If it wasn’t completely obvious by my last post, I had myself all worked up about Kindergarten over the weekend. In my mind, I had imagined every "worst case scenario" and had cried buckets of tears stressing about the "First Day of Kindergarten Event". I told myself to hold it together this morning…no matter what, I could not ruin Jacob’s excitement by crying today.
You know what I have discovered? The anticipation of today was ten times worse than the actually event. We have been talking about Kindergarten for so long, and my fellow Kindergarten mom’s have been talking about not crying and keeping our happy faces on, etc. Today, when we actually walked up to school and then Jacob confidently walked right into his classroom without even a bit of hesitation, I realized we had jumped over a huge hurdle. Yes – he will never again have a first day of Kindergarten, but he will have many more wonderful other days of Kindergarten. The anticipation of today was completely blown out of proportion… I survived, he survived and we are on with the future.
Another thing I have been anticipating for quite some time is the Devil’s Food White Out Cake from Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking: From My Home To Yours. I have been drooling over this cake since I first got my copy of this cookbook almost a year ago. I drooled some more when several of you made this cake and posted about it on your blogs. I could not wait to try it, and I could almost imagine how delicious it would be.
Now – please don’t kill me, but I kind of feel the same about this cake as I do about the first day of Kindergarten. I had imagined for so long how wonderful this cake would be, and I have to say when I tried it I was slightly disappointed. It is a really good cake, and honestly, after this much anticipation, there is no way the cake would have lived up to my expectations. The cake makes a "Wow!" presentation, and it tastes good…just not out of this world fantastic like I was hoping.
The friends I made this cake for enjoyed it, so it was a success. I also will make it again but this time I may adjust some of the ingredients a bit to better suit my picky chocolate palate.
For your viewing, drooling, and anticipating pleasure visit the following blogs for more about this cake:
Yeah, I so hate that. When you have a recipe and you build it up in your mind to what you think it should be like and then it isn’t. It does have a great WOW factor though, I agree.
I totally agree, the cake part was very good, but the icing felt like it was missing something. I will make it again with few minor adjustments.
Kristen, I wish Jacob all the best on his first day at KIGA! Soeren had his first day at pre-school yesterday. After 2 1/2 years at KIGA he now is a part of the International School here and I too was so anxious about the whole thing!! It’S amazing how cool the little ones are though. I’ve been eying this cake in the Dorie book but have not brought myself to make it. Good to hear your thoughts on it though!
It looks incredible!
Your cake is BEAUTIFUL! And the photos are sooo lovely lately!
Jacob will be so great in Kindergarten – and just think, you’ll be slightly more prepared for the next 2! 🙂
I experience the same thing with movies, walk in expecting a great film because of all the hype but walk out slightly disappointed. I’m sorry the cake was a little disappointing but it still looks like a showstopper. 🙂
Funny how that works isn’t it. The anticipation thing is such a double edge sword.
The cake is a show stopper!
Perfect: on with the future!
Glad you got through the day!
Your cake reminds me of my mothers’s Devil’s food cake with Boiled Frosting…my all time favorite!
Anticipation can be the best…and the worst… of almost everything!
Hooray for surviving the first day of school, and for making a chocolate cake to celebrate. That’s the thing about anticipation, though — it’s often better than the reality. Think about all the movies we see that get such a good hype, and then you walk out shaking your head and thinking, okay, that was an okay movie, but not great.
It looks mighty good in the photo, but I do agree about anticipation. You are a good mother, Kristen. The first day of kindergarten is cause for celebration.
Kristen, the cake looks great!
I had this cake in mind for my sister’s birthday (last week) but she asked for a cake with strawberries, so I dropped the idea.
It looks so good Kristen. It reminds me of these packaged cakes (I don’t mean that as an insult) I had growing up. Not HO HO’s, not Ding Dongs, Suzi Q’s I think they were called. I would love to try your version.
I’m disappointed to hear that it wasn’t as good as you had anticipated. Man… it sure does LOOK good. Mmmmmm…
Glad that all went well with the first day of Kindergarten. I was thinking about you!
Yah for jumping hurdles and succeeding! I knew you could do it. And just think milemarker of his life has a possitive check mark beside it! Next? 😉
So if you had a choice of using either this recipe for cupcakes for tomorrow or using your fudgy pudgy recipe for cupcakes, which would you choose? 😀 TIA! I’m wanting to make a "mock Hostess cupcake" thing and was thinking of using your fudgy pudgy…
That actually happens to me a lot, but then again, I am pleasantly surprised at some recipes that I didn’t think would turn out so well. Your cake really does look good, though!
yay! I am so glad things went well on his first day and that cake looks scrumpalicious.
There is just something about them starting school – it’s like you really can’t say ‘my baby’ anymore, and you see a lot less of them too – but ne er fear, he’ll always be your baby 🙂
I almost forgot the cake! cake looks like just the right sort of comfort food, as do your rolls and fudgy pudgy from your last two posts, yummy things happening in your house!
I knew it was going to go okay – you, the little one and the kindergarden. Yeah!
Hi Kristen, glad that first day of kindie went well. I know what you mean about getting all excited about a recipe but feeling a bit disappointed with the final result. But you cake does look soooo good!
It’s hard to send off our little ones to school for the first time right? In my experience, my son took him a week before he came into terms that he needed to stay in school for 4 hours.
All through out that week we always ended up fighting and crying 🙂
I agree with you about the cake. Flavorwise indeed I find it really good but texturewise I feel it was too heavy and dense. I don’t like my cake fudgy so I didn’t like it on that aspect. Dorie’s cake recipes are good but I find Tish Boyle’s recipe even better 🙂
girl that is just about enough outta you and them yummy, rich decadent cakes!!
😉
Glad to hear that the first day went well. I knew that it would. You aren’t the first mom to freak about KG and you won’t be the last.
Mmmm…this cake looks so yummy. I’m going to have to come up with a reason to make it and very soon!
Hi Kristen, I’m glad the first day at kindergarten wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. It’s a shame about the cake but look at it this way – it’s far better that the disappointment was this way round rather than with the kindergarten experience!
oh yum! i have been drooling over this cake for a while now, too! seeing a photo of your homemade one makes me want it even more.
That cake is just too, too tempting!
I remembered my first day of kindergarten, I was wondering why some of the kids were crying. Guess I was braver than most ;). So glad that you and Jacob got past that hurdle of first day kindergarten jitters. The cake looks great, sorry you were a bit disappointed!
What a sweet post! I’m so glad that the anxiety is over and am thrilled that he went in smiling. And what a great gooey cake to celebrate with, you both deserve it!
Jacob is all grown up now.I am happy to know that the first day was a day of excitement and smiles. As for the cake Kristen, do you still have a slice of it for me?
Kristen, That is one good-looking cake!
You are so right about the anticipation bit, that is always more difficult than the actual thing.
I am glad you got through it alright.
Jacob will do great in kindergarten for sure! 🙂
Congratulations on making it through the first day of kindergarten! It sounds like you’re raising a happy, confident young man. I love Dorie’s cake. How would you tweak it?
I wouldn’t mind a slice? Next time you make a cake you’re not quite sure about, how about sending it to me!!
I think you’re so right about the anticipation being worse than the event. Of course, that cake would erase just about any amount of anxiety I was feeling.
🙂 I had to look through the comments to see if I had left one yet…I couldn’t remember! I’m planning on making this cake for a Labor day get-together. My roommate requested it for her birthday, which was last Thursday, but I have been so busy I’ve hardly been able to even get something for dinner together! Your picture is great!!! Looks like this turned out well. I can’t wait to try for myself! BTW, glad to hear that kindergarten is going well.
The cake is certainly droolworthy and I’m sure it was a comfort on the first day of kindergarden.My daughter was in preschool for 2 years before she hit kindergarden. I had already cried my tears when she went on her first playdate.
Oh just think that now you’ll have more time to indulge yourself with these wonderful and decadent desserts you make…
Aww, you made it through the first day of Kindy. I remember what that was like. Mine is now going into second grade! It flies by so quickly!