. What happened next was something no one could've predicted. It was the mother of juicy chocolate cake. I quote my boyfriend that it 'tastes like butterflies in my mouth' and although this is a strange and slightly questionable sounding simile, I'm inclined to agree.

It's funny how life works like that. I wanted something that looked good and I hadn't put a second thought to how taste always beats looks. Majority of the time, things are not as they seem. Sometimes the most beautiful of things can be found underneath lumps and bumps and bruises of life. Often we are so gutted from one angle that we forget to seek another. Life is never as it seems, the things we perceive to be failures can repeatedly turn out to be pivotal beautiful moments of the journey. Cake doesn't always look the way it tastes.