Cakes for Jim

Jim's Birthday Cakes follow a theme ...

Mom's Birthday

This cake starts with a story. When I was 11 or 12 I had the 'brilliant' idea that I could make a cake for Mom from the Wilton yearbook. I convinced Dad to order the decorating kit (which would also be her present) and convinced Auntie Ruth to let me spend the weekend at her place to make the cake.

Poor Auntie Ruth, I don't think that she has ever recovered from the trauma I inflicted that weekend; three cakes, none of which could be successfully extracted from the pan, several bags of icing sugar (you mean you don't use the whole bag at once?) and a call to the neighbors to beg them to open their store for more supplies. Needless to say, the cake didn't resemble the one in the book.

Fast forward thirty-plus years, the memory of that cake is still seared into my brain - I think that I should be able to do it this time. However I'm not taking any chances, I make & decorate a test cake at home first. It worked! So I pack up the pans, decorating supplies and fondant and head to Toronto. Tip - fondant in your carry-on luggage will be questioned by security.

The cake came out of the pan intact, the fondant didn't crack and the royal icing top stayed in one piece. It was pretty, it was delicious and Mom loved her cake!

... and I hope, in some small way, this redeems me with Auntie Ruth :-)