Let me start by saying that I hate, hate, hate the constipated floral bouquet that tops the beast. I hate the flowers, I hate the arrangement, and I especially hate the dark, waxy leaves and the... baby's breath?!? Why oh why did we leave the crowning touch in the hands of an unfamiliar florist? It was a country wedding- I say, let the petals fall loose and free!
That said, however, it looks every inch a wedding cake, doesn't it? Traditional and prissy, with ropes of buttercream pearls and "lady-like" swiss dots- a Camelot-era Jackie O wannabe. It may not win prizes for it's beauty or cutting-edge fashion, but then again neither will I!
I'll tell you a secret: I'm very proud of this cake. Why?
1. I looked into the lion's mouth, and I ran not from fear
2. This is the first professional wedding cake I've made, and I made it -with a partner of similar limited experience- in a non-professional kitchen of limited means
3. It survived the car trip, it didn't collapse, and the buttercream didn't melt in the 95+ degree heat
4. It was delicious
For those of you who do this commercially, or more admirable yet, as a hobby, you're a national treasure... but unless I can muster more enthusiasm, I'm done playing in this corner of the pastry world- god willing.
WOW!!!! It's just gorgeous! You must tell the story of how you came to do this!
Posted by: Alanna | September 13, 2006 at 05:13 AM
Brava! Yeah, the flowers aren't great. But the cake really does look like the classic wedding cake. And if it was delicious, so much the better because... you know how bad wedding cakes can taste sometimes. Well done!
Posted by: Jessica | September 13, 2006 at 06:47 AM
I am thrilled that you did this and that the cake turned out delicious ... but I must agree ... the flowers gotta' go!
Posted by: Ivonne | September 13, 2006 at 12:58 PM
Your lovely post brought me back to a wedding I attended years ago in Erie, PA. I had the honor, if you want to call it that, of making the cake, and to this day I can't recall who it was for, but I am sure it was in Erie. It was a seven tier buttercream with a tangerine mouse.
After two days of precise mixing, baking, and clean up, it was time to ordain the cake with fresh rose petals, from the freshest of roses, cut from a local farmer's organic field. Somebody, it might have been my sister Lorraine, decided to ask the flower girl if she would like to help ordain the "Ivory Tower" (I name all of my cakes).
I still get teary thinking about how such a sweet flower girl could cause me so much hearbreak and pain on that humid July morning in Erie. No sooner did she accept Lorraine's invitation did she recklessly grab the basket of rose petals from the kichen counter and in her youthful haste, swing that basket right into "Ivory Tower". She went from a seven tiered beauty, to a four tiered desert. I cried throughout the ceremony later that afternoon, but it wasn't because of the exchanging of the vows. It was because part of me died that day;with the collapse of "Ivory Tower".
Posted by: Regina | September 13, 2006 at 03:05 PM
i'd could eat that cake in entirety, right now, if i could. that's how good it looks. who cares about the flowers! give me cake!
Posted by: Mitzy | September 14, 2006 at 04:19 AM
and regarding the babysbreath: you know how cats are attracted to it like catnip sometimes? wouldn't it have been funny if some straggly tomkat came out of nowhere and started rubbing his face in it? hahahahaha.
Posted by: Mitzy | September 14, 2006 at 04:21 AM
I have total respect for anyone who bakes wedding cakes. Beautiful!
Posted by: Mary | September 15, 2006 at 02:06 AM
I think it looks beautiful .I also like the flowers on it. And I also think that Regina has never made a wedding cake in her life. Ann
Posted by: Ann | September 15, 2006 at 04:56 PM
How dare someone question my baking authenticity. You have a lot of gall woman. If you have any doubts about my cake baking ability, I invite you to the Big Walnut Baptist Church, located in Reelsville which is in Putnam County Indiana. Once you get to Reelsville, or "The Little Town That Was" you can holler out your car window, who makes the tastiest cakes in town. The townsfolk will all tell you it's Miss B (Barker). Once you get to the Big Walnut Baptist Church, I will proudly present you with a photo album of some of my legendary creations. I've tickled nearly every sweet tooth in Putnam county!
Posted by: Regina | September 16, 2006 at 09:47 AM
Thank you, everyone, for the nice words, especially Regina, whom I challenge to a cake-off!
Posted by: maura | September 16, 2006 at 07:07 PM
Getting to reading this very late. It's beautiful the cake part that is :).
Posted by: Patty | September 16, 2006 at 11:17 PM
Iam so sorry I up set you Rengina. I didnot know you toke your cooking so much to hart.But I think you Regina should not get so up set about what someone says . Ann from Mass
Posted by: Ann | September 17, 2006 at 02:14 PM
Maura your creation looks great and I bet it did taste as good as it looks. Could you invite me to the bake-off between you and Regina. I'll even volunteer my services as an impartial judge.
p.s. if I ever get married again will you make my wedding cake?
Posted by: Aunt Anne | September 18, 2006 at 09:26 AM
Keep up the good work! If only I could've tasted some of that cake. I would also like to go to the cake-off vs. Regina. Could I lick the bowl?
Posted by: Patrick of SD | September 23, 2006 at 02:20 PM