The Baileys Baking Disaster

If what you see above looks like a catastrophe in the making, you are more prescient than I.

Here's what you need to know: I made Bailey's cake once before with minor problems (my cake sunk in the middle, which forced the glaze to pool), but I figured with my new baking skillz, I could knock this one out, easy.

Also, my future father-in-law's birthday is this week, and knowing that he likes Baileys, I thought I'd bake him a little Bailey's pound cake.

The recipe is one my stepgrandmother Helene gave me years ago and I remember now that she had made minor adjustments and I no longer know what those adjustments were. I also know that when she makes it, she divides the batter between six mini pans. I realized I did not have mini pans, so I split it between two. Two pans that I now consider to be HARBINGERS OF DOOOOOOOOM.

(Don't worry, I'll share the recipe at the bottom!)

I preheated the cake to 350 and while it baked, I mixed confectioner's sugar and Bailey's to create the glaze.

Helene's instructions said she cooked the cakes from anywhere between 25 to 45 minutes. Hmm. That is quite a window. Speaking of windows, here's what I saw through my oven's around 30 minutes. That looks....dangerous.

I waited a little longer and stuck a toothpick in. Stupidly, I put the pick in toward the edge and when it came out clean, I took the cakes out. They were DISASTERS. The tops split apart like a loaf of bread and the batter between the cracks wasn't fully cooked.

So, for some reason, I convinced myself if I flipped one of them and poured the glaze over it, the cake would suddenly look about right.

Omigod. Could this be more wrong? I seriously was near tears at this point. The batter was still gooey in the center, so I popped them in AGAIN, bringing the cooking time to like...50 minutes.

Still full of disaster. Gooey. Inedible.

I cut a slice out to try on the end and saw an even bigger disaster: EGG SHELL! Omigod, how did that get in there? I was doomed from the start.

As I said, this cake was destined to be a gift and I had no back-up gift, so I salvaged five cooked slices sans egg shell and put them in this adorable Wilton baking box (it comes with the tissue paper!).

And here were the disastrous remainders, which are probably going to land in the trash.

But if I am good at anything, it's presentation.

I won't lie, this was my biggest failure thus far and I took it especially hard knowing I've successfully made these cakes before! But, here's the recipe:

Helene's Easy Bailey's Cake

Ingredients

• Package of white cake mix
• Package of vanilla pudding mix
• 1 1/4 cup of Baileys Irish Cream
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• GLAZE: 1/2 cup Baileys and 1 1/2 cup Confectioner's sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine all ingredients with a mixer
3. Flour and grease six mini pans. Pour one cup of mixture in pans.
4. Bake 25 to 35 minutes (Helene says 45!).
5. Combine topping. Remove cake from oven and poke holes throughout.
6. Pour topping. Make sure you use all of it.
7. Cool for 2 hours.