Bakery is open. I'm still confused.

Someone said a few weeks ago. "Anne knows a lot about baking. She has a blog." 

Let's clarify. I know how to make a mean cake/ cupcakes/ pies/ cookies. Savory flavor combos translated into sweets could be my signature. Still, I don't know nearly enough about baking and clearly, what I don't know anything about is life. This is why I have a blog... to try to figure out where I belong, what I do wrong and how I can be better.

Over the past few months, I have worked very hard. Worked hard on me and pursuing my baking passion. My kitchen is "certified" now which is maybe just a little exciting.  To celebrate today, I made a cake. Layered flavors are the best. I chose... chiles, chocolate, espresso. Can some say mole sauce?

Here is what I got...

Ingredients
For the cake... 
2 cups cake flour
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 cup boiling water

For the ganache... 
1 cup chopped dark chocolate
2 tablespoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions
1. Butter and flour 3, 8-inch cake pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Mix together first 5 ingredients. 

3. Add eggs, one at a time. Add milk, oil, vanilla, chili powder and water. Beat for 2 minutes. Divide between the cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

4. For ganache, steam cream in a sauce pan. Add to chopped chocolate, vanilla and espresso. Stir until smooth.  Pour over cake. 



So - the life part. While I was working on this cake... well, really for the last few weeks... I have been struggling with why people are mean. Like bring you down onto your knees mean on your birthday mean. I don't get it. Especially, why are the people who you love/ have loved are mean? If anything, if someone has taken the time to love you in their short, short life...  even if you are not together now or will never be together with them in the future... you should be kind, still love and respect that person. That seems like a run-on sentence. It probably is. I dont claim to do everything right. Also seems like I'm on a little bit of a soapbox, which I don't intend it to be. Because I haven't done everything right, I made two cakes. I took one to a father asking money for his kids on Mercer.  It probably doesn't make up for anything. Maybe... karma will be better to me.