Cake & Cupcake

No, I am not missing the “s” on the word Cupcake and you will find out why soon!

First I will start off with cake. I did another birthday cake this weekend. This time it was for the 80th birthday of the Mom of a friend from the dog park. Her requests were for a vanilla cake, not too sweet, and fruit.

I immediately knew which recipe I would use – my whipping cream cake. It is light and not sweet at all. I was planning to fill it with pastry cream and cover it in meringue buttercream. Well, my first batch of buttercream was perfect … until I went to put it on the cake and as I fluffed it up, it totally separated. I had to rush the second batch and the butter wasn’t soft enough but I was able to get it done. As for the filling, it didn’t thicken enough and I ended up using buttercream.

I was running out of time, as often happens but instead of melting down faster than my frosting, I did something I haven’t done I think ever. I texted my next door neighbor and asked if she wasn’t busy could she come over for a few minutes and help me. She helped me with my last cake but that was planned. She is a prep cook and loves working with food as much as I do. I instantly heard a knock on the door, she came in and I threw a piping bag in her hand and that was it! She continued decorating while I filled and crumb-coated the other cake. While it was chilling I was able to go on to other things. When Cake 2 was chilled, my neighbor was done and available to put the final coat on it.

Once it was coated, there was just one more step before decorating. The rectangle board had to be cut around the “8” shape. I was using a (clean) utility knife I keep for these kinds of things and got all the way around but had trouble with the “v” on one side. I did an extra hard push and, of course, caught my finger. Thankfully it was away from the cake or we would have had a total catastrophe as I would not have been able to use it. It was probably that I was being so careful to cut away from it that I cut myself. My friend leaped into action, finishing the board and decorations while I applied first-aid to my finger.

Anyway, the cake got done, the finger was fine, and the customers were very happy.

Okay, on to the second part.

We just got accepted for the adoption of a 4-month-old labrador cross puppy named, you guessed it, Cupcake! She was part of a litter of six who were left in a garbage bag on the side of the road in Puerto Vallarta. Ironically a volunteer from the local rescue shelter found it and brought them to the shelter. They were in rough shape but were well cared for and now Cupcake and her brother, Churro, are the last to be adopted.

To say that we are excited is a huge understatement. We know that we could never replace Violet and wouldn’t even try. But having a dog is much more than owning a pet for us. Both Hubby and I need the exercise and social connections we get through walking and going to the dog park. Also, we know that Monkey is missing Violet a lot and with a puppy that isn’t much bigger than she is, they are more on an even playing field to start.

We don’t get Cupcake until October 27th, but that gives us time to get totally ready to bring a little one into our house. And a little more time to adjust to having a dog that isn’t Violet!

Yes, life is “sweet”.

Lydia!