Baking competition AU. FFVII, any pairing or ot3+.
send me an au and i’ll give you 5+ headcanons about it
The annual Midgar Baking competition was part of a festival that started in Sector 8 (before the plate even went up). The competition itself was never really a big deal...but this year one of the judges it Genesis Rhapsodos and two entries are Angeal Hewley and Sephiroth. Cloud didn't read that before he signed up. He is thinking about that now, especially now since parts of it will be televised.
Cloud had been baking, more or less, since he was five and helped his grandma in the kitchen. Then it turned into helping his Mom. He knows all the secret recipes by heart and hardly needs to weigh anything by now. Baking just made him less homesick. Angeal also baked with his mother. He started picking it up after his dad died. He's much more experimental and meticulous. Angeal helped Sephiroth get started, but Sephiroth now has a wide collection of books he uses and is probably the most avant-garde...but has often bitten off more than he can chew.
The competition is keeping things simple enough: a cake, a bread, dessert, and a showstopper of sorts as their final contention. They aren't changing the rules despite the popularity. Genesis is joined by the owners of two popular Midgar bakeries to keep things even. People whisper that Genesis might favor his two comrades, but after the cake round those whispers die out. Sephiroth and Angeal are congratulated on their beautifully decorated cakes, but Genesis eats two slices of Cloud's simple Red Velvet cake, claiming it's one of the best he's ever had. The other judges agree and Cloud takes the first round. Cloud can't believe it until the other competitors come by and taste it. It's moist and delicious. Just incredible. Angeal begs for the recipe.
Cloud doesn't imagine his knock-off challah will be as popular, and he's right. But his wreath looks nice and tastes nice. Not as nice as Sephiroth's brioche loaf with a chocolate surprise inside. It looks ready for a store window and Sephiroth looks very pleased with his win. Cloud agrees to exchange his cake recipe for Angeal's brown nut and cheese bread. It's something that would go wonderfully with soup, savory and cheesy all at once.
Angeal finally takes it with desserts: fruity mini mousse trifles are hard to beat and Sephiroth tells Cloud he knew it was going to happen. Cloud did his best with just crème brulée: a favorite of his grandma's and Sephiroth said he pretty much perfected it. Sephiroth tried too hard with too many petit fours, but Cloud can't keep his hands off those either. He didn't imagine this competition would turn into him just sitting and eating with two 1st Class Soldiers, swapping recipes and stories, but it is.
The showstopper becomes the tie breaker, but Cloud is feeling a lot less stressed about it. Sephiroth makes a swan out of biscuits, savory and sweet. It looks magnificent and Cloud can hardly bear to break off a piece. Angeal sticks with dessert and makes mille feuille that look perfect and taste like it too. Cloud feels a little juvenile recreating his 8th birthday cake, a torte topped all of his favorite homemade toppings by his mom and grandma, but it looks better than he remembers and he stands by it. Genesis takes two slices of it again. Everyone has a lot of fun picking their favorite bits off of Cloud's cake before they eat their slice and he walks out the winner. To his joy, Angeal and Sephiroth more or less demand to keep in touch so they can keep baking and swapping. They end the day trying to find when they're free and where they can cook like this again.
