The Nineties (Completed)

October 1997

"What's all this?" Tom questioned while entering the kitchen to find Jolie and the kitchen completely covered in flour.

"I was trying to make a cake for Raf's birthday." She grumbled while setting the hand held electric mixer on the counter.

"I take it that's the cause of most of this mess?" Tom chuckled.

"I think it's faulty."

"Or it's user error." He smirked while examining the mixer. "Have you ever actually baked before?"

"I bake cookies almost every Christmas, but..." Jolie purse her lip and glanced around the kitchen again.

"But what?" Tom asked while helping her wipe down the kitchen counters.

"I've never actually done it alone, and now that I'm thinking about it Tess or my Gran always made the actual cookies. Still it shouldn't be that hard," she lifted the recipe she had printed out off the counter to look at it, "you follow the steps and end up with a cake."

"Did you start the mixer on low?" Jolie stared at him blankly, knowing she hadn't, but not wanting to admit to that. "I'll take that as a no." He chuckled. "When's his birthday?"

"Today, I wanted to surprise him with it when he got home from his mock trials later this evening."

Tom smiled as he shook his head. "Do you have more ingredients?"

"I do... I somehow knew I'd mess this up at least once."

"Ok," Tom examined the recipe, "I need two mixing bowls, your measuring cups and spoons, and for you to set out all you wet and dry ingredients."

Jolie did as he asked. "Can you actually bake?"

"I can." He smiled, then started measuring the dry ingredients into one bowl and the wet into the other.

Jolie watched, hoping to retain a few things for if she ever tried this on her own again. After sifting the dry ingredients together he began slowly mixing the wet in, not even bothering with the electric mixer.

"I guess I should have just bought a cake." Jolie chuckled when Tom placed the pans filled with cake batter in the pre-heated oven. "I didn't really do anything."

"You pre-heated the oven." He grinned, while she wiped down the counter. "Besides, I'm making you learn how to use that mixer when you start on the icing."

Jolie chuckled and got the ingredients for that set out on the counter and another mixing bowl.

"Why do you have a recipe for Dulce de Leche?"

"I had thought about drizzling a little over the top of the cake, figuring caramel and chocolate couldn't possibly be wrong together... I'm not sure I'm actually equipped to make it though."

"Did you buy the ingredients?" Tom slid the recipe for the chocolate icing in front of her and had her start measuring out the components into separate small dishes.

"I did." Jolie smiled, stepping back to look at the portioned elements of her icing all ready to be mixed together.

"Mix the butter and the cocoa powder together. Use the slow setting to begin with, easing it faster as it begins to blend." Jolie nodded, doing as he asked.

He had her set the mixer back to its slowest setting as he slowly added the powder sugar to the bowl and then the vanilla extract. "A little milk, some fluffing, and we're done." He smiled, slowly added those ingredients as well, leaving her in full control of the mixer.

"Where's Sarah?" Jolie asked as she watched him take the cakes from he oven after checking that they were done.

"She had to run to the library for a book, she should be back soon." Tom eased the two round cakes out of their pans and place them in the freezer.