December 31, 2020 + Feb 1, 2021
Lava Cake with Whipped Cream and Raspberry Sauce
Pg. 186
Sarah, Season 1
67 down…32 to go! Woot woot, 2/3 of the way done!
Here is what happened on Dec. 31, 2020:
I knew going into this that lava cakes are notoriously difficult, so I followed the recipe to the T. This is the 15th MasterChef Junior dessert recipe I have made, and it’s the first one that instructed, “Bake for exactly 14 minutes.” So that’s what I did. After letting the cakes cool for 5 minutes as instructed, I tried plating them, only to have the first two fall apart :/ I was pretty discouraged, but wasn’t ready to give up. So I put them back in the oven and just winged it. The second attempt of plating didn’t go very well either. I felt defeated.
I then started cleaning up from my day of baking three MasterChef Junior recipes. I went to grab the final lava cake which I didn’t even bother trying to plate. I don’t know if it just needed more time to cool, but I was able to get it out of the ramekin without the bottom falling apart. However, it did eventually crack. But I was so excited to have even something remotely resembling a lava cake to plate and photograph! I was able to put some whipped cream on top, drizzle with some of the raspberry sauce, and get one decent shot.
Here’s the best part though: I took a bite after taking the photo, and it was delicious! Sarah’s recipe has a pinch of cayenne pepper in it so you get a little bit of heat to cut through the sweet. AMAZING! I’m glad I got one decent shot and got to eat some of this delicious dessert. I do plan to remake it in the future, so I can fully cross it off my list!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
One month had gone by and I couldn’t get the lava cake out of my head. It was taunting me, leaving me feeling defeated. Plus, the more I looked at the photo, the more I began to hate it. I knew I wanted to give it another shot.
Here’s what happened on Feb. 1, 2021:
Reminder: if at first you don’t succeed…try, try again! I was nervous to give these another shot, because I didn’t want to fail again. Can anyone else relate?
I decided to put my big girl apron on and use what I learned from last time to hopefully have a better result. And guess what!? That’s exactly what happened! I removed all distractions, took my time, and cooked the cakes a few minutes longer than instructed. And not only did they turn out, but I finally captured a great action shot with powdered sugar! This feat has been on my foodographer’s bucket list for a while now!
Here’s to learning from failures and growing from them instead of letting them defeat you!
All my love,
Dani, a big tid
Follow Along!
This Is Gonna Be Fun.
Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any of the good stuff–growth + successes, failure + flops, and all honest moments in between!
I love your perseverance and wow did it pay off!! These lava cakes are amazing! Kudos for conquering such an epic feat. So proud that you didn’t give up and settle. It’s a testament to your unwavering character and commitment!