The Ole Master Plan

It's a classic ploy — Ask your man a direct question about yourself.  You know he doesn't know the answer.  You count on him feeling bad that he hasn't paid close enough attention to know this fact about you, his beloved.  You present him a way to remedy the situation — which was what you wanted all along.  Only, sometimes I forget JP might throw a monkey wrench in it. 

Me:  "Honey, what's my favorite dessert?"

Him:  Blank stare.

Me:  Blank stare.

Him:  "Umm.  Does movie popcorn count as a dessert?"

Me:  "Some nights, yes, but I'm talking about my favorite, order in a restaurant, dessert."

Him:  Shifts uncomfortably in his chair.

Me:  "It's German Chocolate Cake."  Pause to let the moment, the-new-found-knowledge-quick-rescue-the-mood feeling, sink in.  "So I was wondering if we could go out…"

Him:  "I'll bake you a cake!"

Me:  "Aww, that's sweet, but I was hoping…."

Him:  "No.  It will be the best cake ever.  We should make two and we give some away."  He immediately fires up the Food Network website, a man on a mission.  I drift away, supposing he'll change his mind, hoping I still might get to go to B&O Espresso.

The next day, he shows me a recipe.  German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Cajeta Frosting and Chocolate Ganache.  Clearly, we're not going the doctor-up-a-Betty-Crocker-Mix route.  And I'm not being taken out.

But this was SO MUCH BETTER.  The next day, we scoured the upscale market for things like goat's milk (check), vanilla bean (check), and muscavado brown sugar (well, C&H will just have to do).  

For the next five hours, this is what we did.  I was on cake duty.  JP took the two frostings.  It was a blast.

Handy reference spot.

Ingredients and set up

Cocoa, sugar, and illegal amounts of butter.  Sigh….

Sugar water for the coconut-pecan frosting part.

He kinda looks like Emeril, right?

"I'm helping too!"

Coconut frosting taking shape.  
The kitchen smelled like toasted nuts and caramel.

Meanwhile, back at the cake station…

Coffee and Hershey's Cocoa and Butter… three of the four food groups, right?

Hello, mocha cake batter.

Hello, coconut pecan frosting goodness.

Cutting the layers in half sounded difficult, but JP nailed it.

It's hard to applaud and snap a picture at the same time.

Well, hello Gorgeous!

Forget dinner and a movie.
Make a total mess in the kitchen.  I'm talking a two-loads-in-the-dishwasher mess.
I promise, you will have the best time ever.

Also, if anyone out there is a food photographer, you are really pretty, and really gifted, and quite the ARTEEST.
I never truly appreciated your work till now.  
Me and my point-n-shoot are humbled.

Tags: baking, Bobby Flay, coconut, date night, Emeril, German chocolate cake, Girl Parker, pecans, the Food Network