Sunday Sightings: Cutting the Cake

A First Wedding Cake

Heading down south this past weekend, I found myself part of an operation team requiring much skill and precision. The objective: three pieces remaining in one piece individually and, then, becoming one in three. Sounded like some sort of theological endeavor.

My dear friend, Emma, ventured out into new territory last week boldly creating her first wedding cake at the behest of a mutual college friend.

Her dry run a few weeks prior produced fantastic results. If there had been a way to preserve it until the wedding, it should have been kept!

The second time around was no different. I arrived at her house immediately after her cake layers had completed their time in the oven. Ryan was her taste-tester, consuming many of the shavings lying around. He felt wasting to be such a horrendous crime...particularly the waste of something so delicious.

Emma awoke early the next morning before heading off to work to assemble and ice the exteriors of each level. (I was still sound asleep in my warm bed catching up on some zzz's...) Back to the grind upon returning from work, she carefully leveled the icing and delicately adorned each tier with a wide navy blue ribbon and elegant icing 'drops' to finish off its stately existence.

Early the next morning, we meticulously placed each tier in the back of the vehicle, making certain all our luggage was adequately secure and immobile to avoid any cake-crushing. We had a brief scare when I inadvertently left the car door open and one of the cats decided to peruse the interior of the vehicle. Fortunately, she left the cakes alone. I am certain I probably would not be alive to tell this tale if the situation had been otherwise...

We arrived at the site of the reception to witness and aid in the final construction of the spectacular cake. With her cake team, Emma went to work like a skilled surgeon carefully balancing each tier one on top of the other, adorning the seams with a fine beading of piped icing bringing each piece perfectly together. We stood by holding our breath, handing the baker the necessary tools to complete the formidable task. The bride had chosen a traditional topper to crown the cake. We discovered a "naval officer and bride"(the groom was a navy captain) to give the cake the final touch.

I loved the simplicity, yet elegance of this beautiful wedding cake. It was well-balanced in creativity, composition, taste and style.

The skilled baker with her creation

I hope this is merely the beginning of a beautiful career in designing spectacular wedding cakes for Emma. She certainly has the necessary flair for the task.

Wedding Cake Extraordinare

Two friends of mine from college are blessed to have an incredibly talented sister who fashioned their wedding cakes from scratch. I've watched Emily powder the kitchen from top to bottom in flour and drown in waves of frosting. She carefully pieces together each layer after baking them, and then painstakingly adorns the exterior with intricate flourishes of her pastry tips.

Colin and Sarah's cake was designed based on a photo Sarah found in catalog of wedding cakes that was her perfect cake. Emily's replication surpassed the photo--she added a flare of roses, the same used in the bouquets of the wedding party.














Living at the house while Nick and Elizabeth's was constructed, I was literally in awe the whole time. Her perseverance and patience were manifested at every moment as she outdid herself in embellishment this time--placing the curly cues, constructing the roses (no easy task!), balancing the tiers, and you can't see the ruby red cake within the frosting that she carefully dyed to the exact color desired. A masterpiece in culinary art.

The O'Neill cake I did not have the pleasure of viewing in person
but it is clear from the photo that it is no less stunning than
Emily's previous creations....