Joy--it sounds like you have the right attitude when it comes to baking: it should be a fun experience and it is okay to laugh when things go wrong! We commend your persistence in the baking world and your positive attitude when it comes to (mis)adventures. With these things together and hopefully a little help from King Arthur Flour, you can become a polished baker! Thanks for sharing your stories with the Flourish community and making us smile. A few tips come to mind as I read them... creaming together the butter and sugar in any cake, muffin, or quick bread recipe is important in creating the light, fluffy texture. The sugar granules actually create little air pockets in the butter as they are whipped in. If you skip this step, your baked goods will still taste delicious--they may just be a little bit more dense or have a different texture than what you are used to. Thawing frozen puree--try to make it easy for yourself ahead of time and store it in zip-lock bags that can be submerged in hot water for quick thawing. As it softens, you can empty the contents into a glass bowl and microwave it until it is thawed. As for the cake-sliding fiasco, a stiffer frosting (like royal icing) can act more like glue and less like a lubricant between your cake layers. You can also try thickening your frosting with ClearJel or meringue powder (products available on our website) to get that extra-frosting insurance and holding power. All in all, keep it up Joy and we wish you good luck and happy baking! --Kye@KAF

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