Can you make a cake in the shape of a wedding cake?

Monday and Tuesday, the first two "working days" of sabbatical have been a nice slow, start. Monday was a leisurely day of shopping, getting organized and just plain relaxing.

Monday was such a nice summer day that the family decided to meet downtown for an after-work get-together (after work for those not on sabbatical). We decided to meet at the Davis Street Tavern (across the street from Emily and Lucas and just a few blocks from Betty's office). It was so nice that we sat outside on the street and enjoyed the summery weather.

We enjoyed a couple of beverages and several rounds of very nice appetizers and small plates and *almost* ordered dessert, but while we had been concentrating on the food and conversation the summer afternoon had turned into a chilly May evening and we adjourned to seek the warmth of home. The rain started not long after.

One upshot of our get-together was that Emily, Helen and I agreed to meet Tuesday afternoon to experiment with some cake ideas.

Cakes have a long tradition in our family. For many, many birthdays I have been baking Helen and Emily special birthday cakes in shapes of their choosing. A cat, a piano, a racoon, a giant crayon, and a bicycle are a few that come to mind. And that is part of the story for title of this entry.

Early in their wedding planning Helen and Shawn decided that they wanted *pie* rather than the traditional cake ("who doesn't like pie?"). Then some second thoughts crept in. It might be nice to have a small cake for the traditional cake-cutting while still keeping pie as the main dessert. And that was how Helen came to ask me if I could bake a small cake in the shape of a wedding cake.

From the get-go I liked the idea. If Helen had asked me to bake her wedding cake I would have found the task daunting, but a cake in the shape of a wedding cake is something else altogether.  I thought of Magritte's "This is not a Pipe".

However the treachery of images does not mean that making an aesthetically pleasing representation of a wedding cake is easy--time to practice before the main event.

And that is how I filled up most of Tuesday afternoon and all of Tuesday evening. Helen and Emily helped with some of the basic decisions. 

I started by baking four layers (10", 8", 6" and 4") of Bonnie Butter Cake. Right away we decided that the 4" layer was too small and not needed (and since it was not needed, it needed eating and it was delicious). 

After further consideration (including a trip to Deco Supply in Beaverton) we decided that the 10" layer was also too much--the three layers went beyond representationalism and veered into actual wedding cake territory. So we decided on two layers (8" and 6") with the top layer supported by columns. And with a few ideas from Helen about themes and colors I went to work.

I used the 10" layer to practice--and to make a nice cake for Helen to take to her school (hence the written sentiment "3 more weeks"--weeks of school).

The result is a nice first try.  Lots of fun and learning.  Sweet!

More cake pictures posted here.