I am flying high and doing great today, but my baking may be another story. A challenge was proposed to me by my parents, in exchange for being able to use all their cool car crap to spruce up my poor little Honda. It’s 10 years old now, and oh so tired. But a wash, polish and wax – it’ll be a whole new car.

Back to the business at hand.

So, my parents went Iron Chef on me to create or make some sort of cake based on summer, using the berries that are in season right now. How could I choose, everything is in season!

At todays’ staff meeting a pineapple upside down cake was placed before us all – so here was my inspiration. But no pineapple. *Insert blueberries and raspberries here.* It’s a heavier cake, but I figure it isn’t going to be iced with a sugary buttercream, so it might be ok.

I used Paula Deen’s Pineapple Upside Down cake but subbed my own fruits and the brown sugar for a standard white. With the brown I figured it might taste a little more molassase-y and that isn’t good for a cake with fresh berries! (Or at least in my imagination it is) Pineapples that are already sitting in syrup and sweetness is just too much for what I am aiming for.

After all the baking was done, substitutions made and cakes were cooled – this happened.

Never having made a pineapple upside down cake, or anything other upside down cake for that matter, I was still very discouraged that the bottoms started coming apart. It can of course be salvaged, since whipped cream frosting and more fresh fruit will be added. But right now, I’m content being a little bummed about this. Dang the need to see my baking be perfected…(Yeah I’m laughing right now too)