Chapter 43

The restaurant "Rocinante" had to shorten its operating hours for nearly a week. Lunch service ended early, and dinner service started late. On weekends, they put up a sign that read, "Closed due to the manager's personal matters." This allowed them to allocate the freed-up time to cake making.

Of course, it was for the sake of making the Andromalius cake. They were possessed by a mysterious determination to complete it.

Every day, they baked several cakes and conducted taste tests and reviews with the entire family. They had just finished their 23rd experiment and were summarizing the key points.

" Bake it slowly at a low temperature. Separate the egg yolks and whites to make the batter. These are the key points..."

At Roland's mutterings, Jill and Chelsea nodded seriously.

" If the baking is too gentle, it becomes almost liquid, and if it's overdone, it becomes a two-layer cake instead of three... But I think we're starting to get the hang of it."

" The egg yolk batter needs to be mixed thoroughly. But when mixing it with the meringue at the end, it's better not to overmix."

Everyone was gradually getting the hang of it.

This time, it would succeed.

Such a certainty was in the air.

" Alright, let's go...!"

Under Roland's command, everyone started moving in the kitchen.

First, Mars mixed the egg yolks, sugar, melted butter, honey, milk, and flour thoroughly. This was the main batter. Jill was making the meringue by whipping the egg whites next to him.

" I think the parts with more meringue or flour separate and become the sponge cake. Here you go, Mars."

" Thank you, Jill."

After handing over the meringue, Mars started mixing it with the batter using a spatula. He mixed it quickly and poured the batter into a round cake pan.

" Dad, the batter is ready."

" I just finished preheating the oven."

Roland was preparing for a water bath in the oven.

A water bath involves placing a pan of water on the oven rack and then placing the cake pan in the water to steam-bake it. This method allows the cake to cook gently, resulting in a soft and moist texture. It is often used for making custards and soufflés but not for recipes that require a crispy texture or a firm bite.

For the Andromalius cake, they adopted a method of baking at an even lower temperature than for custards.

" Alright, let's go."

This was to intentionally separate the ingredients during baking.

Sponge cake, custard, and custard cream. In fact, these three are made from mostly the same ingredients: eggs, sugar, milk, melted butter, and flavorings like vanilla beans or honey. The differences lie in the addition of flour and the balance of the ingredients.

The individual ingredients have different densities and fat contents. Therefore, if the mixing or baking of the custard is done incorrectly, it can result in a half-liquid, half-solid cake.

However, the Andromalius cake is intentionally separated. This is the secret of the mysterious three-layer cake with indistinct boundaries.

" ...It's about time."

After about an hour, Roland opened the oven.

" Next, we need to cool it. This will solidify the custard part."

" Dad, the ice bath is ready."

" Great. Thanks."

Tina opened the ice bath.

A cool breeze flowed from the opening.

Roland placed the cake inside.

This was the cooling process to solidify the batter.

It would take about two hours, similar to cooling a baked custard.

Usually, they would disband during the cooling process, but no one left the kitchen.

Everyone was confident that this time it would succeed.

" Alright, let's cut it."

Roland took the cake out of the ice bath and placed it on a plate.

He started slicing it with a knife.

" Ahh..."

The cross-section was a beautiful three-layer cake.

The top layer was a fluffy sponge cake.

The meringue, which was mixed lightly, rose during baking, resulting in a texture similar to sponge cake.

The bottom layer was a firm custard.

With fewer egg whites, it had a solid texture.

The middle layer was like custard cream.

It was not completely solid, as it was shielded by the top and bottom layers.

" Alright, let's dig in."

Everyone took a bite with solemn faces.

Then their solemn faces turned into bright smiles.

" We did it... It's a success...!"

" Well done, Roland!"

" Dad, this is amazing!"

" Damn, Andromalius... What a great cake he made...!"

Tears welled up in Roland's eyes.

Jill was almost in tears from joy.

Everyone was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

" But, making this every day might be tough. Baking at such a low temperature requires a bit of skill."

Mars, who quickly regained his composure, muttered.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

" Indeed, it's quite troublesome... Without Jill's magic to control the temperature, it might have been impossible to complete it so quickly."

" Maybe he had some kind of specialized magical tool?"

" Probably."

Roland nodded at Chelsea's words.

However, Jill had already figured out the answer to the mystery.

The key to making this cake was temperature control. If the temperature or time was off, the cake would either bake too much, losing the cream layer, or not bake enough, leaving the custard layer uncooked.

(Probably with the help of a 'demon'... managing the oven's time and temperature.)

Jill could use her magic to make fine temperature adjustments.

The owner of the café "Andromalius" could command a demon.

Knowing how long and at what temperature to heat the cake was a demon's forte.

However, she did not say this out loud.

As a magician and a cook, she respected the person who had kept this technique secret, even if he was no longer alive.

She felt it would be inappropriate to discuss it casually.

" Thank you, everyone. Thanks to you, we made something wonderful. I'll come back to thank you again."

With a slight sense of guilt, Jill thanked them politely.

" No need to thank us. We're just glad we made something delicious."

" I got all fired up, despite my age."

Roland and Chelsea smiled.

" Just being able to eat this cake was worth it."

" It's delicious!"

Mars and Tina were enjoying the cake with enthusiasm.

It was a good decision to consult with them.

A refreshing feeling swept through Jill's heart.

" Anyway, your work is just beginning, Jill. I'm counting on you for the haunted house."

" Yes!"

At Roland's words, Jill nodded firmly.

◆

" I'm unlocking it."

Jill, along with Matthew and Carol, returned to the haunted house.

When she showed the cake to the 'demon,' it disappeared with a single word, leaving no trace.

" ...Alright, it's done."

Jill let out a sigh of relief.

" Wait, the demon didn't eat the cake?"

Jill still held the cake in a box.

The demon had not touched it at all.

" It probably didn't need to eat. It was just checking if the cake could be shown here. Maybe it could have been a simple shortcake or something."

" Huh? But you seemed to put a lot of effort into it..."

" I guess I just got really into making the cake."

" ... "

" ... "

Matthew and Carol looked at Jill with a "weird kid" kind of gaze.

" Ah, no! I was just joking!"

" But your eyes were serious, right?"

" Well, let's get back to the topic. I think the security system was more complex than just a simple password. If you made too many mistakes, it might lock permanently or dispose of the contents."

" Ah, there was a reason for it."

Matthew sighed in relief.

But Jill didn't say that she really enjoyed making the cake.

" Ah, um, Jill. Can I see the cake again?"

Carol was fixated on the cake.

Jill handed the box to Carol without hesitation.

" Here. This is the popular menu item from the café... the Andromalius cake. Have you ever had it, Carol?"

" I think I had it once, a long time ago... But this magical cake... to see the Gâteau Magique again...!"

Carol whispered in awe.

But Jill heard something more significant.

" ...What did you just say?"

" Huh? 'To see it again'...?"

" The part before that. Gâteau something?"

" Ah, Gâteau Magique. This cake is Gâteau Magique, right?"

Hearing the name again from Carol, Jill's face lost all expression.

" Carol..."

" Y-Yes... Did I say something wrong...?"

" I wish I had heard that name earlier...!"

" Huh? You didn't know this was Gâteau Magique...?"

" I didn't know, so I struggled to recreate it! If I had known the name, I could have searched for the recipe...!"

Jill collapsed weakly.

The biggest reason for the difficulty in recreating the Andromalius cake was not knowing its name. If she had known, she could have searched for it in "The Acacia Book" or asked someone knowledgeable about baking.

" S-Sorry... I only remembered the name when I saw it..."

" Ah... No, I was careless. I should have asked Carol more questions... I'm sorry."

Jill apologized and regained her composure.

" So, let's move the counter table, shall we?"

" Sure... Wait, what?"

Matthew agreed, but then tilted his head.

" What is it, Matthew?"

" This counter table... It's really heavy."

" Ah..."

It was a counter table that could seat about eight people side by side.

The tabletop was heavy and thick, and the legs were sturdy.

The inside was integrated with storage, making it extremely heavy.

It was clear that two women and one man could not move it.

" Hiring people to move it might not be a good idea. I don't want to show what's hidden underneath."

Jill was troubled.

She didn't want the work here to be known by others.

But there weren't many strong people who could keep a secret.

" Should we call Garda?"

" I might have an idea... Ah!"

Here, Jill realized something.

It didn't have to be a human.

" Right, let's call Garda... and our gardener to help."

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