As a kid I loved to be in the kitchen with my Mom! When I graduated from high school people used to ask me if I would grow up and put my culinary skills to work. Quickly I would answer "no" but I think it was because I hated to do dishes. The day after I graduated from K-State I looked into going back and getting a degree in baking science but didn't because it required too many science classes. When I moved back to Kansas City after a year of voluntary service in Seattle, I helped my Mom with a few wedding cakes but thought it was way too much work for something that got destroyed and eaten so fast! But, after helping my Mom so many times I thought it would be fun to make one myself. So, in 2003 I made my first wedding cake! With a few more wedding cakes under my belt since 2003, deciding to make my own wedding cake was the easiest decision I had to make when Scott proposed earlier this year. I know everyone thought I was crazy, but there is no way I could trust that feat to anyone besides my Mom and she had enough on her plate! So, I narrowed the design down to 3. One Scott liked, one he disliked, and one I don't think I showed him. I picked the one I never showed him! Let's just say his vote didn't count on this decision. So, this is the picture I based my design on.
And this is the final result!
Yeah, not sure why it looks a little crooked in this picture, but I happy with out it turned out! Let me not forget to tell you that on Thursday when I was putting it all together, I looked at what was supposed to be the bottom layer and decided it was too small. So, Mom and I baked 3-14" layers to replace the 12" layers that I had baked the weekend before. That added a little stress to the job but it all worked out in the end! The flavor of course was "wedding cake". I think it's funny that a lot of people love "wedding cake" flavor. I my book that's the same as white cake with buttercream frosting.
Last week as I spent many hours working on the cake at my parent's house, Scott kept asking how the cake was coming along and I kept saying I had a little more to do. I didn't put the finishing touches on the cake until Saturday morning! However, there was a little secret I was keeping from him. With much design help from my Mom and Dad, we constructed a John Deere tractor cake as a surprise for Scott! So, as "Big Green Tractor" played on the speakers, out rolled Scott's cake with the wheels spinning! Thanks Dad for rigging up that small motor! My brother liked to point out that it kind of looked like it belonged on the movie "Cars" which was kind of true. You can barely see the bride and groom figurine next to the cab, but that is the cake topper that was on my Grandma and Grandpa's cake many years ago! The tractor cake was a new yummy chocolate cake recipe that I decided to try.
So, the most important cakes I have ever made are in the history books and I barely tasted either of them! In a few weeks I'll be baking again...another wedding cake for another happy bride. I'm so glad I can use my talents to make others smile!
