3rd times a charm...??

Last night it was my mission to make my first cake for my first decorating course;

I was all prepared with fresh Glaum Egg Ranch eggs; 2 dozen for $3 from a local 'eggery'. I had all the ingredients I needed and all the supplies washed and ready to be used.

I decided to try the 'Cake with a Kick' mix- by adding dry pudding mix to the regular Betty Crocker boxed recipe.

Heres where it all goes wrong;

About halfway through the baking my neighbor has a severe emergency with her dog and needed help and a flashlight, I still have 28 minutes on the timer so thought I could get over and help her and return to an almost done cake. Turns out the emergency takes a few hours, ( dont worry, I've returned to take the cake out of the oven with atleast 10 minutes still to go.) The dog emergency does take priority, but, there is my beautiful cake only now, not so beautiful sitting and due to carryover cooking, the outsides reached perfection while the middle is rather well, pudding-like...

Once the madness of the neighbors emergency ( 3 1/2 hours later ) is done and the little doggie is safe, I am left with still no cake and a pending class the following night. So my next best bet is to use the only mix I have left; Angel Food Cake mix. Well I'm not supposed to making an angel food cake, nor do I have an angel food cake pan. It is late at night and I just need to get this cake baked; hence, I'm obviously not thinking clearly and I pour all of the batter into the 10X2 cake pan, only to find that within 15 minutes of baking it has risen and overflowed into my oven, thus another unusable cake. At this point, I am really frustrated and starting to doubt my baking skills - thinking since I already signed up for the class I will just decorate a piece of cardboard as a friend had originally suggested.

A good nights sleep- that is what I need.

I get up early, as it is cake decorating class day! Must keep goals in mind. Must focus on end result tonite! This is the mantra I am repeating to myself this morning. Before even beginning to get ready for work, I go to the store and pick up yet another cake mix, only this time I'm keeping it simple. No added ingredients, no fuss, no pudding mix, no distractions and voila! Within 34 minutes precisely of baking, I have a beautiful lemon cake ready to be put in the cake carrier and I'm headed to work. All in a mornings work. But what a relief to be ready for class tonite- I'm as giddy as a kindergarten on their first day of school ready with my bookbag and lunch pail.