Triumphs of a New Baker - Meetu

Meetu is a friend at work and Heads QA at Infoedge. She's been a regular visitor at my blog and has recently started baking again.....

Here's her story as a Guest Post

I had been reading multiple food blogs (mostly of Nachiketa & Deeba) for a very long time now. All the amazing pictures that these lovely bakers posted on their blogs would tempt me to start baking again. However, with work, home and a 1 ½ year old child to manage, I was finding it impossible to take out time for cooking. Then all of a sudden, one fine day after reading Nachiketa’s blog of Pineapple Upside Down Cake, I got completely motivated and off I went to the market to buy all the ingredients.

I was eagerly waiting for the weekend now to start baking this cake. On Saturday I waited for my son Ranbeer’s nap time (10 to 12 in the morning). As soon as he was put to sleep I gathered all the ingredients and started with my first baking expedition. Made the caramel for the base and placed the pineapple slices over it and remembered, Oh! I got to take pictures of the baking process. Off I went looking for my camera else Nachiketa would badger me to make it again for the pictures and took some pictures of the lovely caramelized sugar and pineapple base. Am now glad that i was badgered to take these pictures... They are such a treasure....

After the batter was done, I carefully placed the cake into the oven for baking with my finger crossed chanting ‘Oh god, please have this cake come out clean….’ Only if this cake came out clean will it give me enough encouragement to carry on with baking ………. So I waited eagerly for the cake to bake and proudly called up Nachiketa to tell her about my first venture. She gave me tips to get the cake out of the pan cleanly. And viola…………. My first venture was successful and the cake came out absolutely clean and looked gorgeous………….. I could hardly stop looking at it thinking that finally those lovely pictures were translating into reality in front of my eyes.

I waited eagerly for my huby to get back home so that we could cut the cake together. Ranbeer and hub enjoyed the cake and after this there has been no looking back.

Week after week I have been making various different cakes, pies, mousse, cookies, & muffins and sharing them with my friends. The first pineapple upside down cake & the chocolate banana walnut brownie cake (covered with chocolate ganache) went off to my mom & dad.

The chocolate blackout cake went out for my cousin sis Sonali and my neighbors’ and even Ranbeer got his fill.

Ranbeer really enjoyed eating the chocolate cake and licked up all the icing.

The zebra cake & mango mousse was shared with my office friends.

Mocha chocolate morsel cookies went off to my hubs friends house. Banoffee pie had some slight technical problem that the toffee had gotten too hard and so, me & my hub did the honors of finishing it. These few weeks of baking have given me immense joy and I hope that it continues ……………………….

Cheers to lots more Cakes n Bakes, Meetu....