Nutella sponge cake and being let go

It’s not you, it’s me.

Today I was on the receiving end. Unexpectedly too.

The probationary period at my fab new job came to an end and that was it. I’m not as experienced a worker as she needs – and that’s okay. Small businesses need to be as efficient as possible and I’m not the right employee for the company. There are no ill feelings, no bitter words.

It just sucks slightly.

Re-evaluation will start tomorrow. A call to Centrelink may or may not be on the cards. But today I’m embracing the change.

I cried in the car (that was a first), I went to the supermarket in my pretty work dress with my stripey orange runners on (hopefully that’s a first and a last) and I bought a tea set that was irresponsibly expensive given that I started being unemployed this afternoon. And I felt slightly better.

I moped about the house and watched Gossip Girl to escape, but I decided that wasn’t enough.

So Mother and I took Norman for a drive…and I can thoroughly recommend this is treatment for sadness.

Feeling blue? Force your dog to go for a drive with you. I promise it is an instant mood lifter.

We drove to a local park where the wattle is overgrown. And we stole some.

Fresh air, dogs in cars, flowers and kleptomania. There is no better cure for the blues than the combination of these four little things.

When I added a Nutella sponge cake into the mix, things looked even sunnier. This cake filling is like heaven. It’s not the same as having a job, but it helped.

Sponge cake:

• 180g butter
• 180g sugar
• 180g self raising flour
• 1 1/3 cups self raising flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp bicarb
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk

Filling:

• 110g cream cheese
• 4 tbsp nutella
• 1 cup icing sugar

• 1 cup  cream (if you’re being extra indulgent)

Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease two sandwich tines. Line the base of both cake tins with a circle of baking paper.

Beat sugar and butter together until they’re well combined. Penelope (my Kitchen Aid) does this in about a minute or two, but it may take longer by hand. Add vanilla and bicarb, mixing to combine. Put your eggs in and mix them well. If your mixture is a little stiff add in the tablespoon of milk. You can even add a second tablespoon if it’s still stiff. Pour the sponge batter into your prepared tin and pop it into the oven for 20-25 minutes.

While the cakes are in the oven you should get your cream cheese out of the fridge in preparation. It’s easier to whip when it’s at room temperature.

Try not to check on the cake too much, sponges are notoriously easy to deflate. The good thing about making sponge in sandwich tins means that if one sink, you can always put the non-deflated one on top! The top of the sponge should spring back when you press it, when it does this you’ll know it’s done.

Once the cakes are out of the oven and cooling, make a start on your icing. Whip up your cream cheese, which should be at room temperature and add in the icing sugar. Make sure they’re well combined and nice and smooth before you put the Nutella in. If it’s a little bit thick, add in a tablespoon of milk. You don’t want it too runny though or it will ooze out of the cakes.

Once the cakes have cooled completely, slather the Nutella filling evenly across the top of one cake (spill some over the sides so it’s even more tempting!) and then top with the second cake. I put whipped cream in between the two cakes as well – dire times call for extra calories.
Sift generous amounts of icing sugar over the top and prepare to indulge.

When you’re cutting the cake use a sharp, thin knife so that all of the filling isn’t forced out the sides. And maybe have a glass of milk ready, it’s the perfect accompaniment.

Enjoy!