No Random Lunch Challenge this week.
“WHAT! how could this POSSIBLY be?” I hear you cry in disbelief.

In fact, we ate 2 min noodles.
Something grander and much less random was about to occur and there was no time for a decent lunch.

The celebration of boys’ passage to teenagerdom was imminent, and with 20 or so family coming for birthday cake afternoon tea, I had to get to work so there would be a cake to actually have. Well, an assembled and dressed cake that looked somewhat birthday-ish. (I had cooked the cake layers the day before.)

Apart from the pimple cake idea, the request was a Black Forest Cherry Cake. And I was to make two.
I found this traditional recipe for Schwartzwalder Kirschtorte, and was all set for a marathon bake.

Then I realized I hadn’t bought the Dutch cocoa powder I prefer to cook with. I had been sick in bed previously and my head wasn’t with it. I was forced to use a brand that I find somewhat anemic, lacking chocolaty depth.
I followed the recipe, including putting dry flour/cocoa mix gradually into the beautifully voluminous whipped egg whites.
Something chemical must have happened because the mixture just seized and no matter how gently but thoroughly I folded, the lumps would not go. I was forced to use a stick blender to de-lumpify it, but in the process, lost the volume and lightness of the egg whites.
I soldiered on and decided to cook each of the cake layers separately rather than try and cut one large cake.

The first layer came out and looked and smelt great.
On trying to take it from the loose bottom tin I was using, it slipped out on to the bench. OK!
But then it kept on sliding and fell off the bench and onto the floor. I did not want to look, but rallied myself for a disappointment and went to retrieve the runaway. It was fine (and the floor was clean.)

Next layer cooked. No problems.
Cake at this stage even with filling would only be 3 inches high.
Had to make another few chocolate cakes, but did not have the 8 eggs used in the original recipe.
I went back and used a simple, tried and tested chocolate cake recipe that required the amount of eggs I had left.

Cooked what I hoped would be another 4 layers so each cake would be the same, but only scraped in 3 more. And one of them broke into 3 large bits. Was to be hidden in the middle, smothered in cherry jam, cherries and cream. Sigh.

So back to THE day–I assembled the layers of cake, Morrello cherries, cherry jam (no cherry liqueur) and cream and topped the cakes with cream and grated dark chocolate, ringed with fresh plump cherries.

Big sighs. It was done, although not to my mind’s picture.

Family and friends gathered and ate the traditional birthday choice of sushi and a few other nibbles, then CAKE. One whole 30cm cake eaten by evening’s end.
There was much good discussion, chatting and laughter and the afternoon rolled on into evening, and the other “boys’ instituted” birthday tradition of a curry meal was served. The curries, except for Jill’s contribution of the beef curry, I had made the day before. Thank you Jill.

The warmth of beef curry, Spinach and lamb saag, lime and basil chicken curry, rice and all the accompaniments of raita and chapatis etc. just extended the warmth of relating that was going on.

As I was pottering in the kitchen, I looked out upon my boys and husband and  extended family and thought to myself–this is what it’s about. Really. Not a perfect food magazine cake. I quietly ate humble pie (or should that be imperfect Schwartswalder Kirschtorte?)