He woke up to an idea; a genius one, in fact.
"Who wants red velvet cakes? We shall try blue velvet cakes!" Joe shouted to himself.
He started to get ingredients to make cake. Trying something new made him jump with excitement. Joe pranced around while gathering the ingredients. He then followed the instructions that were on his phone. When it was time for food coloring, instead of red, he used blue. The batter was mixed and poured into a cake tray; it went into the oven. For the thirty minutes Joe had to wait, he sang with a smile while making the cheesecake icing. Half an hour was up; he pulled out the tray. His smile faltered when he saw his creation.
“This was supposed to be blue! ‘Scuse you, cake. I put blue food coloring, not brown!”
He sulked for a while, eating the failed cake, while wondering what he did wrong. A thought went into his head, making him excited again.
“Why not use a rice cooker? It makes my rice delicious and it is still safe to eat!”
He made the same batter and put it in the rice cooker. The man child danced while he was making the icing, again. With the new method of baking, it took twice as long and Joe decided it would be okay to leave the house.
“I’m going to get more eggs.”
He got more eggs and even some dog food. Eventually, he returned home, only to be greeted with the fire alarms blaring and the aroma of cake hitting his nose. The rice cooker had steam pouring out. Joe rushed to the rice cooker and removed the lid, making Joe’s vision to be blinded by the moisture from the cake. After calming down the madness, he looked at the blue, soggy cake. However, the consistency wasn't right.
“It’s as blue as me.”
Joe laid down on his couch, pondering the meaning of cakes. He wondered why he was such a failure and why the cake wasn't perfect. Thoughts about chemical reactions and the permutations of him succeeding ran in his head. He didn’t want to give up. The idea was too special for him to give up. So, he tried again. Repeated the same steps, danced with his dogs again, and made the same icing. After, however, he stayed home, intently watching the rice cooker while the timer ticked away. Joe eventually fell asleep, getting tired from the same paced ticks. He woke up from the burning smell and faced a failed cake once again.
“This is war,” Joe said to the cake.
For days, he tried different methods and for days, he failed. The cake either turned brown, was inedible, or was burnt. Joe's hope fluctuated; every time he found an acclaimed, "working" method by some "great chef," he was hopeful. However, each time he tried using the methods, he failed. The war lasted for months. It only ended when he thought back to the day he used the rice cooker. He remembered it being the only method allowing blueness to shine through, though the dessert seemed to be drowned in water. He wanted something appealing and fluffy at the same time. Joe tried the final tactic. He learned from his mistakes and knew to make sure the batter was cooked at the correct time. The man intently watched the timer and made sure to take the cake out the second the time was up.
Ding!
“Please let this be a success. Please,” he said to whoever was listening.
He opened the lid and there before him he saw the color blue. A smile formed and his heart filled with joy. He cautiously took out the velvet cake and placed it on a cooling rack. Joe smeared the cream cheese frosting all over the cake and left it in the fridge for an hour. Time passed and the cake was then in front of the baker. He carefully sliced the cake from the center and all Joe saw was blue. He took one bite and it was like his tastebuds met the love of their lives. It was edible and the edges did not smell like a lit match. It was not soggy like the first try and it was definitely blue.
After swallowing the first bite, Joe couldn’t help but leap in the air with joy.
“Yes! Yes! I did it! I did it! Boo-yah! My warrior, the rice cooker, is the best warrior in the world! Take that, you wretched cake. I won this war!” the proud baker shouted at the cake. “I still love you, though. I mean, you’re food, how could I not?”