Never Give Up

If I am ever asked what is the most difficult cake in the world to bake, my answer without hesitating would be a sponge cake.

I never thought it would be that difficult. It has always been a simple affair between me and the cakes I bake. You prepare the ingredients, beat or mix the necessary ingredients, pour them out into a pan, bake and presto! You have lovely cake, muffins, cupcakes, or cookies. But sponge cake really REALLY tested my determination, dedication, and skill, not to forget having to sacrifice at least eight eggs wasted in the failed attempts.

Last night, I lay in bed wondering whether to proceed with my half failed cake or to bake a new one the next day. To fail again (and have more than enough failed cakes sitting in the fridge) was one thing, to have to face the music (grumbles and lectures from parents, siblings, aunts) is another. I can stare failure in the face, but I dont take criticism too well, especially when it isnt constructive. But a friend told me that I should go ahead. That I shouldnt be demotivated by failure. And that if my family were really my family, they would be supportive of me.

And guess what..? It worked! Of course, I did my research thoroughly and was very determined to ensure that my third time would prove to be a success. But even then, the cake turned out really better than I had imagined. I give credit to The Little Teochew for being my lifesaver! Awesome chocolate cake recipe you have there! :)

This may look simple but personally for me, I will never EVER take a sponge cake for granted again. Anyone who can bake a successful sponge cake will have my respect, hands down.

Happy Birthday to my dad. Everyone enjoyed the cake. *phew* I shall call this the M&M cake for easy reference. I got the inspiration from a blog with the M&M but I adapted it to my liking. Since I have extra fondant at home, I designed the fondant pieces at the side of the cake instead of pasting kit-kat like the original cake. Simpler, I guess. The cake is a simple one too.. chocolate sponge with a middle layer of vanilla sponge. Bottom layer has blackcurrant fruit filling while top layer has butter cream. And of course the top is sprinkled with a generous topping of M&M.

Anyway, the lesson here is... never to give up. Especially if it is something that you really like or if you have a point to prove. Sometimes it bruises your pride to have to fall on the ground, but what we need to realise is that falling down is a humbling experience that not only allows us to realise where we went wrong, but for us to appreciate our achievements better when they are finally in our hands. A quote from a friend, "you never know what you have till it's gone", why cant we humans just realise what we have before it's too late?

It is easy to take the things nearest to us for granted.. friends, family, loved ones, relationships, physical belongings, and in this case, the ability to bake. I feel silly for having taken so many blessings in my life for granted. And only when it's lost, we weep and mourn over our losses.

I have already fallen. Fallen so hard to the ground that for a few days, I wasnt sure if i could get back up and walk like normal again. I still am not walking like normal yet, and not sure how long it will take. But I'm making progress. I dont regret falling down, but I wouldnt want to fall so hard again. Failure doesnt necessarily lead to failure if you know what went wrong the first time. And it's only when you make that leap of faith, then you will know what is in store for you.