MMmmmmm. Chocolate Cake! Yes, it deserves to be capitalized! Think of the last time you had the most exquisite piece of the decadent, beautiful, rich, but not too sweet, moist (yeah, I said it), scrumptious piece of Chocolate Cake. Wasn’t it divine? An experience to remember?
Chocolate Cake is my favorite thing to eat in the entire world. I love it so much that anyone who knows me, even for a short minute, knows that it’s my favorite thing to eat.
Now, this tasty experience does not happen every day. For those who know what I’m talking about, you know that this kind of cake isn’t easy to find. If you don’t know what I am talking about and you are saying to yourself, “Courtney, chocolate cake, is just fine. Every store has it and anyone can make it, and it’s good, maybe ok, but not -WOW!”
I’m so sorry you’ve never had a “WOW” Chocolate Cake experience. But you CAN!
Go with me on this analogy. Travel is like Chocolate Cake.
Chocolate Cake=Travel.
Chocolate Cake is famous. It’s everywhere, it’s in your grocery store, your local bakery, maybe you make a mean cake, maybe a restaurant has one on their dessert menu and every time you taste it, you hope it’s better or even as good as it looks. And then, (cue the sad trombone sound) it’s a disappointment.
Take a professional bakery for example. They may have some amazing chocolate croissants but their Chocolate Cake is “meh”. Or, their cake is actually awesome, but there’s nuts in it and you’re allergic and/or don’t like nuts (why in the world would someone do such a horrific thing to that cake?!?) OR, the cake is amazing, but it’s only sold with chocolate chips on top and you’re not a fan. You’d still eat it, but it’s not quite exactly what you were looking for.
I mean, c’mon! If Chocolate Cake is so common, why not just go buy the dollar bundt cake at Walmart at 10pm (I’m not judging, I’ve done this in a pinch and it satisfies the craving) or why not just make it yourself the way you want it, amiright?
I have done this. I make my chocolate cake in a 9×13 pan with a box recipe and homemade chocolate buttercream frosting. It is delicious, tasty, exactly the amount of frosting I like. BUT, I don’t want or have time to make this delicious cake AND it’s not even very pretty. I have yet to make a layered Chocolate Cake that is round. I even have a cute stand to put it on.
Wouldn’t it be nice if I knew an expert Chocolate Cake baker who would make me a cake according to what I hoped for? Then not only met those expectations, but exceeded them by adding some “secret” ingredient to their recipe to make that cake even tastier than I could’ve made myself or even imagined?
Now how do I find these bakers? Do they even exist?!
YES!! THEY DO!!
I’m one of them. (But wait, Courtney, I thought you said you made it yourself…)
You’re right. I did make my own cake. It was pretty darn good. But then, I found an expert who showed me the “secret” ingredients to make an amazing cake. However, this cake couldn’t be made for me. It had to be customized according to the customer’s taste, style, budget, personality, likes/dislikes and taking into consideration any special occasion that needs to be highlighted into said cake.
(So, every cake is different. We get it.) YES! You’re right! Every Chocolate Cake is lovingly made with the customer’s expectations. Bonus- I get to add my “secret” ingredients to make it even more special than what they could dream up themselves.
For example, if they’ve never had Chocolate Cake with hints of chili peppers before, why would they ask for it? Or what if they want the cake as a cupcake but actually needed just a slice, or a lava cake, or two whole three layer cakes? As the expert, I get to throw out ideas and work with the customer to create this Chocolate Cake experience! (Or just create what works best for the customer because the customer doesn’t want to decide and trusts me to make it amazing. The overwhelm is real.)
The best part? Making each Chocolate Cake a little better and different each time the individual customer requests one, surprising them with flavors they’ve never tasted but will love, taking time and stress off their hands, and developing a wonderful relationship with each customer- for years to come!
Alright. I hope you get my tasty analogy. For those who don’t love Chocolate Cake or *gasp* chocolate itself, you may like cheesecake. (Go for Junior’s-it’s my fav). Or maybe you don’t like dessert. Well, then, substitute for gourmet Chicago pizza. Also, I feel sad for you.
Now I need some cake. Who do I know in Arkansas…
P.S. I’d love to know where you get your favorite (literal) Chocolate Cake. Tell me in the comments! I need to add to my list!
