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Oh no, the cake is burned.; Do I still have time to make another one?; It is okay. Try one more time.
Oh no! Why is there smoke in the kitchen? I opened the oven and looked. The cake inside had already turned black. I am Xiaoyue. Today I want to tell you how I burned a cake.
Yesterday afternoon, a customer came into the shop. She wanted to buy a birthday cake for her daughter. She said her daughter liked strawberries and chocolate. She asked if it could be ready by ten tomorrow morning. I smiled and said, Yes, no problem.
After the customer left, I checked the time. The shop was not very busy, so I wanted to make the cake first. That way, I would not need to rush tomorrow. A birthday cake is very important to a customer. I also wanted it to look and taste good. I put on my apron, washed my hands, and got everything ready.
I took out eggs, milk, flour, and sugar. First, I cracked the eggs into a large bowl. Then I added the milk and sugar. Next, I slowly added the flour. As I worked, I read the recipe written on a sheet of paper. Every step went well.
I put the finished batter into the oven. It needed to bake for forty minutes. I set a time on my phone. At that moment, I even thought I was being very careful. But I did not know I had set it for six in the evening. I had not set it for forty minutes later.
While the cake was baking, I went out front to clean the tables. Later, two customers came in for coffee. I brought them menus and made two cups of coffee. One customer wanted a hot drink. The other wanted a little less sugar. I was busy remembering what they wanted. I was also busy talking with them. I completely forgot the cake in the oven.
After a while, I smelled something strange. At first, I thought the smell came from outside. But the smell grew stronger and stronger. Suddenly, I remembered: my cake! I quickly ran to the kitchen. I saw a little smoke inside the oven.
I turned off the oven at once and opened the window. I put on thick oven mitts and carefully took out the cake. The top was black, and the bottom was much too dry. I could only say to it, I am sorry. You cannot become a birthday cake now.
I looked at the black cake and felt a little sad. The eggs, the milk, and the time I had spent were all wasted now. It was already getting late. Would I still have time to make another one? I looked at the clock on the wall and calculated the time again. If I started now, I should be able to finish before the shop closed.
I told myself, It is okay. Try one more time. First, I cleaned the kitchen. Then I prepared fresh eggs and milk again. I carefully read the recipe from beginning to end. I also drew a big circle around the forty-minute step. This time, I did not rely only on my phone. I also placed a small timer beside the oven.
The second cake was in the oven. I checked it every ten minutes. As soon as the timer rang, I walked into the kitchen. This time there was no smoke, only a wonderful smell. I used oven mitts to take out the cake. Its color was just right, and it was very soft.
After the cake cooled, I covered it with white cream. I washed some strawberries too. I placed them on the cream one by one. Finally, I put one piece of chocolate in the middle. It was finally done! My back felt a little sore, but seeing the beautiful cake made it all worthwhile. I looked at it again and again and felt especially happy.
The next morning, the customer arrived on time. She saw the cake and smiled right away. She said, My daughter will definitely love it. She did not know that yesterday this cake had almost not happened. I handed her the cake and finally felt relieved.
This experience helped me remember a few sentences. Oh no, the cake is burned. Do I still have time to make another one? It is okay. Try one more time. This time, the color is just right. When you cook or bake a cake, have you ever forgotten the time too? Do not forget to set a timer. See you next time!
Adapted from a Simply Natural Chinese YouTube episode into a complete three-line website reading. This is not a word-for-word transcript.
The reading may differ from the original video or audio.
Words to take with you
Useful words
烤糊
burn while baking
蛋糕烤糊了。
The cake burned.烤箱
oven
我把蛋糕放进烤箱。
I put the cake in the oven.围裙
apron
我穿上围裙开始工作。
I put on my apron and started working.面粉
flour
我慢慢地放入面粉。
I slowly added the flour.做法
method; recipe instructions
我认真看了一遍做法。
I read the recipe carefully.闻到
smell; notice a smell
我闻到一个奇怪的味道。
I smelled something strange.浪费
waste
鸡蛋和牛奶都浪费了。
The eggs and milk were wasted.来得及
have enough time
现在再做还来得及吗?
Do I still have time to make another one?再试一次
try one more time
没关系,再试一次。
It is okay. Try one more time.刚刚好
just right
这次的颜色刚刚好。
This time, the color is just right.值得
be worth it
看见蛋糕,我觉得很值得。
Seeing the cake made it worthwhile.准时
on time
第二天,客人准时来了。
The next day, the customer arrived on time.Check your understanding
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