Cupcakes Chronicles
- Speak Up La
- Dec 27, 2020
- 5 min read
When you have been doing something for so long by yourself if can be really hard to teach someone else your gift.
If I haven’t shared before but my Mom is a very skilled baker and cook. She is known literally across this country for her lemon pound cake to sweet potato pies. But for me, the favorite thing she bakes hands down it her German Chocolate Cake.
It is the most heavenly cake to me – the mixture of the lightness of the cake itself to the delicious frosting (which I could eat the frosting alone by itself!) – every time she makes one - I try to be the first one in line for a piece!
This holiday season my Mom surprised me and let me know, (day of mine you!), that I was going to be making the dessert for this year….and to my surprise I was making German Chocolate cupcakes! When I tell you, the stress SET IN!! I had to put my game face on! Pulled my hair back – apron on – I had to get focused!
My Mom’s first tip: Read all the instructions in the recipe.
Like she literally made me read it out loud like I was 5 years old. (Ha!) I read each line like 3 times – I was not going to mess this recipe up! There were no backup plans – I had to get this dessert done right.
Within the first 5 minutes though – heck I didn’t think my Mom and I were going to make it! Every few seconds she was telling me to “wait! – stop! – you are doing it wrong!” I almost walked out the kitchen when we had a measuring cup debacle. The recipe called for 1 ½ cups of sugar – My mom thought I had only measured out 1 cup. She had to ‘check’ my measurements to make sure I did it right. I was like “Mom I know how to at least measure sugar.” But I realized something in that moment – my Mom had never really taught anyone her ways in the kitchen. And as her daughter, she wanted to make sure that it was done right.
She was so use to always just baking alone – sharing her kitchen this way and doing something she loved was very different for her. I decided you know what – take a couple deep breathes. This is something you have been wanting for ages – just let her take the lead in showing you the way.
After we got the measurements together – both of us started in some capacity to trust one another. For me, it was trusting her to lead me and then for her, trusting that I was to listen.
As the mixing process began – she gave me tips on best way to add ingredients. As I added each ingredient, I could see that she was happy with how I was progressing and her ‘talk’ to me went from a “Wait! Stop!” to “You are doing great! That’s perfect! Keep it up!’
As I scooped batter into the cupcake tray – I was excited that I had come to the end of the process! Ha! Nope once the cupcakes went into the oven – it was time to make the frosting. From scratch. Lawd! I thought the cake was stressful – for the frosting I literally had to stand and mix it nonstop for 12 mins. Now 12 mins may not sound long, but standing mixing the mixture nonstop – my knees started hurting, my back too!
But in this part of the baking process was where I feel I learned the most. Remember at the beginning of this my Mom made me read the recipe out loud? But what I found as we made the frosting, the instructions she gave me where not listed in the recipe. Yes, we used all the same ingredients but if you had never actually learned through trial and error to effectively make the frosting, I would of messed it up. She was giving me instructions beyond what was called for – that is really when her expertise showed up.
And as I brought the cupcakes out the oven and started frosting – I realize how in everything we do there can always be a lesson. For me, there were a few things:
1) I learned to slow down and listen
I have for so long operated in a way were I just do. I feel I am pretty smart so once I make up my mind I just act. Even though I had read the recipe multiple times – I had never made a cake from scratch. Having a guide to help you through the process, in this case my Mom, is a gift. Not everyone has a guide and has to go through trial and error. My mom was showing me what she learned so that I could start at a point further than her. This is what parents do – teach their kids from their experience so that hopefully we don’t have the same trials & errors.
2) It’s ok to ask for help
It's odd too – I don’t really like asking for help – because it will show that I don’t “know” something. But how can you learn to do it right if you never ask? The tips, especially during the frosting stage were invaluable in the cake making process. And it’s ok to ask for help multiple times. I kept asking my Mom questions and it ultimately helped me learn the general baking process more, which it lead to my understanding in retaining knowledge.
Last but not least…
3) Trust and listen to your village
When I tell you I am so blessed to have such an amazing village that wants to see me win it gets overwhelming at times! In this instant my Mom represented my village and every “wait stop” wasn’t her lack of trust in me – it was really she was trying to make sure I did it right and learned the best way. I challenge you to take a moment and look around at your village in how they love you.
So, as I bit into my first cupcake – which was bomb by the way! (pats self on the back). I knew that I could have never done it without her. The cupcakes have the same texture and taste just like her cakes! I impressed myself! And funny enough, I found out in this process my Mom hates making cupcakes! But she wanted to teach me this way because she knows I absolutely LOVE cupcakes. Man, a Mother’s love is something else! She is a special gem I tell you!!
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