A failed cake and what it taught me

The cake sank in the middle. It looked dramatic, like a small valley, and for a moment I considered throwing it away. Then I tasted it, and it was perfectly good, just not pretty.

I made it again the next week, with a little less liquid and a little more patience, and it came out level. The first cake was not a failure, it was a draft. The second cake was the revision.

Cooking, I am learning, is mostly revision. Recipes are starting points, not promises, and the kitchen is forgiving if you are willing to try again.