Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

Chocolate Cake And Creaky Cookers

by admin - 15:39 on 08 March 2015

It's not just cats than can hinder the would-be star of the kitchen – decrepit equipment doesn't help either.

The Great British Bake Off has been unmissable TV in The Rural Retreat since its first series despite neither of its viewers having much first-hand experience of creating cakes and buns. Matchgirl makes the occasional trayful of biscuits; I produce loaves when I can be bothered to face the challenges set by inquisitive moggies.

I've been tempted to branch out a little, but Matchgirl's fears for the fit of her jeans and maintenance of her running weight are not much incentive to strive to be the next Paul Hollywood. However, after watching Bake Off's Comic Relief series I decided the time had come. Chocolate cake seemed like a good place to start, especially as I'd found an 'easy' recipe on the BBC Food website.

And easy it was. Within half an hour, cats notwithstanding, two newly bought cake tins were half-filled and inside the oven and a chocolate-and-double-cream topping was cooling in its bowl. An oven thermometer (another new purchase) confirmed that the oven had reached the correct temperature – something I'd wondered about in the past when it produced unexpected results.

After thirty minutes, five before the maximum estimated cooking time, I checked my handiwork to find two half-baked cakes and that the temperature had dropped from 180C to 150C. My suspicions about the reliability of our battered old cooker were well-founded after all.

The cake was just about cooked after a further thirty minutes, and when cooled and covered in chocolate icing it looked rather good. It even tasted OK, despite being a bit heavier than anticipated. Matchgirl certainly had no problem eating her slice.

But further cakery might have to wait, apart from what can be achieved in the small, shallow but reliable upper oven. Visits to local cooker emporiums (or is it emporia?) may soon be made, and doubtless Matchgirl will consult Mr Google, even though she has little to do with operation of kitchen equipment. After all, it will have to be the right colour.

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