Chapter 55 - backing a cake with amy
After lunch, Amy and I decided to take a one-hour break.
We each returned to our rooms, took a refreshing shower, changed into clean clothes, and rested for a while.
Exactly one hour later, we met outside the kitchen.
The moment I saw Amy, I noticed she was hiding something behind her back.
Before I could ask what it was, she suddenly stepped forward and placed something over my head.
My vision instantly went dark.
"Huh?"
I reached up, grabbed whatever it was, and pulled it off.
Looking down, I realized it was a white chef’s hat.
Before I could even ask where she had found it, Amy placed both hands on her hips and smiled mischievously.
"Alright, Chef Gray."
"Let’s get started."
I stared at her for a second before replying in the same serious tone.
"Very well."
"Apprentice Amy, prepare yourself."
I kept a completely straight face.
For exactly three seconds.
Then both of us burst into laughter.
Our laughter echoed through the hallway as we walked toward the kitchen together.
When we entered the kitchen, the head chef was busy inspecting the workstations to make sure everything had been cleaned properly after lunch.
The moment she noticed us, she immediately stopped what she was doing and walked over with a respectful smile.
"Good afternoon, Young Master."
"Young Lady."
Amy and I greeted her back.
She looked between us curiously.
"What brings the two of you to the kitchen today?"
A small smile appeared on my face.
"Oh, nothing much."
"We just came to completely mess up your kitchen."
The head chef blinked.
"...I’m sorry?"
I chuckled.
"I’m joking."
"Tomorrow is Mother’s birthday."
"So Amy and I decided to make her a birthday cake ourselves."
Realization immediately dawned on her face.
Her expression softened into a warm smile.
"I see."
"So today will be a battle against baking."
She laughed softly.
Since she had watched Amy and me grow up, she knew we didn’t mind a little teasing.
I grinned.
"Exactly."
"Although I’m more worried about Amy."
I pointed toward my sister with complete seriousness.
"She might accidentally blow up the kitchen."
"So... don’t keep your expectations too high."
The head chef covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Amy, meanwhile, immediately smacked the back of my head.
"Hey!"
"What are you saying, you little brat?"
"Who do you think I am?"
I rubbed the back of my head dramatically.
"You see?"
"This is the state of the world."
"People get hit simply for telling the truth."
"So unfair."
The head chef finally failed to hold back her laughter.
Amy raised her hand again.
"This time I’m definitely hitting you."
She swung.
But this time...
I easily dodged.
Ever since obtaining Dimensional Awareness, my reactions had improved dramatically.
Dodging Amy’s playful smack was almost effortless.
Amy froze for a second.
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"...Oh?"
"You can dodge now?"
A dangerous smile slowly appeared on her face.
"It seems someone has developed a death wish."
I smiled calmly.
"I dodged because I don’t want to die."
That only made Amy huff louder.
"Hmph."
"You’ll regret saying that later."
I laughed before quickly changing the subject.
"Alright, enough playing."
"We have a cake to make."
Turning toward the head chef, I asked politely,
"Could you supervise us without helping?"
"We want to make everything from scratch ourselves."
She looked at the two of us with gentle eyes before nodding.
"Of course, Young Master."
"I’ll only step in if something dangerous happens."
"Other than that, this kitchen belongs to the two of you today."
She gestured toward the other chefs.
"You may all leave."
Although they looked reluctant—they had clearly been enjoying our little argument—they obediently bowed.
"Good luck, Young Master."
"Good luck, Young Lady."
After wishing us success, they quietly left the kitchen.
Soon, only Amy, the head chef, and I remained.
I looked around the spacious kitchen before clapping my hands together.
"Alright."
"Step one."
"We need the perfect cake pan."
Amy nodded seriously.
The two of us began searching through the shelves until we finally found exactly what we were looking for—
A perfectly round cake pan.
I smiled in satisfaction.
"Perfect."
"This is exactly what I had in mind."
After choosing the cake pans, I clapped my hands together.
"Alright."
"Let’s divide the work."
I looked at Amy.
"You bring the ingredients for the chocolate frosting."
She nodded.
"What do I need?"
I counted them off on my fingers.
"Dark chocolate."
"Heavy cream."
"And powdered sugar."
She nodded before walking away.
Meanwhile, I gathered everything needed for the cake itself.
Flour.
Sugar.
Baking powder.
Salt.
Butter.
Eggs.
Milk.
Vanilla extract.
Since I had already taken the butter, there was no need to ask Amy to bring another one.
Once we had all the ingredients, I lightly coated the inside of both cake pans with butter before setting them aside.
Then I turned toward Amy.
"Can you preheat the oven to three hundred and fifty degrees?"
Amy gave me a confident salute.
"Leave it to me."
While she prepared the oven, I placed the butter and oil into a large glass mixing bowl.
"Amy."
"The mixer."
She immediately picked up the hand mixer and began beating the butter.
As she worked, I added the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
Without stopping the mixer, Amy continued blending everything together.
Next came the sugar.
Little by little, I poured it into the bowl while Amy kept mixing until the batter became smooth and creamy.
After that, I grabbed another medium-sized bowl.
Into it, I added the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
Using a whisk, I carefully mixed all the dry ingredients together.
Once everything was evenly combined, I slowly began adding the dry mixture to the wet mixture.
Instead of dumping everything in at once, I alternated between adding a little of the flour mixture and a little milk.
Amy kept mixing while I carefully added each ingredient.
The entire process flowed surprisingly smoothly.
The head chef quietly watched from the side without saying a word.
Using Dimensional Awareness made everything much easier.
I could clearly perceive the movement of the batter.
Even the smallest changes in its consistency didn’t escape my notice.
Whenever something needed a little more mixing...
I knew immediately.
Whenever the texture became just right...
I could feel it.
It was an incredibly strange but satisfying experience.
At the same time, I could feel my proficiency with the skill slowly increasing.
"This skill really is useful..."
Once the batter was finished, Amy brought over the prepared cake pans.
I carefully poured the batter into both pans, making sure each contained exactly the same amount.
After smoothing the tops, we placed them into the preheated oven.
"Twenty-five minutes."
I set the timer before closing the oven door.
With nothing else to do for the moment, Amy and I sat down at a nearby table.
The head chef joined us after we invited her.
For a while, the kitchen became peaceful.
Amy puffed out her chest proudly.
"See?"
"Your amazing big sister can do anything."
I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, yeah."
"You’re amazing."
Satisfied with my answer, she smiled smugly.
I then turned toward the head chef.
"Did we make any mistakes?"
"I followed every step you taught me."
The head chef smiled warmly.
"For your very first attempt..."
"You both did an excellent job."
"There were a few small mistakes."
"Your mixing technique still needs some practice."
"But overall..."
"You followed the steps almost perfectly."
A grin spread across my face.
"Do you think we’ll be able to make an amazing birthday cake for Mom tonight?"
She thought for a moment before nodding.
"From what I’ve seen, the sponge should turn out very well."
"Everything now depends on the frosting."
She smiled gently.
"And remember..."
"If you want a beautiful cake, don’t use too much frosting."
"But don’t use too little either."
"The right balance is what makes a cake look elegant."
I nodded confidently.
"Don’t worry."
"I practiced cooking before."
"And today I gained a new skill that lets me perceive things much more clearly."
I puffed out my chest proudly.
"I’m confident we can make the best birthday cake Mom has ever eaten."