Baking Again... Not So Soon

Since I got back to Khartoum back in mid February, I've been meaning to bake. There's an oven in the kitchen. It's something I enjoy very much and been doing it back in KL. Most importantly, there'll be some sweet to feast on in the end.

Particularly, I would like to bake carrot cake, my forte in baking. My carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, there are people out there think it's almost as good as one of the top bakeries back home and some even willing to pay for it. So I brought along a measuring cup, a grater, a whisk, a spatula and a 8-in square baking tin.

Until now, I have not bake anything.

First of all, those baking utensils I brought along got my squashed in the luggage. The grater frame was broken and the whisk was scrunched up. Well with a little of fixing they are good to go (and they are fixed). But the baking tin, it was bent out of shape. No tin, no baking.

Anyway I started to go through the supplies in the kitchen. While I had successfully located cinnamon powder, I also found out that we are running low on sugar. No sugar, no baking.

Then I realized there is no sieve in the kitchen. No sieve, no baking.

A few weekends ago a score a good deal on some baking wares. I picked up a sieve and a pack of sugar. I also have been buying carrots during my weekend grocery runs. In fact I've been collecting carrots in the fridge. The reason being I found out that I have got no baking soda. No baking soda, no baking.

I actually got some from my neighbors, 2 of them. I was all happy and all ready to get cracking. However, they were actually giving me baking powder. Still no baking soda, still no baking.

Last weekend, I finally found baking soda in the shop and I happily scooped a jar. I also found cream cheese for the frosting too. As I about to put the cream cheese in my shopping cart, I noticed I have not seen icing sugar available. Well I convinced myself that it's ok, I would start with just a simple carrot cake sans frosting. It'd be a treat still.

As I was unpacking my grocery at home, getting ready to bake, a sense of uneasiness creeping in. Damn, I forgot the walnut. I love the nutty flavor and crunch in the cake. Not walnuts, no baking.

Well, I'll get some walnut this weekend. By then, everything would be checked and carrot cake this weekend. I'm salivating now.

Oh wait, this weekend I might be out of town visiting pyramids and temples ruins. No in town, no baking.