My Daddy always used to say, "Never say Never." He also said, "never throw a 7 until a 7 has been thrown," when we played Gin, but I digress. On this occasion it is easy for me to say this was a birthday that was celebrated like never before. No it was not mine, but my father's favorite aunt, Edith Harrison, who turned 90 in April. I was fortunate to receive an invitation, not only to the party, but to make the birthday cake for this incredible celebration. There were no instructions, just do whatever my heart desired, and feed 200 people (actually to be fair they were going to buy extra cakes to make sure there was enough but I said if I am going to bake for 100 it is just as easy to bake for 200). It wasn't the designing, baking, or decorating that challenged me on this assignment but the logistics. You see the party was being held in Cartersville, VA and I am in North Carolina, 20 miles from the South Carolina line. So there was a little transportation issue. How do you safely transport a cake almost 400 miles? Of course I had a plan.
I baked the cake in North Carolina and froze all the layers. I placed them in a cooler with ice bricks and drove to Charlottesville (about an hour from the party.) This is not nearly as challenging as it sounds as my mother recently moved to Charlottesville and she was at a conference in Florida so I was able to take over her kitchen and decorate. I put the base layer and basket weave (or trellis work depending on the cake) on each cake, eight in all, and got ready to transport the next morning.
I carefully loaded the cakes in the vehicle along with hardware to construct the cake icing and decorating tool box (and clothes to change into) and headed towards Cartersville. It was only an hour long drive and I was feeling pretty good about the process until I went across a large set of railroad tracks a little too fast and got a little nervous. When I got to the community building there was very little damage, none that couldn't be fixed with icing (icing is the super glue/duct tape of the baking world). I commenced to construction and decorating.
Decorating was based on the decorating at the party. It was really quite amazing. 
A small building had been transformed into a comfortable living room setting with the most beautiful flower arrangements everywhere. There was soft tulle draped across the ceiling softening the stark building, and making it just right for an afternoon celebration. The color scheme with blues, violets and pinks was transformed into the design of the cake. I had three hours to construct a three plus foot cake and get all the flowers on it.
A small building had been transformed into a comfortable living room setting with the most beautiful flower arrangements everywhere. There was soft tulle draped across the ceiling softening the stark building, and making it just right for an afternoon celebration. The color scheme with blues, violets and pinks was transformed into the design of the cake. I had three hours to construct a three plus foot cake and get all the flowers on it.
In my favor was that everyone left to change so I could work on the cake and
have it (hopefully) magically transform in front of their eyes (or at least look a little better when they got back.) I got to work and constructed the cake and then decorated cake after cake, layer after layer, until I was finally satisfied that there was not much more I could do, and I really needed to clean up.
The thing about a cake this size is that it does not stay up long. After everyone got a chance to see it (especially the birthday celebrity) we cut into it. Everyone seemed pleased with it, especially my cousin's little boys who stood in front of the cake eating other food as fast as possible hoping beyond hope I would not cut into it. Finally she explained to me that they were not allowed to have cake until they ate other food first. However they were concerned that the cake would be all gone before they could eat enough to please their parents so I made them a deal to save them each their favorite flavor of cake to make sure nothing would happen to it. I couldn't cut it fast enough, as soon as I figured out which cake was which there they were ready for their cake.
I must say what a pleasant day. 
About 200 people came by to share their birthday wishes and enjoy this special celebration. Elizabeth (Aunt Edith's granddaughter) was doing her best to catch everything via camera card (while Robert is still using a camera with film...but we're trying) Aunt Edith seemed tickled with the variety of people who came, many that she had not seen in years. As it should be it seemed that she had a fantastic time. Thanks to Judith and her planning the party went off without a hitch and everything from the food to the decorations were just perfect.
About 200 people came by to share their birthday wishes and enjoy this special celebration. Elizabeth (Aunt Edith's granddaughter) was doing her best to catch everything via camera card (while Robert is still using a camera with film...but we're trying) Aunt Edith seemed tickled with the variety of people who came, many that she had not seen in years. As it should be it seemed that she had a fantastic time. Thanks to Judith and her planning the party went off without a hitch and everything from the food to the decorations were just perfect. This week Aunt Edith sent me the most wonderful thank you note for the cake. Inside was a clipping from the local paper, showing her in the background cutting the cake. The article gave highlights of the party including that I had decorated the cake. Imagine my first press coverage of a cake, and I can't imagine a more fitting occasion cake to publish. I must admit I don't think Ace of Cakes has anything to worry about. In the meantime however I will continue to enjoy this special cake made for a special lady on a special occasion, one like never before.
