I attended a very beautiful 21st party recently. The kind with warm friends, great outfits and songs written especially for the birthday girl. Someone shouted “cake is love” before Candace cut the cake, and screamed; with a room full of people who adore her joining in.
Cake contains the kind of love that cut be portioned and shared, from plate to mouth to mouth. With receptive grins and crumb- cornered mouths and licking of icing off fingers.
I had a cake- making project coming up and I was feeling inspired. Efe is a cake- lover, a dark- chocolate lover; and the kind of person who generously shares her passions. She commissioned me to make the party centrepiece and I agreed, despite 7 looming academic pieces of work and all sorts of other little stresses hanging about my mind. I agreed because there is nothing as satisfying as
Googling chocolate cakes when you should be studying (thank you
Sweetapolita, you are great.)
Going shopping and putting 2 kilograms of chocolate and 1kg of butter in your trolley.
Discussing cake making with Chef Jenny, and Thandi from
next door.
Making a cake of three tiers that you know will be dismantled in minutes
The reward that comes with a chocolate- smattered/ pink/ silver dusted dirty apron
Watching the birthday girl’s face when she sees the sparkles and the pink fairy dust and the crowds of friends singing, and bursts into tears.
Before you start worrying that this is going to be a deeply emotional and teary post let me tell you that making this kind of cake requires brute physical strength. Well, ok, if you don’t have a whisk attachment for your mixer, that is. The rest is all quite sentimental and airy and fun.
Three tier Chocolate mud Cake with Raspberry Meringues
