I said, "THE OVEN IS ON FIRE!!!"

What a week-end!  Three orders and a fire last Friday night as I am completing my 1st order.  I had spent Friday baking when I speak to my client at night and a second tier needed to be produced.  No problem I thought.  I check the clock, it's 7:30pm.  I go pick up a pizza and think that I can start baking right after we (my husband, daughter and I) have dinner.  I get the pizza, feed the baby, eat and clear everyone out so I can start baking.  I make my batter then begin to preheat the oven.  There in the right hand corner of the oven, a nice small sized fire....  OH OH

"Baby, the oven is on fire!!!" I said.  I get a "WHAT?!?!?!" from my husband.  He comes over and we're both sitting there staring into the oven.  I shut the oven off and we're both thinking that's it.  Fire keeps shining bright and now the heating element is getting warped.  My daughter freaks out screaming "FIRE", my little one year old is screaming and getting excited and laughing at the fuss and trying to get into the kitchen as my husband tells me to grab the baby and I turn and tell my daughter to get the baby.  I'm freaking out thinking of all the baking I have to do and do what comes naturally, I curse the oven and the circumstance.  My husband says "Where's the fire extinguisher?".  A long silence between both of us as we stare at each other with stupid blank faces and it hits us at the same time, we are idiots and don't have one.  Next step, daughter and baby fighting in the laundry room as she tries to contain him in there, my husband goes online and starts to google on how to put out an oven fire safely.  I can't help but to almost start laughing.  We even google how to put out an oven fire.  Technology has turned us into idiots.  Suddenly, I see him like a brave knight with a can of baking soda bravely attacking our lit oven.  He walks away and I look, nothing.  Still shining brightly is our little oven fire.  We look at each other, yes, we know what to do next, throw the electrical switch.  That must work.  And it did.  Fire/element was out in seconds.  Safety.  

But what about my first cake?!?!  Well, I grabbed my batter and off I went to the nearest oven available at my sister's house who recently redid her kitchen.  I completed the second tier and decorated the cake to get the following beautiful birthday cake.  Delicious layers of vanilla cake with dulce de leche covered in a luxurious vanilla buttercream and decorated with fondant and silver accents.

 
Lessons learned:  First, never leave an oven on if you are not close by.  Our oven is pretty new and extremely clean.  The heating element simply broke.  No way of knowing or seeing this was coming except by being there next to it when it happened.  Another lesson learned, have a fire extinguisher.  Our new one is sitting way up high in our laundry room.

As for the oven, a new one is on its way and as for my other orders, well, my sister's oven came to the rescue and there are posts on those with pictures.  That old saying really is true....  All's well that ends well!