What do you do when the cookie ... or the cake ... crumbles?
When plans for Joe's birthday cake fell through -- or, quite literally, fell apart when I tried to transfer each of the three layers to a platter -- I wasn't quite sure how to handle it. The hour was late, I had already made his favorite buttercream frosting, and starting over completely would have meant another trip to the grocery store for ingredients.
What to do?
This baking disaster offered the perfect opportunity for turning trouble into a trifle.
Thinking about a slice of cake, I layered parfait glasses with cake crumbles, a thin layer of icing, more cake, and a piped topping. Garnishes of roses and candles added the final touches. You could also include fresh berries, lemon curd, pudding, sprinkles -- even ice cream if you want to assemble the desserts just before serving. Although this wasn't the towering three-tiered cake I had pictured for our celebration, it still tasted good and brought festive flair to our kick-off of the family birthday season.
Has a kitchen disaster ever led you to a clever culinary discovery?
