Now that Takes the Cake

I made a wedding cake this week. It's something I've done more times than I can remember.  I didn't set out to be a cake baker, it happened rather accidentally organically. 

When I was in college and living in a house full of young women, one of my housemates got asked to do a groom's cake because the baker got sick. She graciously said yes, and then something came up and she couldn't do it. I wasn't even a choice in the mix, I just happened to be in the wrong right place, at the wrong right time. I was young and full of confidence that I could do anything I put my mind to, so I made the cake. 

Someone at that wedding loved it and asked for the same thing. That kept happening and then the groom's cake turned into the wedding cake, and that kept happening. If you can't tell, I have a hard time saying no.

I love to bake. I also love art, so cake making kind of filled a creative need in my life. I have made some super fun cakes for my kids over the years. It's a labor of love, but I LOVE my kids, so it's a no brainer.

Birthday cakes are fun. For one thing, most people don't really care what the cake looks like as long as it tastes good.  Also, a person has many, many birthdays over the years, so if a cake is crooked, well, there's always next year. Birthday cakes normally don't need to feed more than 20 or so people, so they're also a pretty manageable size. One round of baking two or three layers, some icing and decorations, and you're done. 

Wedding cakes are a whole different story. You have ONE wedding (well, at least that's what we hope). A wedding cake is a BIG part of the reception. People walk by and look at it, the bride and groom have a whole ceremony to cut and taste it, and there are pictures...LOTS and LOTS of pictures. Wedding cakes usually have to feed over 150 people. That's hours and hours and hours of baking layers and layers and layers of cakes. And wedding cakes need to be straight and even. Sigh...I love art, but I can't draw a straight line with a ruler. Then there's the buckets and buckets of frosting, carrying it up and down the stairs to my basement. And the tears, oh yes, there's been lots of tears. My cakes are a far cry from perfection and there are moments when that just kills me.

Through the years, I've kind of settled into one cake that I can do and it (mostly) turns out pretty good - not perfect, but pretty good. I've gained some wisdom that has helped me get rid of my need for perfection. I've also learned my limits (We won't talk about the naked cake I did for 300 that included a different flavor and filling for every level and ended up looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Seriously, we tried to tilt the table to balance the cake. That was the first time I left the reception area sobbing. Sigh...).  The flavors change, but the size and design stay the same and I've become somewhat comfortable doing it.

So I baked all the layers of this cake Tuesday when the basketball games got cancelled. I stacked and filled and put the crumb coating on Thursday, finishing in the wee hours of the morning. And today, after school, I finished it up and successfully walked it down to the basement fridge without dropping it. You might laugh at this feat, but I'm telling you that six layer cake, stacked on a marble platter weighs a ton. Cakes can't be propped up on your hip or leaned against your body. They have to be carried away from your body, arms extended. It's a workout.

Today I'm grateful that it all went fairly well. I haven't cried...yet. My family ate dinner, and I will be in bed before midnight. 

Now all I have to do is carry it back up the stairs and out to the car. Then it has to be driven across town, carried out of the car and into the reception area, where hopefully flowers will be waiting for me to decorate it. Prayers appreciated.