Uncollapsible Cakes: Tips for Baking Cakes and Accepting the Causeways of Life

By Charmaine Houck

Charmaine N. Houck, or Cakes, as her roller derby teammates and close friends call her, loves to bake, especially cupcakes. Life hasnt always been as sweet as frosting. Through many adventures and life lessons, she has learned to pull the crumbs together and become uncollapsible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Oct 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781504389082

Charmaine Houck

Living passionately through experience is very much at the core of who I am as a person. I stay joyfully busy spending time with my husband and our three children, while also remaining closely involved in the community. My adventurous spirit keeps me ever working at checking off a growing bucket list, and if travel, new foods or beverages, and meeting new people are involved, count me in!

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Copyright © 2017 Charmaine N. Houck.

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Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-8873-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-8908-2 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 10/02/2017

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my Mother, who has been an inspiration to me. She showed me what it was to be strong, to give to others, and most of all, to forgive.

Her Hands

My hands look like my Mother’s

They look most like her hands when my nails are dirty

She works passionately in her gardens

She remembers to make time for prayer, laughter, and adventure

Fine lines tell the stories of years of washing dishes after family meals, bathing children and now grandchildren, and wiping tears – hers and ours

My dirty nails remind me how hard she worked for us all

I hope my children remember my hands – dirty nails and all

This book is also dedicated to my husband, Christopher, who continues to be the anchor to my kite. He encourages me to fly and soar while still holding me accountable for priorities at home.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me in this process.

To my bestmate, Joshua, who found me at a formative time in my life and helped me change my stars.

To Richard, Andrew, and Kathryn for coming into my life and making it a better place to live and geek out in.

To Randy, Lisa, Amy, Steve, and Matt, for putting up with me daily and allowing me a creative outlet which helps me thrive and reach my goals.

To Francine, for being one of the strongest and most inspiring women I have ever met. You taught me about myself in ways you will never truly know and I am forever grateful.

Contents

Introduction

1 Baking Powder That Is Aged

2 Too Much Leavening

3 Overbeating

4 Oven Temperature

5 Timing

6 Bonus Tips*

Closing

About The Author

INTRODUCTION

FIVE TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR CAKES FROM COLLAPSING

I love baking cakes, especially cupcakes. The methodical process of measuring, the chemistry of ingredients, the hum of the mixer - this is a place of zen for me. I prefer the house empty, my music on, and time to just be and bake.

Baking allows me to calm my mind. It is a time to play with new recipes and ingredients, give an old recipe a little punch with a small deviation, and enjoy the process. The final product is, almost, always delicious, bringing joy to others and helping me to feel good about a job well done.

Because of this love, I adopted the nickname ‘Cakes’ from my roller derby teammates and it has stuck with me like a true buttercream frosting.

I remember hearing my Mother and Grandmother say, Don’t run around while the cake is baking, we don’t want it to fall. I didn’t get it then, but remembered it as I grew up, thinking, ‘okay as long as we make no sudden moves while the cake is in the oven or right when it emerges, we should be fine.’

Now, I know many factors can cause a cake to collapse or sink. The same is true for life. We grow up hearing our family’s views on how to