Birthday Cake For My Boyfriend
Control
Click or tap to start playing.
Description
Zoe hummed as she rummaged through the pantry, grabbing espresso powder and cocoa. Mascarpone? Check. Ladyfingers? Oops—nearly forgot those behind the flour bag. She set up her mixer, cracking eggs with practiced ease. "Separate yolks only," she muttered, whisking them with sugar until pale ribbons formed. A splash of vanilla, then she folded in mascarpone. Too thick. "Milk!" She drizzled just enough to make the cream silky. The coffee station came next—espresso brewed strong, cooled with a hurried fanning of a cookbook. Dip, don’t drown. Zoe hovered each ladyfinger over the bitter pool for exactly two seconds before lining them in the dish. A layer of cream, a dusting of cocoa. Repeat. The fridge door protested as she shoved the dish inside. "Stay put," she warned, balancing a pizza box against the handle to keep it shut. Balloons now. Zoe dragged the dusty pump from under her bed, blowing up gold and crimson orbs until her cheeks ached. "Where’s the tape?" She spotted the roll dangling from her desk lamp, snatching it to hang crisscrossing streamers. Fairy lights followed, tangled twice before she looped them around the curtain rods. A glittery banner—"Happy Birthday, Dork"—hung crookedly above the couch. The timer buzzed. She yanked the tiramisu out, licking cocoa off her thumb. Perfect layers. A final sprinkle of grated chocolate, then candles stabbed haphazardly into the top. Kris’s favorite synth-pop playlist queued up. Zoe grinned. Let him try not to cry this time.
