Jabez' First Cake





I remember I was around 10 or 11, my memory belies me now, when I baked my first cake. I had been baking with my father since long before that- dense, candied fruits-speckled pound cake loaves on Christmas which were then distributed to neighbours, friends and family.
But that one night, fueled by too many episodes of MasterChef Australia, I felt it necessary that I bake my own cake, from scratch. I wanted to rise above flour-sifting and sugar-measuring and egg cracking duty.
So I did.
A sickly sweet Victoria sponge, made even more saccharine with a mint infused simple syrup, dry and overbaked and crumbling at the first sight of contact. I remember it still being absolutely delicious though.
Everyone loved it. Especially my grandfather, lover of everything sweet that he is.
 Maybe the moment has been rose-tinted by the happiness of that memory, and smudged around the edges by time.



I've made quite a progress since then. There have been quite a few cakes. Simple chocolate ones. Complex layered ones. Birthday cakes. Anniversary cakes. Cakes for church, for friends, for family. Cakes to take along on our travels in strange lands. Cakes to bid goodbye.
So many memories in our family revolve around this simple dessert and will continue to do so.

Jabez is ten now. Since he was 5 or 6ish, he has been helping me whenever I bake. He would drag a stool and stand on it, eagerly eyeing my every move- the sifting, the mixing, the folding. Soon, he graduated to cutting the parchment for the pans and licking the batter off from the bowls.
I figured it was time for him to take the plunge and Basically's Easiest Chocolate Birthday Cake recipe provided the perfect opening.
The result was this cake- a one-bowl cake with an irresistible and not to mention, super easy, frosting.



Not going to lie, I did help him through some steps- let's just say cracking eggs his not his forte, not yet atleast. I also kept an eye on him wherever heat was involved, couldn't have him getting hurt on my watch. But the whole process was just as fun as the end result- noisily plonking of the eggs into the bowl, billowing clouds of flour and sugar everywhere, streaks of chocolate on our aprons with some Whitney Houston and Spice Girls tracks to boot.

Yes, it might not be the best cake we've had, and somehow the cake spent too much time in the oven than it should have but the result was still lip-smacking, wolfing-down-two-pieces-at-once delicious.
Post clicking these pictures during the golden hour, Jabez, mom and I sat down and inhaled our shares, delirious on chocolate.
What can I say, I guess the joy of firsts makes everything better.




Find the recipe on Bon Appetit
XOXO
Sarah

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