I’m really good at making messes.

This week I was reminded that life is not always clean and tidy.

It’s not always just the way we think we want it … or the way we think it might be.

Life’s messy! I’m messy!

But most of the time, at the end of the day, we can still find inspiration and encouragement in the messes. There are lessons in the messes. And thank goodness at the end of the mess of this week I still ate a damn cake!

: : :

For this birthday cake (Happy Birthday, Bro!) I used the Baker’s Notes Yellow Cake recipe which will be featured in the upcoming issue (due out on November 11, 2023). For the chocolate ganache I went with 4 cups heavy cream brought to a simmer and then added 1-1/2 pounds of bittersweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let that all melt together and then let it sit to cool stirring it from time to time.

—MAV