In anticipation of weekend-

For V’s birthday... Sumit got her a Mickey Mouse Baking set. A complete set with tray for twelve mini cup cakes, pre mixed frosting, cup cake mix, sprinkles, Spatula, measuring cup (all with Mickey art).. the whole deal! I have been wanting to use the set for a while... now that the Birthday celebrations have subsided, I am planning to use this Saturday afternoon with V, in putting the baking set to good use.
Yes, I was am way more excited about it than V currently is. The cup cake set even comes with liners of Mickey! I mean come on, what’s not to get excited about. I shared the plan with a dear friend, She awwed and said: "Mommy- Kiddo bonding time"
And I smiled and thought... hmm.. So true.

One of my most vivid memories from childhood is cake bakes I did with my mom, the icing I fought with my brother to lick for and above all placing the "Gems", Tutti Fruity, Mixing colors in icing, using cake pens, and trying to make the cake look all pretty.
Growing up, for all our birthdays, mummy and her best friend K Aunty (My fav. Aunt), would get into planning mode and Eggless cake had to be made. Two... one for adults to pretty up and other for the kids- My brother and I to 'pretty up'. Mum had a collection of heart shape, round, teddy bear and numerous other baking pans. They mixed and matched different pans to make different shapes; I remember a teddy bear cake made with three different cakes, a butterfly cake, a three level cake, a boat cake and so on. They are creative!
The day of the baking was the most fun. We, the kids were given the task of mixing the flour with the condensed milk and the other stuff. In those days, electric beaters, whippers were not so common. I remember stirring and stirring and competing with my brother, my batter was smoother. Then, mum would give us the icing to mix. She and K. aunty would put all the ingredients together and we mixed. We licked a lot in the middle, loved the smell off the Vanilla Essence and countless other things. Yes, we got scolded for not washing hands between licks, for dropping the spoon, for not leaving enough icing to go on cake. But they smiled, and Mum and K. Aunty involved me completely in the cake bake process.
Bhaia and I were just happy licking/ mixing the icing. Mum and K. aunty would put the cake in baking. The mixing bowl was for us to lick! And we waited! Patiently, I must add.
They decorated the main cake. The second cake- was all for kids to decorate. I loved it. I remember one heart shape cake, K. aunty gave my brother and I one side each, so we don’t fight. We competed to get the 'our' own side prettier!
I know, this time when I go to India, I must dig for those cake pictures.

As I wait now, for Saturday to roll around and get to my first baking expedition with V where life is way simpler: I will rely on pre-mixed stuff, the oven will not conk off in the middle, the cake will not go bad! The electric beater will do the smoothness, the bake spray will ensure no stickiness, the sprinkles will flow freely through the containers. I know there will be a mess, licking of the mixing bowl, falling of batter and so on. But hopefully fond memories that V and I will create together over an afternoon of 'cake bake'!

SD thanks for a wonderful gift for V.. and for me.
Mum, K. Aunty...I will miss you both a lot this Sunday as I try to recreate history, this time with your granddaughter!