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Toodles ran to Rodger’s office, she wanted to eat something sweet, but Cosmo and Sprout were away on a run, and they had no more cake left.
“Rodger! Please! Please! Please! Will you help me bake a cake! I want something sweet!” Toodles asks energetically as she bangs on Rodger’s office door. Rodger, who was sleeping at his desk due to staying up all night earlier, going over his recent interview with Glisten, jumped up, now fully awake due to the loud banging.
“Toodles…can’t you ask Sprout and Cosmo to help you instead of me? I know nothing of baking dear…” Rodger yawns as he gets up rubbing his eye to get the tiredness out as he opens the door. Toodles quickly entering and hugging his legs.
Toodles looks up at Rodger with big puppy eyes. “They’re not here! They are on a run and I really, really, really want a chocolate cake pretty, pretty please!!’ Toodles asks bouncing up and down a bit.
Rodger sighs glancing over at his messy paper covered desk. “Maybe I should clean that up first before Tisha gets mad…?” Rodger glances back at Toodles “But, maybe that can wait.” Rodger pats Toodles head and gives a small nod. “Okay, I suppose I could…I can’t guarantee it will come out well, but we can always ask Sprout and Cosmo later, okay?” Toodles smiles brightly at that and quickly runs to the kitchen. Rodger looks at himself in the mirror and fixes his shirt before walking out to the kitchen also.
Rodger looks through the kitchen before finding Sprout and Cosmo’s cook book and opens it to a few pages before spotting the chocolate cake Toodles wanted.
“Okay, first, lets wash our hands with soap and hot water.” Rodger says, turning on the sink nearby washing his hands as Toodles does the same.
“Okay what’s next?!” Toodles asks ecstatic she’s never baked before and she got to do it with Rodger first!
Rodger looks down at the cook book. “Lets pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees…” Rodger mumbles walking over to the oven and opening it to make sure nothing was inside, nods to himself as he sees nothing and pre-heats the oven. “Toodles, can you grab two 9-inch pans? They should be in that lower cabinet.” Rodger says as he grabs two big mixing bowls, a set of measuring cups, and a sifter.
Toodles nods excited to help as she pulls out the (helpfully) label pans.
“Okay, now for the ingredients, we need flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, a cup of boiling water…” As Rodger says that he measures out a cup of water and puts it in a small pot, heating it up on the stove and carries on reading off the ingredients. “Vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract, and 2 large eggs.”
Rodger and Toodles quickly searches the kitchen for the ingredients, making sure not to mess up Sprout and Cosmo’s very organized space.
“Toodles, do you want buttercream icing or no?” Rodger asks and Toodles nods no, wanting to keep it easy and quick so she could eat it when it came out of the oven.
Toodles was on a step stool and Rodger was beside her looking at the cook book while monitoring her. Rodger places the sifter in the bowl before starting.
“Okay, in goes 2 cups of flour.” Rodger says, grabbing the 1 cup measuring cup and fluffing up the flour, putting it in the bowl, he then hands it off to Toodles who copies Rodger’s movements and before pouring it into the bowl she looks up at Rodger for confirmation.
“Yes, go ahead.” Rodger said simply looking at the cook book for the next step. “2 cups sugar.” Rodger says washing off the flour on the measuring cup now adding a cup of sugar to the bowl. Toodles smiles at Rodger, she’s never seen him so invested in something else other than his cases and was actually out of his room for once, she was happy.
“Okie dokie!” Toodles says brightly, adding the other cup of sugar to the bowl. Rodger grabs the next measuring cup they need and hands it to Toodles.
“1/2 cup cocoa powder” Rodger grabs it and opens it for Toodles who measures it out and puts it into the bowl. Rodger quickly adds 1 and ½ teaspoon of baking powder and 1 and ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Rodger hands Toodles the ½ teaspoon measuring cup. “Salt”
“Okay!” Toodles says bouncing up and down as she puts the salt into the bowl, Rodger nods and looks at the cook book, making sure they did every step right and with a sigh of relief he sifts the dry ingredients into the bowl.
“Toodles, go get a whisk please, it should be in that cup over there.” Rodger points to a cup with a lot of cooking tools, Toodles nods, happy to help as she steps down from her step stool and grabs a whisk, coming back and up on her step stool once more. “Okay, whisk gently, we don’t want this to get too messy now do we?” “No, No!” Toodles says with a giggle as she whisks it slowly until all the dry ingredients are fused together.
“Okay, now wet ingredients…” Rodger mumbles once more, moving the dry mixture aside and moving the other big mixing bowl to the middle of the two toons.
“1/2 cup vegetable oil Toodles.” Rodger says, patting Toodles on the head as she pulls the vegetable oil towards the two, Rodger opening it and pouring it into the bowl.
“1 cup milk also!” Toodles chimes in, rushing to get the milk from the fridge and slowly pouring it into the 1 cup measuring cup and into the bowl.
Rodger smiles a bit, even though you can’t see it, it was portrayed in his eyes and Toodles smiles ear to ear at that.
“Okay, 1 tablespoon of vanilla.” Rodger says grabbing the vanilla extract while Toodles holds her measuring cup out for Rodger to pour into.
“Now the eggs?!” Toodles asks Rodger with excitement, she had watched Sprout and Cosmo make this cake countless times and she knew they were close to being done with the baking part.
“Yes, now the eggs.” Rodger says grabbing the 2 large eggs from the counter and cracking it in, making sure no egg shells got into the mix. “Whisk Toodles!” Rodger says kindly, but with more care than usual. Toodles nods and whisks gently.
“Okay now, I am going to pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, okay? I want you to keep mixing slowly.” Rodger grabs the dry ingredients that were sitting off to the side earlier and slowly pours it in, Toodles mixing with content. After it was fully mixed, Rodger goes to grab the boiling hot water he had made earlier and pours it into the mixture as well, taking the lead with this mixing just in case the water splashed up, Rodger did not want Toodles getting hurt while baking.
“Okay! Now go grab the two 9-inch pans, the butter to grease the pans and baking parchment.”
“These?” Toodles asks as she sets them on the counter and Rodger nods, cutting the parchment into circles and greases the pan with butter, he then slowly pours the chocolate cake mixture into the two 9-inch pans evenly and puts the two 9-inch pans in the oven with oven mitts, closing it and setting the timer for 35 minutes.
“Alright, they are in the oven Toodles! Now, help me clean-up, will you? We wouldn’t want Tisha being angry with us when she comes back from the run.” Rodger says with a calm tone. He was becoming more and more comfortable around Toodles.
“Yes!” Toodles says as she starts putting the measuring cups, bowls, sifter, and whisk into the sink. She grabs a paper towel and starts wiping off the counter. Rodger starts washing the utensils they used.
After about 35 minutes the cakes were done and Rodger takes them out of the oven with an oven mitt, but that’s when the two heard it. The elevator opening. They started to panic a bit, they didn’t want to get caught with a chocolate cake and didn’t know how Sprout and Cosmo would react. Sprout and Cosmo were talking when they walked into the kitchen with a look of surprise on their faces seeing Rodger holding two fully done chocolate cakes and Toodles standing on a step stool. Suddenly, Cosmo’s face lit up.
“Oh, my goodness! I didn’t know you knew how to bake Rodger what a surprise!” Cosmo said with joy as he ran over to the two toons, Rodger still holding the cakes a bit frozen by the surprise and Toodles giggled as she ran out of kitchen. Sprout slowly walks in after Cosmo.
“U-uh…” Rodger stutters looking away, slowly putting the two cake’s on the counter. “It was just for Toodles, she uh…wanted a chocolate cake and you guys were gone so I…” Rodger didn’t know how to respond, he was the one who questioned others not really the other way around.
Sprout walks over, putting his arm around Rodger’s neck. “Hey! It’s fine buddy you guys are always welcome to bake!” Cosmo chimes in still clearly excited to find another toon who was willing to bake, and maybe even with them!
“Yeah! You two can ask anytime to join us!” Cosmo said looking over the two chocolate cakes, they smelt good and looked good as well! The rest of the toons that were in the elevator prior also walked into the kitchen, smelling the sweet aroma of chocolate cake.
“Did you guys bake a chocolate cake before we left?!” Goob asks running over to the two cakes and smelling them.
“No, actually it was Rodger!” Sprout said, patting Rodger on the back as every toon stared at him. Rodger didn’t like a lot of this attention, and it was getting awkward for him.
“Sweet so now we have 3 bakers!” Goob said as he stared at the chocolate cake with hunger.
“No, I wouldn’t say that…!” Rodger said, trying to defend himself from…something?
But it was too late. Rodger was now the 3rd baker of the toons and Cosmo and Sprout asked him to bake with them multiple times over and over. If Rodger said no? Sprout would give him a death glare and he would be forced to anyways.
Yes, Toodles got the first piece of the chocolate cake.