Before I say anything else, I want to tell you that sometimes I try too hard. That’s what I’ve been told before, and if there was one instance where this might be true, it’s this cake.
Does trying too hard mean that you try and fail? Or that what you attempt to do doesn’t turn out the way you expect? Or does it mean, “I know you want me to like you but because you’re sort of neurotic about it, you annoy me.”
The latter of those choices is what I think it means, but I’ve also been told that I can see the dark side of things when I ought to see the positive.
If you’re confused, we are in this whole life together.
I want to be liked. That’s true. I want to be liked by homeless people, by the people who serve me in restaurants, by the hot guys in my classes and by the nerds, too. I’d like to be liked by the girls who are “bad” and the girls who are “good” and the cheerleaders.
Now that I’ve confessed it to you all, and perhaps one or two of you may also feel the way I do.
I’ve learned to hide my trying-too-hard nature, but it comes out in cakes and offers to help people paint their rooms or tutor them in physics. Jillian says I’m crazy. All I know is it’s who I am and, sometimes after contemplating Jillian’s rants, I say maybe instead of yes or let me get back to you instead of yes. It’s a start.
But this cake. This cake is one of the Tuesdays with Dorie selections and it is among the most complicated things I’ve ever done. It is mighty tasty, though, and well worth the effort.
I’m not going to post the recipe because it’s so long and because the idea behind Tuesdays with Dorie is that you’re supposed to be inspired to buy her book, which would be a very good investment!
I can describe it this way: make one large chocolate cake with the secret ingredient of chestnut spread with vanilla, cut it into three layers, spread ganache between each layer and over the whole thing once it is assembled. Oh, don’t forget the crushed canned chestnuts between those layers. Then, pour a ganache glaze over the whole thing. Finally, some more chestnuts (dusted with edible gold dust) for the garnish. Wow. It’s a huge amount of work, but it feels great to have accomplished it.
That’s the payoff for trying hard if you choose the right target for your attention; the success that comes with the effort.
