mmmmm...Cake

I have a first this weekend. I’m helping host a baby shower, I’ve never done that. Not for someone I’m not bestest of best best friends with. It’s different when you just kind of know the person. I helped throw a baby shower years ago for my person and that was wonderfully fun because I totally knew her and I knew what she was wanting and I had her mother and sister-in-law helping me (i.e.: doing everything for me). This time around I am one of six or seven hostesses and I am in charge of the cake. I was asked to make cake balls for about 50 people. Okay. Gluten free. Okay, no problem. Sugar free. Okay no problem. I’m on this, I’ve got it covered.
Except for I’m me. And I’m never satisfied with my work. I wanted to do something extra special, like making a homemade gluten free cake and using homemade sugar free icing.
It’s so not happening. I’ve tried. I’ve made three different kinds of cake and all of them came out horrible. They are all way too moist. This would be a perfect thing if they were to be just cakes. If I were just making a cake with icing like normal people do for baby showers then I’d have the most amazing cake ever and I’d be famous because it tastes that amazing. But I’m not doing anything easy; I’m doing it my way. And these moist wonderful cakes turn to the consistency of cookie dough when I try to make them into balls. Even with out the icing added they are still dense thick moist cookie dough like balls. And if you are expecting cake then it’s gross. They taste amazing and I’ve got no complaint about that, it’s just the texture that’s wrong and when you’re eating the texture is the most important thing, even before taste so I’ve had to take a step back and realize that I need more time to experiment than I have. The party is Saturday. So yesterday I went to Kroger and picked up some boxes of cake and tubs of icing and I’m feeling little defeated but I just have to keep reminding myself that I’ve never once gotten a complaint about my cake balls so making then from a box isn’t a problem. It’s not a problem. Not a problem. No. ugh.
Anyway. Last night I baked my first cake from a box and lo, a light came from the oven and an angel spoke unto me “Be not afraid” and I fell to my knees in thanksgiving for the cake was good. Hallelujah.
I’m set now. I have a few boxes at the house and I’m on it and will have it all done by Saturday no problem. Cake number one was baked last night and has been refrigerating so I can roll it into balls tonight. I’ll bake my second cake tonight to refrigerate overnight and roll into balls tomorrow. I’ll dip all the balls on Friday and refrigerate overnight for the party on Saturday.
Tell me what you think of my menu.

The Nicer Kind of Death By Chocolate Balls: Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Sugar Free Chocolate Icing in a Dark Chocolate Candy Shell decorated with either Pink drizzle or Pearl candy balls.

Vanilla Spice Balls: Spice Cake with Vanilla Icing in a White Vanilla Candy Shell, drizzled with Dark Chocolate.

Pig Droppings (a la Ms. Hannigan): Gluten Free Brownies with Vanilla Icing in a Pink Vanilla Candy Shell sprinkled with Silver Rock Candy.

Sounds yummy to me and Erik said the spice cake was amazing so I’m feeling almost confident.
Mother’s day is coming to and I have a special kind of cake ball I’ll be making my mom for that day. Also, the next time I’m able to get really creative I want to try this out: pineapple-carrot cake with lemon curd filling and orange-vanilla frosting, say what?! Sounds so good. I have no recipe, I just came across the name in a blog, so I need to improvise and get creative but I’m determined to make it work.