My Brother, Carl's, Wedding Cake

Let's take a little walk down memory lane.  When my brother, Carl, decided to get married, I forget how many years ago, he, of course, asked me to bake the cake, and I of course, was happy to.  Their colors were red and white and the style they wanted was a very traditional cake in a very traditional setting.  He and Teresa were married in a small country church with a church basement reception of cake, punch, and cookies I made but forgot to photograph.  But they were cool. Take my word for it. Well, you kind of have to take my word for it, don't you, since I forgot to get the pictures to prove it.  The cookies were simple sugar heart cut-outs with a light white glaze and victorian lacy designs in white royal icing on top.

The most extra-ordinary thing about the cake was that the roses were all piped from royal icing ahead of time in two tones: darker in the center with a brighter red on the outside.

Forgive the lousy photo.  The cake isn't leaning, apparently the photo-taker was.  I wasn't much of a photographer back then.  Hell, I'm not much of a photographer now but this pic is proof that even someone as camera backwards as I am can improve skills with practice!

For a little closer up detail, below is the wedding topper I baked for them a year later for their anniversary. When I had my cake company I encouraged my clients to not freeze the cake topper and eat nasty yuck a year later. What kind of disgusting tradition is that?  Ick.  So I always told my brides to call me about a month prior their first anniversary and I'd rebake and decorate a topper for them to celebrate with, at cost. Several people took me up on it, several forgot or didn't bother, but the ones who did always called and said they enjoyed the fresh cake vs. year old freezer cake.

My brother, God love him, has never been very good at reading the subtleties of social communication so when he called me the day before his anniversary to remind me of my promise the year before to rebake his cake topper, I didn't hesitate to be honest, up to a point, with him.  He's my brother. I don't have to put on the pretty for him, you know what I mean, but on the other hand I've never been good at saying "no" to anyone, especially family, either.   I was in the middle of a bout with the flu so I'd forgotten all about his anniversary.  I know, I'm a bad big sister, but I was sick, she whined.  I told him I wasn't feeling well, that I was sick, feeling horribly crummy, in fact.  I thought he could connect the dots on his own.  He needed a bigger crayon. 

I told him that I'd feel better about rebaking it the next weekend instead of that day.  In my head I was thinking "hint, hint" but it didn't work.  He's a good guy but he's not good at planning ahead or picking up on the subtle stuff.

He said all bubbly like a girl  "It's my anniversary tomorrow." 

I said "Yes, but I'm sick." 

He said "Uh huh, and it's my anniversary tomorrow. When can I run by and pick the cake up?"

Sigh.  There was a fair amount of cursing in my head at that point but, like I said, "no" wasn't my forte and it's not that he's a jerk, he's just a man, and reading between the lines is not his forte. 

So here's the cake topper I recreated for him:

The punchline to the story is:  the marriage is no longer intact. Other than the photos to add to my cake book and the joy of never having to be sugary nice again to a woman I never could stand, here are the truly best two things that came out of that marriage: Kaylee and Isaac. 

Comments

[Jeff]

My wife is taking a cake decorating class...this may be dangerous to my waistline ;)

[sher]

Beautiful cake. Well, Carl knows how to get what he wants! :)

[Glenna]

Jeff--You have NO idea! When I had the business, Gene's favorite brunch was any domed tops I had to cut off (the most moist part of the cake) layered with thin swipes of buttercream. He said it was better than any donut. And then, of course, you, family, and all the neighbors will get any mistakes...BUT after a while I promise it does get old. Go back and read my very first post on this blog to find how brutal the kids of cake decorators can be after a while. Hee hee.

Sher--I know! But I'm so naive that I keep telling myself that people would never do that on purpose. And I believe he doesn't, BUT I do think people, even family, can be so focussed in on their (our-we all do it to a certain degree) desires and needs that they don't listen to what's being told to them because they don't want to hear. They want what they want.