Glorious Analogy: cupcake confessions

This weekend, I baked lots of cupcakes for our CMDA fundraiser. I made chai latte cupcakes, strawberry and cream cupcakes, cappuccino chocolate chip cupcakes, and last, but definitely not least, I made funfetti ice cream cone cupcakes.

Yes. Ice cream cones and funfetti. What could be more fun than that?

As I was filling the cones with the delicious batter, I pondered how full to fill them. One of the recipes I looked at said to fill them 2/3 of the way full, as all cupcake recipes say, even the ones in the not-as-exciting paper cups. I always overfill them. I like a heaping cupcake, ya know? I want it to look like the cupcakes in the magazines. 2/3 full will NOT get them looking like the cupcakes in the magazines.

But I didn’t want to screw up the ice cream cone cupcakes. I sat and pondered, “Does Betty Crocker mean 2/3 full according to height or according to volume?” The “fill line” would be very different based on which I would choose. Of course, I picked the one that would allow more batter in the ice cream cone- the volume distinction. And of course, I went just a tad bit over. Because that’s probably what Betty Crocker did.

The result?

Well, here it is:

It kinda looks like Salvador Dali was in my kitchen, huh?

Apparently there’s a reason that they have to be only 2/3 full. And even though I’ve gotten away with over-filling many times, this time, I didn’t.

As I scooped cupcake batter out of the next set of ice cream cones that were ready to go into the oven, I pondered the placement of rules and guidelines in my life. I’ve never been too much of a rebel. I mean, the extent of pushing the limits for me is usually filling cupcake liners past 2/3 or speeding 2 miles per hour over the speed limit on the interstate or something like that.

Why were those guidelines put into place anyway? Was it because someone doesn’t want my cupcakes to look as pretty as the one on the recipe? Probably not. It’s probably been determined that is the fullness that is best for good results. Have I gotten away with not following the rules a time or two (or 6)? Yes. Does that mean that it was necessarily best? Eh. Probably not.

The same holds true for the speed limit. Why was it put into place? Because some horrible man wanted to kill my joyride? Probably not. More than likely, the speed limit was set because it has been calculated to be the optimum speed for my safety. Have I gotten away with not following the rules a time or two? Yes. I’ve never gotten in an accident, and I’ve never gotten a ticket. Does that mean that it was necessarily the best idea for me to speed? Eh. Probably not.

The Bible is full of rules and guidelines. It’s something that turns many people off to its content. Why were those guidelines put in the Bible? To ruin our fun? Probably not. More than likely, they were placed in the Bible so that the God who created us can show us the best way possible to enjoy what He’s given us. Have I “gotten away” with not following His rules? Yes. Does that mean that it was necessarily the best idea for me to do? Most definitely not.

I'd take this analogy further, but the second batch of funfetti ice cream cone cupcakes are ready to come out of the oven, and they look much better this time!