Cake for Everyone!

You know the second best feeling in the world? (The first being looking into your babies eyes for the first time) Bringing a cake into a room and having it fall silent.

I love that feeling!

Okay, they didn't stop in awe of the decoration, more that they heard it was French Vanilla marbled with Swiss Chocolate, with my famous Carmel Buttercream Frosting. The design on top turned out cute enough, considering how bad my hands were shaking from not being used that way for some time. But let me tell you, the top of the cake that I cut off was delicious!

They wanted the people to look like the graduates. It was fun to dig into frosting again. It took 6 cups to ice it and another 2 to decorate. All together there was 4 cake mixes, 1 1/2 cups of oil, 12 eggs, 3 cups shortening, 3 pounds powdered sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tbsp expensive extracts, 5-6 disposable bags, and lots of my special British black food coloring. (it really is a no taste food color, and I have it shipped over from England. Well worth the money.)

To show how big this cake really is, I snapped a picture of it in the oven.

12x18 inches. I love this pan! I don't use cardboard to support it either. I have to use a special plywood board I cut out a few inches bigger than the cake. I cover it with butcher paper, and then with heavy duty foil so it's clean and well protected, and there's no chance of the wood buckling when being carried and cracking the top of the cake.

I could do this full time at a bakery and be totally happy. I love playing with icing, although I don't love the greasy cleanup, and am so glad my parents signed me up for lessons for Christmas one year. One of the best gifts ever, it keeps on giving!