Nailed it: Chocolate Cake

Have you seen those Pinterest Meme’s called, “Nailed it!”? It’s hilarious! The concept is that people see these beautiful, inspiring pictures of projects on Pinterest so they “Pin it” to do the project themselves. Then, when everyday, non-Martha-Stewart-like people try to recreate what’s on the pin (i.e., craft, make-up, photography, recipe, etc.), the end product looks nothing like the original pin and results in a “Nailed it.” You can check out some examples on my Nailed it Pinterest board if you’re in need of a good laugh.

Here’s mine:

chocolate cake, nailed it, pinterest meme

My sis actually told me about the meme when I was telling her about my chocolate cake mishap. Wait, let me back up…

Before I created mommya-z.com I thought about creating a blog called myhusbandhatesmycooking.com because Jeffrey generally dislikes my cooking. I cook mostly Filipino dishes, but he prefers to eat soul food like ribs, fried chicken, collard greens, mac and cheese…Don’t ask why. My cooking has gotten way better over the past few years. A&Z like my cooking so I guess that’s all that matters, right?

Anyway, Jeffrey especially hates my baking. I don’t blame him. Remember when salted hot cocoa was all the craze? I found a boxed mix of salted chocolate cookies at Costco and thought that it would be so trendy of me to bake them for my company potluck. The box came with a cute little shaker with salt rocks to sprinkle over the cookies. I had a little too much fun sprinkling the cookies and actually forgot that it was salt NOT sugar. So when Jeffrey tried my cookies they were, ummm… really salty. He actually spit it out and told me to throw the whole batch into the garbage. It was not because he was mean, but because he loves me. You see, he was protecting me from what could have been a disaster among my colleagues at work.

The next time I was going to bring a dessert to an event, it was for a luncheon held at my former boss’s beautiful house. This time, Jeffrey just asked his mom to bake something that we could bring. Fair enough. It was far more delicious than anything I could ever make and scored us a few extra points with the ol’ boss! I didn’t take credit and I made it very clear that my MIL made it. And for all the other potlucks, he made the dish so I could be off the hook.

Fast forward a few years later, Jeffrey asked me to make him a chocolate cake out of the blue. I thought this was a great opportunity for redemption! I ditched the boxed mix option because those usually turn out too sweet and decided to bake the cake. from. scratch. Easy, right?

All I had to do was follow the instructions with precision. It was all good up until the end when I couldn’t get the cake out of the damn pan. The instructions never said to load the pan up with flour before pouring the batter in to make it easy to take the cake out once it’s baked. What the heck?

No worries, being the problem solver that I am – I just cut the cake in half and pried each side out of the pan with a knife. I figured that I could cover any gaps with icing….NOT! Every time I spread the icing, it took a chunk of the cake out with it and it turned in to a lumpy mess. Sad face!

So in my head, it was supposed to look just like what I see on Pinterest, but instead I simply nailed it:Nailed it, chocolate cake, pinterest nailed it

The good news is, I finally got to use the fancy cake platter that came from my wedding registry! The bad news is, my cake looked like a butthole:

ugly chocolate cake, chocolate cake fail

 

In the end, Jeffrey very much appreciated my cake efforts and ate one whole piece. His comment was, “Is that a molten chocolate cake that already exploded?” Ha.

I have not baked anything since.

Got any baking advice? I need it badly. Leave a comment!

signature

Comments

  1. OMG, this made me laugh so hard that I was in tears. At least your “butt” (not bundt) cake made me happy! I am not a good baker either so u can blame me
    for it. I bet it tasted better than it looked.

  2. I love this post so much LMAO!! I am a good cook, but a terrible baker. I could have written this post LOL. Thanks so much for sharing at The Owl’s Skull!! Have a wonderful week! J

  3. ah! i love this. i recently posted about all the fails in my kitchen since i started my blog… it’s so nice to see other bloggers that don’t take themselves too seriously. cheers!

  4. Jessica McCort says:

    Just stopping by to let you know I'm featuring your post today at the Owl's Skull. Stop by to grab a featured at button and link up something new. All my best! Jess (aka Alice) http://theowlskull.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-wonderland-hop-10.html.

  5. Oh my goodness! That looks like my cake! Only that I cheat and try to put them together before I take a photo! LOL
    Jhanis recently posted…A Letter to a Cantankerous 7-year-old GirlMy Profile

  6. Laughing! I am the worst baker! One year I got invited to one of those holiday cookie swaps where you have to bake a gazillion cookies. I forgot the eggs in the first batch. In the second batch, I forgot the sugar. At this point I was ready to throw up my hands and say forget it, I’m not going. My husband took pity on me and made my third batch for me. I had cookies for the swap but I don’t ever accept those invites anymore. Too stressful!
    Michelle recently posted…How to Keep Your Audience Engaged with Facebook InsightsMy Profile

  7. Jessi Fearon says:

    Bahhhhaaaa!!!! I've totally had my fair share of Pinterest nailed its! One involved setting wax paper on fire….and no the directions didn't tell to set it on fire it just decided that was the awesome thing to do. Lol :-). Visiting from SITS!

  8. Yep, you nailed it! I’ve had a few cakes get stuck in the pan even though I sprayed the hell out of them. You can get them out with lots of patience. I don’t have enough so I make my husband pry them out when things go badly.
    Over from SITS!
    Twingle Mommy recently posted…Back to School Shopping with Reebok at Famous FootwearMy Profile

  9. I love to cook – but I have definitely had my share of disasters! When things I make fall apart, my husband always tells me that we are just going to be chewing it anyway. That makes me feel a bit better. 🙂
    Kim@Co-Pilot Mom recently posted…Gobble GobbleMy Profile

  10. I am cracking up over here – this post is great. I am terrible at cooking as well, although I do like to try my hand at it every once in a while. I tried to make those mozzarella bites that were all over Pinterest – um, fail. At least we have fun & can laugh about it, right? 🙂
    Kerri @ Simplicity Interrupted recently posted…The ones that LOVE us never really leave us …My Profile

  11. Haha, love that line “my cake looked like a butthole.” Seriously, though, some people just have this unbelievable knack for baking that I seem to also be lacking (though I would like to pretend I have the skills of a pastry chef).
    Bev @ Linkouture recently posted…5 Things I’m Struggling with Right NowMy Profile

  12. Bet it still tasted good though!

  13. Whoops! Forgot to mention I was stopping by from SITS. Enjoy your SITS Day!

  14. Cakes are HARD to make look pretty!! Especially iced layer cakes. That’s why I usually stick with bundt cakes and sheet cakes. I love the idea of “nailed it” for pins you’ve actually tried!! And like others have said, I bet this one tasted better than it looked 🙂
    Shana Norris recently posted…Twitterature :: August 2013My Profile

  15. That is one spectacular mess. I am impressed, especially with the sideview shot. Totally laughed out loud. I think you should have a party with your friends and have everybody bring the ugliest dishes (but edible and tasty). That way if you just make your regular fare it won’t stand out! You are darling and thanks so much for the morning laugh!
    Stacey @ Nurse Mommy Laughs recently posted…End of Summer Mama GuiltMy Profile

  16. “Nailed it” is my favorite meme next to Grumpy Cat. I love your btw.
    Angela Gilmore recently posted…Empire City Casino’s Lucky Break and my first time on TVMy Profile

  17. (Stopping by from SITS today) This post totally made my day! I’m a food blogger, and all I can say is, Keep Trying! You nailed the thing that so many won’t even touch – we *all* have failures – big ones. It’s just that not everyone is willing to put those “less than perfect outcomes” out there. A good sense of humor makes up for a lot, too. ♥ Peace
    Renée ♥ recently posted…Swedish CucumbersMy Profile

  18. Bah ah ah aha! That was funny! I loved this post and congrats on the your SITS day!

  19. That's hilarious, Gracielle! I've had my fair share of "nailed it"… no big deal. Don't give up on baking, though.. it's only food! If it is awful, I just pitch it. Worse than messing up when experimenting with car racing:) Stopping in from SITS!

  20. BWAHAHAHAHA…so following you now babe…love this. I mess up things I see on pinterest all the time, but it’s all good, still fun to do.

    BTW…I bake cakes pretty much the same way too.
    karen recently posted…I USED TO LOVE…My Profile

  21. I definitely need to start a Nailed it Board. I do have a finished project board on Pinterest and there is wait for it, wait for it, one count it one finished project on my board. Thanks for the reminder we are not all Pinterest perfect. Enjoy your SITS Day.
    Sheila Skillingstead recently posted…A day offMy Profile

  22. Hilarious. This was great. Surprisingly, your chocolate cake still looked pretty tasty. I bet it was, too. No matter how bad visually it is, there’s not much you can do to screw up the taste of chocolate! Next time, cover the pan with a thin layer of crisco…the creamy greasy stuff, but not too much!, then sprinkle the pan with flour. When I’m using a box mix, I use the powder in the box before I mix it, that way I don’t have white flour on the outside of a chocolate or red velvet cake. Not that it matters after the icing goes on…
    Happy SITS day! And thanks for the laugh.
    Heather recently posted…Five on Friday: New Hair, A Birthday and More!My Profile

  23. When I read "my cake looked like butthole" I laughed so hard my kids came to see what so funny. And they agreed, your cake does look like butthole. 😀 Happy SITS day!

  24. HIlarious! While I love to bake, I have had my “nailed it” moments! Thanks for sharing!!
    Allison recently posted…Back to School Mommy-Daughter DateMy Profile

  25. This is hilarious! And so many of us can relate to your challenges. I’ve not seen the “Nailed It” meme but will check that out. Have a great SITS Day, Gracielle!
    Mo at Mocadeaux recently posted…Words of WisdomMy Profile

  26. Love it. And totally understand because while I’m not a terrible cook, I CANNOT bake. If I luck out and end up with something tasty, it’s never pretty.
    Katie E recently posted…Last Days of Summer #iPPPMy Profile

  27. Too funny! I hadn’t heard of the Nailed it boards before and now need to check it out. Stopping by from SITS!
    Becky recently posted…Tuesday Greens #41My Profile

  28. This was amazing. Also, I would totally still eat that cake. Chocolate is chocolate!
    Bumblebee Days recently posted…The Grocery Store Chronicles, Part 2 – The Fan ClubMy Profile

  29. My advice when the cake does not seem right: cut it (the baked cake) into cubes, place cubes into a dish, garnish with whipped cream and call it a trifle. No one has to know that it did not come out of the pan right, baked lopsided, etc.
    LynurdaS recently posted…Food Quotes From the Queen of CookingMy Profile

  30. Now, that was too funny. You sound like me when it comes to baking and cooking. I am so happy that I have a husband who likes to cook and also brings food home when he comes in from the office. I have a story on my website about my attempt to bake potato bread. I signed up for the feature blog and that will be one of my choices to share; but it might be six months before I’m featured because I just signed up today.
    Renee recently posted…To Punch or Not To Punch: That Is The QuestionMy Profile

  31. I cook a lot of Filipino food too (‘was born and raised in Manila) but my stepmom prefers Indian food so she kind of avoids my cooking. I am glad you nailed that delicious looking cake!
    Bames recently posted…Book Review: EnclaveMy Profile

    • Oooh I’d take Filipino food over Indian food any day! LOL I was born and raised here, never actually been to the Philippines nor do I speak Tagalog (I can sing Tagalog songs on karaoke, though! LOL). Filipino food is the one thing about our culture that I hold on to and pass to my kids! It’s comfort food for me.

  32. Oh my gosh, that cake is hysterical!! I can’t believe you said it looks like a butthole…I mean it does, but I can’t believe you said that!! I would still have eaten it, though. I mean ugly cake is still cake, right??
    Rabia @TheLiebers recently posted…The Otter, the Spotted Frog, and the Great Flood {Book Review andGiveaway}My Profile

    • I wish I could say it tasted better than it looked, but unfortunately NO it did not. I haven’t even attempted it again because we are all still recovering! LOL

  33. I’m a pretty good cook and baker. I get the genes from my Dad since he is a cook/baker.
    Julie recently posted…Chicken EnchiladasMy Profile

  34. Spaghetti is one of those dishes that I can never get right. No, I take that back; I got it right one time about 20 years ago and have never been able to do it again. Meatloaf is my specialty.
    Renee recently posted…To Punch or Not To Punch: That Is The QuestionMy Profile

Trackbacks

  1. […] Salad and spaghetti.  Those are the only dishes that I know that I can do consistently well.  Anything else would be too risky to serve to my friends if I wanted to maintain their friendship.  LOL  Sorry, no dessert – I’m a bad baker. […]

  2. […] Nailed it: Chocolate Cake […]

  3. […] Nailed It: Chocolate Cake Pinterest Fail […]

  4. […] blog was actually a “no bake” recipe, and my most popular food post was on my epic chocolate cake fail.  BUT perhaps I would make an excellent food blogger if I had the proper tools at my […]

Leave a Reply to Norine Dworkin-Mcdaniel Cancel reply

*

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.