I turn my head in time to catch the look on Pedro’s face. His eyes go from Victor to me, before focusing back on his work, a muscle twitching in his jawline. He doesn’t say anything, but I know he must think I’m a joke. Why did I even accept a challenge against a guy who’s been baking since he was a baby?!

I steady myself, straightening my uniform. “Thank you,” I say to Victor.

“Don’t lose heart,” he whispers with a smile, and heads back to his stool beside Cintia’s. She gives me a thumbs-up.

I pick up another egg from the carton and try cracking it. Finally, a combination of hitting the egg carefully against the side of the blender and then finishing it off with a spoon works, although I’m left having to pick pieces of egg shell out of the batter.

Meanwhile, Pedro is already working on his cake’s filling!

I pour the can of sweet corn into the blender, followed by vegetable oil, and cinnamon. Now there’s only one last ingredient:

Parmesan cheese.

And I’m officially stuck.

Grandma, what should I do?

I think about her serving this cake at Salt, the slice still warm, the aroma of corn filling the whole bakery like the branches of a tree stretching in all directions. It tasted buttery, and savory, and with just the right hint of sour, which I guess came from the cheese. It was perfectly salted and spicy, cinnamon’s contribution to the taste.

My heart beating quickly, I close my eyes and grab a fistful of grated Parmesan cheese.

I may not have Grandma’s fairy hands, but maybe there’s a way to coerce some of it, like magical kids in stories do, their powers finally blooming to life in times of great need.

The guava perfume coming from Pedro’s cake is intoxicating. The layers are perfectly thin and rolled with guava filling. And the sugar on top looks like a dusting of crystals.

I mean, of course it looks amazing. The Molinas have been baking this same recipe, not one sugar granule more or less, for decades!

While my corn cake... Well, it is golden yellow, as it should be. The steam swirling from it has that signature cinnamony, cheesy aroma. But the cake came out a little burnt on the sides because I forgot to grease the pan. Even the corn cake they sell at Deals Deals looks better than mine!

I catch Cintia and Victor staring at the burnt spots, and a horrible hollowness spreads within me.

“I’m really sorry,” I apologize before they try it.

“It will still taste delicious,” Cintia says with a supportive smile.