Dave loved baking. Every Saturday, he watched “The Great British Bake Off” on TV. He dreamed of making perfect cakes and pastries. But Dave wasn’t very good at baking.
One Saturday, Dave decided to have his own “Bake Off” at his house. He invited his friends, Sarah and Mark. He said, “Come to my house on Sunday! I’m going to bake a cake!”
Sarah and Mark were excited. They knew Dave’s baking could be… interesting.
On Sunday, Sarah and Mark arrived at Dave’s house. The kitchen was a mess. Flour was everywhere. Sugar was on the floor. There were bowls and spoons all over the worktop. Dave was wearing an apron, but it was covered in batter.
“Hello!” said Dave, with a big smile. “I’m making a chocolate cake!”
“Wow!” said Sarah. “It looks… busy in here.”
“Yes,” said Dave. “It’s a bit… chaotic.”
Dave showed them the recipe. It was a very simple recipe. But Dave was making it very complicated. He was trying to do everything at once. He was mixing the batter, melting the chocolate, and reading the recipe all at the same time.
“Maybe you should do one thing at a time?” suggested Mark.
“No, no,” said Dave. “I’m fine. I’m a professional!” He winked.
Suddenly, the phone rang. It was Dave’s mum. She wanted to know how he was.
“Hello, Mum!” said Dave. “I’m baking a cake! It’s going really well!”
While Dave was on the phone, the chocolate in the pan started to burn. Smoke filled the kitchen.
“Dave!” shouted Sarah. “The chocolate!”
Dave quickly put the pan in the sink and turned on the cold tap. The hot pan and the cold water made a loud “BANG!” and some of the burnt chocolate splashed onto Dave’s face.
“Oh dear,” said Dave. He looked like he had a brown beard.
Sarah and Mark tried not to laugh.
After the chocolate incident, Dave continued baking. He put the batter in the oven. Then he started to make the icing. He was trying to whisk the icing sugar and butter, but the whisk was broken.
“Oh no!” said Dave. “The whisk is broken!”
He tried to use a fork, but it didn’t work very well. The icing was lumpy and sticky.
While Dave was struggling with the icing, the oven timer went off. The cake was ready! Dave took the cake out of the oven. It looked… flat.
“Oh,” said Dave. “It’s a bit… thin.”
The cake was not only thin, it was also a bit burnt on the edges.
Dave put the lumpy icing on the flat, burnt cake. It looked terrible.
“Well,” said Dave. “It might not look perfect, but I’m sure it tastes good!”
He cut a slice of cake and gave it to Sarah. Sarah took a small bite. She tried to smile.
“It’s… interesting,” she said.
Mark took a bite. He made a funny face.
“It’s… very chocolatey,” he said.
Dave took a big bite of his own cake. He chewed for a moment. Then he said, “Actually… it’s a bit… dry. And a bit burnt. And the icing is… well…”
He didn’t finish his sentence. He just laughed.
Sarah and Mark laughed too.
“Maybe next time we can just buy a cake?” suggested Sarah.
“Yes,” said Dave. “That’s a very good idea!”
They all laughed again. Even though the cake was a disaster, they had a fun afternoon. And Dave learned that maybe he wasn’t quite ready for “The Great British Bake Off” just yet. But he would keep trying!
Vocabulary Notes
Mess (noun)
Meaning: A dirty or untidy state.
Example: “The kitchen was a mess. Flour was everywhere.”
Similar words: Clutter, disorder, chaos.
Example with similar word: “His room was in complete disorder after the party.”
Everywhere (adverb)
Meaning: In all places.
Example: “Flour was everywhere.”
Similar words: All over, throughout.
Example with similar word: “The rain fell throughout the entire region.”
Batter (noun)
Meaning: A mixture of flour, eggs, and milk or water, used for making cakes, pancakes, etc.
Example: “Dave was wearing an apron, but it was covered in batter.”
Similar words: Mixture, dough (dough is usually thicker).
Example with similar word: “She mixed the dough for the bread.”
Chaotic (adjective)
Meaning: In a state of complete confusion and disorder.
Example: “Yes,” said Dave. “It’s a bit… chaotic.”
Similar words: Disordered, disorganized, messy.
Example with similar word: “The meeting was completely disorganized and nothing was decided.”
Incident (noun)
Meaning: An event, especially one that is unusual or unpleasant.
Example: “After the chocolate incident, Dave continued baking.”
Similar words: Event, occurrence, episode.
Example with similar word: “There was a minor incident at the football match.”
Struggling (verb – present participle of struggle)
Meaning: Trying very hard to do something that is difficult.
Example: “While Dave was struggling with the icing, the oven timer went off.”
Similar words: Striving, labouring, fighting (in some contexts).
Example with similar word: “She was striving to finish the race despite her injury.”
Lumpy (adjective)
Meaning: Full of lumps (small, solid masses).
Example: “The icing was lumpy and sticky.”
Similar words: Bumpy, uneven.
Example with similar word: “The road was bumpy and uncomfortable.”
Disaster (noun)
Meaning: A sudden event that causes great damage or suffering. In this context it is used more lightly to mean a complete failure.
Example: “Even though the cake was a disaster, they had a fun afternoon.”
Similar words: Catastrophe, calamity, failure (in this context).
Example with similar word: “The play was a complete failure; the audience hated it.”
Actually (adverb)
Meaning: In fact; really. Used to introduce a statement that is slightly different from what might be expected.
Example: “Actually… it’s a bit… dry.”
Similar words: In fact, really, as a matter of fact.
Example with similar word: “I thought I wouldn’t like it, but as a matter of fact, it was very good.”
Burnt (adjective)
Meaning: Damaged by fire or heat; overcooked.
Example: “The cake was not only thin, it was also a bit burnt on the edges.”
Similar words: Scorched, charred.
Example with similar word: “The toast was completely scorched.”
Story written by Google Gemini 2.0 AI
Images created by Designer AI
Hello this is Steve. If you enjoyed the story, please would you take the time to leave a meaningful comment and click on the like icon. If you want to know when the next story has been uploaded, please click on the notify bell icon to be notified. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my channel and tell your English learning friends, so they can benefit too. Thank you.
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
Leave a comment