The Chocolate Stout Cake and my Journey Away from Writer’s Block
So, this is it, the end of a great semester, the end of a year. It makes me feel so delightful, because I’m a year away from graduation. Why don’t we celebrate! No, I’m just making excuses to have a party. But my friend, Megan’s birthday is really coming up. Probably, a small get together really needs to happen. I have a high addiction to chocolate cake. I got a plan! I’m baking chocolate stout cake to celebrate the end of the year and Megan’s birthday.
So I need to look for the recipe, and buy all its ingredients. It’s like brain storming for a writing assignment. I need lots of ideas; I need the good points and the bad points of a topic in order to complete my essay. I need clarity! Where is this essay going, when all there is to it is five dull paragraphs? I need flexibility to write it all out. My ideas are in the form of a list but later on, it will be a part of a great piece. What about writer’s block or procrastination? Can I resolve these issues? I got to get going and gather the ingredients for my chocolate cake! I need to come up with solid ideas to unify the scaffold of my essay. For the cake, I need to buy: 1 ½ cups Chocolate Stout: I can also use regular stout, like Guinness, ½ cup strong black coffee, which I already have in my cupboard, 2 cups, 4 sticks of unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process, but a regular unsweetened cocoa powder will do. I also need 4 cups all-purpose flour, 4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, which I still have to buy, 4 large eggs, which I already have, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract and 1 1/3 cups sour cream.
For the Icing, I need 2 cups heavy whipping cream and 1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped! When I think of icings on a cake, dip and dots come to mind. Those colorful balls with an ice cream like texture. It’s like putting some final touches to a masterpiece. Can I afford to think of final touches to my essay, if until now, I’m still experiencing a massive headache and a writer’s block! Where will this essay go? What is the purpose of my essay? Who are my audience? What subject should I explore today? I imagine my final product, the chocolate cake that is in the process of being baked. The ideas of writing about writing which are in the process of writing itself.
Here we are with the directions to start our baking session. First, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides and line with parchment paper. Butter paper. It’s about time to start writing my ideas. So the subject is writing about writing an essay. What is an essay? Can it be a form of self-expression, a debate, an experiment, a vehicle that sends all sorts of messages, a journey in unknown lands, and a puzzle in need of quick fixing, a list or whatever I want it to be? Can I describe, define, compare, contrast, explain or use symbols to play with my ideas. This is where I begin as I mix the ingredients to my cake; my ideas are molded into the essay I want to write.
Second, in heavy large saucepan over medium heat, bring stout, coffee and butter to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Here we go with the mixing of stout, coffee, butter, cocoa powder, and whisk. The air is surrounded by a strong scent of coffee, cocoa powder and butter mixture. Now, my ideas are all written in paper. My hands press against my computer keyboard to formulate the first draft. Writer’s block is no longer a distraction. The mixture is finally smooth. I’m ready for the next step. I’m ready to look at my first draft.
Third, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. In large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat eggs, vanilla and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. I continue to mix more ingredients. My ideas continue to flow in order. Type, type, type, I need to changes this part, delete that sentence, re organize the whole essay, add this idea in the next paragraph, evaluate my word choice and address my ideas in detail. My hand is tired of mixing. My mind is drained out of ideas. So how can I show my intentions without telling it? I got so used to writing boring narratives, which are too plain and boring. I need more motivation! I need to hurry up and finish baking the chocolate cake. The loud crowd is on their way to my apartment. I have to slow down and sort my ideas. Are we still on track? Is this whole essay made to convey one or several ideas? Where almost there a couple more editing and revisions.
I’m almost done baking the chocolate cake. I just need to add stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined, taking care the stout mixture is cool enough that it will not cook the eggs. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely. Yeah Hey! I’m almost there, my masterpiece is almost complete. I just need to take a couple of last minute observations and look for small details that I missed earlier. An essay can never be done until the writer feels content with her writing. Adding and subtracting ideas makes it much better.
Finally, I’m about to get creative with the icing. I have to bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Top with chocolate curls. Yummy! My addiction to chocolate cake is growing stronger. I need to fight the temptation and wait for the loud crowd. My mind shifts, my essay needs further scrutiny. I don’t like the word stay if I can use linger. What about the word order, do I make sense or do I need to evaluate further? When will this journey end? What are the perfect ingredients for writing an essay? This is driving me crazy! Can I just follow the instructions like when I baked that chocolate cake? But that is a dull five paragraph essay! I can cut corners, and put a story to my explanations. But, what I learned so far is to write about what you know. I don’t want my piece to be plain and simple. I want my final product to express my thoughts. They say, you get to know a person by the way they write. Yes, I believe so.
I hear loud knocks on my door. I grumble with stress. I thought they will arrive a little later. Why are they here so soon? I read the last note in my chocolate cake recipe: For Storage: Cake is best served the day it is made, But they are obnoxious and demanded for the cake! What now? That’s what I get for inviting a bunch of crazy people over! Snaps! I need to refrigerate the cake in a sealed container for up to two days. That is, if they don’t finish the whole thing. A couple of last instructions to remind myself: Bring cake to room temperature for about an hour before you plan to serve. Okay, so we have an hour to chit chat and relax. I’m excited. This is the start of a wonderful get together. This is the end of my writer’s block. My thoughts are finally written in paper. My essay is done. The chocolate cake is ready for serving. I’m satisfied with writing about writing.
So I need to look for the recipe, and buy all its ingredients. It’s like brain storming for a writing assignment. I need lots of ideas; I need the good points and the bad points of a topic in order to complete my essay. I need clarity! Where is this essay going, when all there is to it is five dull paragraphs? I need flexibility to write it all out. My ideas are in the form of a list but later on, it will be a part of a great piece. What about writer’s block or procrastination? Can I resolve these issues? I got to get going and gather the ingredients for my chocolate cake! I need to come up with solid ideas to unify the scaffold of my essay. For the cake, I need to buy: 1 ½ cups Chocolate Stout: I can also use regular stout, like Guinness, ½ cup strong black coffee, which I already have in my cupboard, 2 cups, 4 sticks of unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process, but a regular unsweetened cocoa powder will do. I also need 4 cups all-purpose flour, 4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, which I still have to buy, 4 large eggs, which I already have, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract and 1 1/3 cups sour cream.
For the Icing, I need 2 cups heavy whipping cream and 1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped! When I think of icings on a cake, dip and dots come to mind. Those colorful balls with an ice cream like texture. It’s like putting some final touches to a masterpiece. Can I afford to think of final touches to my essay, if until now, I’m still experiencing a massive headache and a writer’s block! Where will this essay go? What is the purpose of my essay? Who are my audience? What subject should I explore today? I imagine my final product, the chocolate cake that is in the process of being baked. The ideas of writing about writing which are in the process of writing itself.
Here we are with the directions to start our baking session. First, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides and line with parchment paper. Butter paper. It’s about time to start writing my ideas. So the subject is writing about writing an essay. What is an essay? Can it be a form of self-expression, a debate, an experiment, a vehicle that sends all sorts of messages, a journey in unknown lands, and a puzzle in need of quick fixing, a list or whatever I want it to be? Can I describe, define, compare, contrast, explain or use symbols to play with my ideas. This is where I begin as I mix the ingredients to my cake; my ideas are molded into the essay I want to write.
Second, in heavy large saucepan over medium heat, bring stout, coffee and butter to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Here we go with the mixing of stout, coffee, butter, cocoa powder, and whisk. The air is surrounded by a strong scent of coffee, cocoa powder and butter mixture. Now, my ideas are all written in paper. My hands press against my computer keyboard to formulate the first draft. Writer’s block is no longer a distraction. The mixture is finally smooth. I’m ready for the next step. I’m ready to look at my first draft.
Third, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. In large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat eggs, vanilla and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. I continue to mix more ingredients. My ideas continue to flow in order. Type, type, type, I need to changes this part, delete that sentence, re organize the whole essay, add this idea in the next paragraph, evaluate my word choice and address my ideas in detail. My hand is tired of mixing. My mind is drained out of ideas. So how can I show my intentions without telling it? I got so used to writing boring narratives, which are too plain and boring. I need more motivation! I need to hurry up and finish baking the chocolate cake. The loud crowd is on their way to my apartment. I have to slow down and sort my ideas. Are we still on track? Is this whole essay made to convey one or several ideas? Where almost there a couple more editing and revisions.
I’m almost done baking the chocolate cake. I just need to add stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined, taking care the stout mixture is cool enough that it will not cook the eggs. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely. Yeah Hey! I’m almost there, my masterpiece is almost complete. I just need to take a couple of last minute observations and look for small details that I missed earlier. An essay can never be done until the writer feels content with her writing. Adding and subtracting ideas makes it much better.
Finally, I’m about to get creative with the icing. I have to bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Top with chocolate curls. Yummy! My addiction to chocolate cake is growing stronger. I need to fight the temptation and wait for the loud crowd. My mind shifts, my essay needs further scrutiny. I don’t like the word stay if I can use linger. What about the word order, do I make sense or do I need to evaluate further? When will this journey end? What are the perfect ingredients for writing an essay? This is driving me crazy! Can I just follow the instructions like when I baked that chocolate cake? But that is a dull five paragraph essay! I can cut corners, and put a story to my explanations. But, what I learned so far is to write about what you know. I don’t want my piece to be plain and simple. I want my final product to express my thoughts. They say, you get to know a person by the way they write. Yes, I believe so.
I hear loud knocks on my door. I grumble with stress. I thought they will arrive a little later. Why are they here so soon? I read the last note in my chocolate cake recipe: For Storage: Cake is best served the day it is made, But they are obnoxious and demanded for the cake! What now? That’s what I get for inviting a bunch of crazy people over! Snaps! I need to refrigerate the cake in a sealed container for up to two days. That is, if they don’t finish the whole thing. A couple of last instructions to remind myself: Bring cake to room temperature for about an hour before you plan to serve. Okay, so we have an hour to chit chat and relax. I’m excited. This is the start of a wonderful get together. This is the end of my writer’s block. My thoughts are finally written in paper. My essay is done. The chocolate cake is ready for serving. I’m satisfied with writing about writing.