Cake Update

Can't this cake just be finished already?  Pretty please with sugar on top?

The cake with the missing weird circle piece is not finished.  It's very close to completion, but not there yet.  Conservatively, this cake clocks in at 35 pounds.  That's a lot of cake.  And mousse.  And frosting.  And flowers.  Lots of flowers.  Too many flowers.

Flowers are why I'm clattering away at the keyboard instead of working on finishing said cakey goodness.  Flower fatigue has set in.  All that's left is the flowers on the top, a few more dots of white icing, and then the sprinkling of the edible glitter pink hearts across this cake. I should be in there, just finish it already.  But no, flower fatigue, as I said.

This was the largest cake I've ever made so far.  I even put some of those wooden dowels in so it wouldn't collapse. Now I'm just worried that the server will whack pieces of wooden dowel in the served cake, then someone will choke on one. Being only a 2 tier cake, the dowels are pretty short.  The other happy vegan didn't think I should put them in at first. Now that he's carried the aforementioned cakey goodness in and out of the fridge for me no less than 8 times so far, I think he understand why I was so determined to use the stability dowels.  35 pounds of cake. Holy farking un-cow.

I have a few hopes with this cake.  The first is that it makes it to its final destination in tact.  That's a biggie.  The next hope is that no one chokes on a dowel. Another biggie.  I hope the people who I made this case for enjoy it and will always have good memories of their party and their special cake.  That's a huge hope.  And, of course, I hope I survive this evening without putting my elbow, finger, or any other body part in the frosting (again) requiring emergency repairs (again).

There's been a steep learning curve on this cake for me.  And, even though I already had a huge level of respect for bakers and cake decorators, this cake has taken my amazement for their craft to a whole new level.  Don't ever argue with a cake artist about price.  Take it from me.  There's no way any of them can charge enough for their final product to really make anything more than a small profit.  Its a labor of love for them, it has to be.  No matter how good you are, there's still so much extra love and attention that gets poured into occasion cakes that they could never really charge for it all.

I salute you in all your cakey goodness you bakers and cake decorators out there.  And, may your wooden dowels always be long enough so that no one is surprised by them in your cakes.  Bake on.