Sweet Mistakes: Freelance Lessons from a Cake Disaster
Last week, I made a cake for my husband's birthday.
I knew he was expecting shop-bought, but I wanted to surprise him. I also wanted to do something wholesome and creative away from my desk. It would be 'fun.'
So, I dedicated the morning to baking, but things quickly went south. If you’ve ever seen James Acaster’s meltdown on GBBO, you’ll have an idea of my emotional state.
Here’s what went wrong:
I forgot to add the cocoa to my outrageously chocolatey chocolate cake
(it’s ok, I managed to backtrack and fix this).I had one large cake tin instead of the two smaller ones I needed.
I hadn't bought enough sour cream (makes it fudgy apparently).
When I tested the cake with a skewer, my beautifully risen cake immediately deflated, turning into a concave mess.
I put the cake back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
It wasn't ready.
I wanged it back in for another 5.
Still not ready.
Another 7???
The edges were now burnt.
I gave up on the oven, cut off the burnt edges, and tried to disguise the mess with buttercream. But I had used an electric whisk instead of a mixer. 'Put it on a high speed,' it said...
(I'm still finding buttercream on the walls).
Plus, I didn’t whisk it long enough, so the buttercream dripped down the sides of my ‘cake,’ which ended up looking like this…
This is where my creativity kicked in. I lobbed some of the discarded burnt bits into the concave bit, raising the height and ultimately ended up with a very tasty cake!
(Just the odd chewy bit).
Lessons in baking
A few people suggested there had to be a blog post in my baking fiasco.
So here are some reminders for us business owners:
1. Process is important.
Using tried and tested processes can you save you from unexpected pitfalls.
2. Be Prepared.
Having the right tools and resources is essential. As freelancers, this means investing in the right technology, training, and tools to do our job. One cake tin isn’t necessarily better than 2.
3. Adapt and Improvise
When things don’t go as planned, a little creativity and flexibility go a long way when it comes to overcoming challenges and achieving your goals. (I still can't believe I pulled it off in the end).
4. Believe in yourself
At the very beginning, I declared that 'I was no baker.' Maybe that was a self-fulfilling prophecy?! Whereas having confidence in your skills and decisions from the off might just lead to better outcomes.
5. Pay Attention to Details
Read the recipe brief. Then read it again.
6. The power of storytelling
People like a funny, engaging story. Sharing the ups and downs of a project will build connection - I've never had so much engagement from an Instagram story as I did that day. Ha!
7. Sometimes it's ok to wing it.
When things don't go to plan, a little improvisation goes a long way. I mean, that cake was still pretty epic - my son gave it 100/100 😍
8. Accept Imperfection
Perfection is a moving target. Nothing will ever be perfect. So embrace (very) messy, imperfect action to move forward and focus on delivering value to your customers. My cake was still delicious and enjoyed by all.
9. Presentation can make a big difference.
How you present your product or service can greatly impact perception and success. With a little creativity and cake toppers to hand, I managed to improve the appearance of what had otherwise been described as a 'turd.' But they hadn’t tasted it, had they?!
10. You can't expect to get it right first time.
Success often comes from learning and iterating. So don’t give up if it doesn’t always go your way; keep going. Refine and adapt until you DO get it right. I’m definitely going to bake this cake again. Though I think I’m gonna leave it another month or so 😁
My baking might not have gone perfectly, but the experience was a valuable reminder about the importance of creativity, adaptability, and perseverance.
And cake.
