Anatomy of a Wedding Cake

This weekend my little brother, Erik, married a wonderful girl named Amanda in the upper peninsula of Michigan. It was a beautiful wedding, and I was honored to be asked to make them a cake. Originally we had talked about cupcakes because it would be the easiest to transport from Chicago to Michigan. But after thinking about it, I decided that I wanted them to have something really special. So I ended up designing a four tier wedding cake that reflected the style and colors of their country wedding.

First, I had to bake eight layers of cake. This required six pans (some used twice), seven boxes of white cake mix, eighteen eggs, a lot of canola oil, a very large mixing bowl, and several hours of baking in my mom's kitchen because it was 101*F outside. Ideally, I would have made them a scratch cake but I have yet to find a white cake recipe that I really like. They just end up too crumbly and have a tendency to fall in the middle. Box cake, on the other hand, has great texture, great flavor, and most of all is incredibly consistent. In case you're interested, the cakes are 12", 10", 8" and 6" in diameter, and end up being about 4" tall. 

Next, you have to fill and ice the cakes. To make things extra special, we decided on four different fillings: chocolate peanut butter, vanilla buttercream, fresh strawberry, and Nutella. I like to make Italian Buttercream icing, which involves egg whites, boiled sugar, and LOTS of butter. It is so smooth and rich, and not too sweet. And it mixes with fillings perfectly. And it is the best icing for decorating and holding up to high temperatures and humidity. The icing takes about an hour to make for each batch. I made five batches. The picture below is missing the 4 lbs of strawberries that were purchased later in the day. 

 

I knew that traveling with a four-tier cake was going to be really hard in my tiny little car, so I used a multi-level cake stand. I wrapped the pillars with dark brown raffia that I also used on the cake. It gave the stand a nicer, rustic feel than just the stark white plastic. And ta-da! The whole shebang:

It's hard to see the details in one picture, so here are pictures of the individual tiers. The top tier has the chocolate peanut butter filling, with buttercream icing and buttercream scrollwork. I had put the cake in the fridge for a while after icing it, but before doing the piping. That was a mistake. The warm icing wasn't adhering to the cold icing, accounting for the somewhat squiggly appearance of the scrolls. Let's just call it whimsical. The second tier was filled with the same buttercream  that was used to ice the whole cake. Then I wrapped it in a chunky burlap ribbon (backed with wax paper so as not to get the fibers stuck in the icing), tied up with the same dark brown raffia from the stand, and finished off with pretty 'mini' sunflowers. 

The third tier was filled with fresh sliced strawberries mixed with just a bit of melted strawberry preserves to give them a little bit of sweetness. I had planned on icing this layer in yellow buttercream, to be an interesting contrast to the rest of the cake and make the small white candy balls, called dragees, really pop. But for some reason the icing turned this horrible, fleshy, salmon color. I really don't know what happened. The dye was fine. It turned my hands yellow, the Kitchen Aid yellow, and the sink yellow. But the icing turned gross. I used a new bottle of vanilla, so maybe that made it react weird? I don't know. So I had to throw out a whole batch (an hour's worth of work!) and make a new one. I actually like the simpleness of the just plain white with the offset flowers quite a bit. 

The bottom tier was filled with Nutella mixed with some of the buttercream to give it some body. It's decorated just like the second tier, so I won't go on about it. 

I don't have a picture of the happy couple with the cake yet, but I will add one as soon as I get a copy. 

This was a TON of work, but I'm really happy with the way it all turned out. I learned a lot doing it, as well. Like how to transport a cake 300 miles by car with a toddler. And how to cut 150 slices of cake all the same size. And how important it is to always have extra ingredients on hand in case you end up with salmon colored icing. 

Birthday Madness

My baby girl turned 2 on Monday. I can't believe it. We had a small gathering for Lily on Saturday morning. We had originally planned on just having family, but you can't have a birthday party for a little girl without some other little girls, so happily, a couple of our friends were able to make it, too. 


After general playing together time was starting to wear thin, we made some ribbon dancers out of old bangle bracelets and some super clearance ribbons. Grown-ups helped tie the knots, but the girls mostly got to pick what they wanted theirs to look like. 

Then it was starting to get a little warm out in the sun, so we moved inside to play dress up. Louise went with the garden fairy princess look. And Lily went for more of the crazy gypsy bride look. I don't have a picture of Ainsley, but she looked very sweet in a little white dress with matching slippers and a tiara. We put on a new CD that the girls gave to Lily and danced and danced. 

Then it was time for cake! I made a Wonder Pets cake for Lily. If you haven't seen Wonder Pets, you should. I made a flyboat out of fondant and sugar sheets, little celebration flag banners from sugar sheets and icing, and the figures are plastic. It was a white vanilla cake with Nutella filling. 

We've been playing birthday a lot with Lily. She likes to make 'cakes' then bring them over to someone while singing and then pretends to blow out candles. When we did that for real, and for her, she was filled with pure joy. This picture pretty much says it all. 

We weren't really planning on opening presents with the girls there, I thought it might not be much fun for them. But I was wrong. It turned into a group effort and everyone had fun seeing what was in all of the pretty packages. After everything was open Ainsley politely requested that the next time we come to their house that we please bring all of the dress-up clothes and all of the presents so she can play with them out of the boxes. I love it. 

Joe and my's big gift to Lily was a little push trike. She is IN LOVE with this thing. She wants to ride it everywhere. There's a little foot rest so she doesn't actually do much pedaling right now, but I hope she'll figure it out the more she rides it. 

At one point each little girl was on a different wheeled vehicle and tearing off in every direction while still in full dress-up regalia. It was quite an amusing little parade. 

I made a celebration banner out of some pillow cases I picked up at Goodwill. I was inspired by Becky and her sewing conquests. So I tried my own. I got the pattern from Domestic Nest. I think they turned out really cute and added a certain festiveness to the room. And I love that they're reusable and won't disintegrate while in the closet. We might pull them out some night just because!

A close up of the ribbon dancer. 

And finally, at the end of a long birthday celebration, what's left to do besides put on your jimmy-jammies, cover yourself in stickers, and sit down on a stair to strum your new tiny guitar? 

It was a perfect morning surrounded by friends and family, food and fun. You can be sure there were some serious naps that happened that afternoon. Happy Birthday Lily!!!

Half Baked

I am halfway through this pregnancy, 20 weeks. And it feels like it has just flown by. Last time I was thinking, planning, worrying so much about everything it felt a lot longer. This time I have so many other things to keep track of, this is honestly usually at the bottom of my list. 

I am starting to get a little baby bump as evidenced by the photo below. I still haven't gained a single pound, though. That's mostly due to eliminating dairy from my diet. The weight will be coming quick, though, I know. 

I've been able to feel the baby kick for about a week now, and it's very reassuring. It is comforting to get a reminder that everything is still okay a couple of times an hour. 

My pre-natal care experience is VERY different this time around. With Lily, we were going to the Birth and Women's Health Center in Tucson. Instead of regular pre-natal check-ups we joined the Centering group for women due around the same time as me. There were about 10 of us, plus all of the partners, and instead of going to individual appointments, we had group appointments in the evenings. It was really nice to have a group of people to chat with while you waited for your turn with the midwife. It was also a childbirth education class, so we knocked that all out at the same time. The only appointments we had separately were for blood work or ultrasounds. I loved it. I loved seeing the same people each month, and then each week. I loved having Joe there every time. I loved not having to take off work to be there. It was just awesome. 

This time, I'm with the West Suburban Mid-Wives, affiliated with West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park. Same general practice and belief structure, but this time no Centering. I just go to regular appointments, wait in a regular waiting room, and then wait alone in the exam room. Joe was able to come to the first appointment, but none since because of his work schedule. Thankfully, that will be changing soon, but honestly, the early appointments are the most nerve-wracking. Each time I've gone I've been convinced they were going to find something terribly wrong. 

Part of this paranoia was due to not being able to feel the baby move yet and not really showing any outward signs of being pregnant. Part of it was just feeling so alone. Sitting and waiting and thinking has never been good for me. I am a worrier anyway, but given time and space to really consider things and my mind tends to the catastrophic very easily. This is not a reflection on the mid-wives, they're great. It's just very different than what I had before. I'm not know for coping with change very well, this is just something that I need to get used to. 

In other related news, we got Lily one of those "I'm a Big Sister Now!" books to read. She really likes looking at the pictures of the Big Sister and the New Baby together. That, combined with her newfound love for the story of Cinderella, and she's starting to understand the concept of a sister. Not that Anastasia and Drizella are role models or anything, but she knows the word 'sister' now, and really likes to act out scenes with them. She also has great fun taking care of a number of different babies that she has spread across our place, as well as both of her grandparents' houses. She's doing a good job of sharing with younger kids at the Tot Lot we go to in the mornings some days as well. Kids the same age and older, not so much, but she has some sense that smaller people can't do as much as she can. At first, people would say "Oh Lily is going to be such a good big sister!" and I wasn't too sure. But now I agree. Lily, you're going to be a great big sister. 

Random Musings

It's been a while since I've just posted some random cute pictures and stories of Lily. So here are a few. She's at this wonderful stage where she's one part big kid, one part baby, and one part mogwai. She sure knows how to push my buttons, but she's also a ridiculous amount of fun. The days are long and hot, but they've mostly been good. 

One of her favorite activities right now is to make dresses out of anything she can find. Scarves, bits of fabric, wash cloths, even pieces of cardboard. And of course no outfit is complete without a hat. 

She is still a magnificent builder. This is a small house she built for Rella (Cinderella). The purple piece is off kilter because it's the door and she had just closed it after letting Rella out. She also likes to build Lily-sized houses out of cardboard bricks and boxes. 

She LOVES Cinderella and Ariel. Not just the princess characters, but the stories. We read books, watch the movies, listen to stuff on YouTube, and the best part is she plays with them. She has a great time acting out the stories with little figurines and even coming up with her own stuff. I don't mean that she's putting on great plays or anything, but she likes to have them all sit down to dinner together, then go to bed, or go dancing. It's all very sweet.

Last week she was playing outside with Rella and the Prince when we brought some balls out to bounce and throw around. She grabbed one of the balls and ran over to the Prince and showed it to him shouting "Ball! Prince! Ball! Prince!" and then did the same to Rella. She was BEAMING. I think she thought she had found the long lost ball that they keep mentioning in the story, but that never appears because it's not a ball that you play with, but a dance they are referring to. Language development is awesome. 

Our fairy house blew down in one of the storms that passed through last week, so we built another one. This time it's more of just a sheltered alcove, with a place for the fairies to eat and sleep. When we walk past it Lily likes to peek in and say "Night night!" The first picture is a close-up of the 'furniture' we put together. Lily picked out the leaves for the bed and the stick for the pillow. The rocks were leftover from before. The perspective is a little odd, but they're actually set up like two little chairs. And there's a larger piece of bark for their table. Sometimes we leave some 'food' on the table in case the fairies get hungry. 

This picture is from further back. We built a wall along the alcove so the fairies could have some protection and privacy while they sleep, but still have the cool breeze come through on these hot nights. And I personally think dining al fresco is the best way to do it. 

Resolution Check-In 6

Better late than never, right? 

1) Exercise for 20 minutes per day. This month I only made it 21 out of 30 days, the rest I was either working or we were out doing something as a family that I didn't really think counted as exercise, but I probably wasn't just lying down all day. As of July 1, when this post should have been written I was 159 lbs, just beginning to gain some baby weight.

2) Send one letter per week. I have done miserably at this. I sent one cake the entire month, I think. I definitely need to hop back on the letter writing train.

3) Bake and decorate one thing outside of work per month. In addition to mailing a belated birthday cake, I made an early birthday cake for my mom. I forgot to take pictures of it though, so you'll just have to trust me that it was pretty. 

4) Stop comparing myself to other moms. I've been doing pretty good at this, but I have a harder time with the get-up-and-go part of my mama-personality. In an ideal world, I like to get up, have breakfast, straighten up (dishes, laundry, general upkeep), workout, shower, then head out for the day. On my own, this can all be accomplished by 8:30/9AM. With a little one underfoot, it's usually more like 10:30. Which would be ok, except her preferred nap time is at 11. So if we wait for a nap, then have lunch, and pack up to go, we don't actually get out of the apartment until 2 in the afternoon. On your average summer day, this would be fine. We could go play in a shady park, hop on a bus to a museum, or ride the bike down to the garden to do some work. However, the ridiculous heat we've been having here combined with my pregnancy-induced light-headedness pretty much rules out any outdoor activities in the afternoon. 

I've had to accept that my ideal routine is just not going to work for us for right now. I've had to become comfortable leaving the dishes in the sink, saving the laundry and working out for later, and just getting ready and going. This is really hard for me to do. I don't know what it is about having an untidy home that makes me feel so anxious. Maybe it's because we're renting and I'm terrified the super will come in unannounced and evict us because there's a pile of clean laundry in a basket on the couch. I don't know, I just know that it makes me very uneasy. But for both Lily and my sanity's sake, it has to be done. There is a marked difference in the days we get out and do something and the days we don't. They go faster. We're both less irritable. I'm in a better mood when Joe gets home. I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with this, but the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives. I'm clinging to the fact that fall and winter will be here soon when the afternoon sunshine is a most welcome sight.  

An Ode to Dairy

Oh Dairy, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...


In my coffee. 
I use a LOT of cream in my coffee. This is easily battled with non-dairy creamer. It's more difficult when going out for breakfast, though. A lot of places only have the powdered stuff (blech) if any thing at all. 
On my toast.
My favorite breakfast in the whole wide world is a piece of toast with melted cheese on it and a soft boiled egg. So delicious. And so out of reach when you can't eat lactose. There just isn't a good substitute for melted cheese. 
On my bagel. 
My second favorite breakfast in the whole wide world is a bagel with cream cheese. With coffee. Soooo good. Luckily, there is this magical substance called Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese which is just as delicious as cream cheese. Thank goodness. 
With my cereal.
My standby breakfast is milk and cereal. Almond milk gets the job done. 
With some fruit.
Oh fruit and yogurt. Or fruit and cottage cheese. Such a tasty and wholesome snack you make. I haven't found any good yogurt substitutes, yet. 
On my sandwich.
Cheese, cheese, glorious cheese, what a delicious sandwich you do make. Avocado is a delicious, albeit expensive substitute. 
In my pizza.
Chicago style deep dish pizza. 'Nuff said.  
In Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
Just after finding the most amazing recipe for these in the world I became lactose intolerant. Cruel, cruel world. 
In Mexican food. 
I know that there is plenty of Mexican food that is not covered in cheese. Fish tacos are good, but they just don't hit the spot when all I want is queso fundido. 
Frozen.
Seriously, all of the desserts that are worth eating have lactose in them. Thankfully, the food industry has acknowledged this and has therefore created a plethora of imitation products. Not the same, but close enough. 


So that's my whiney lactose intolerance post. I have also discovered Lactaid, a magical pill that solely consists of lactase, the enzyme necessary to digest lactose. I'm doing my best to not just use all of the soy substitutions there are available because too much soy isn't great for your body. And I'm only allowing myself one (or two) Lactaid pills a week because I figure there's probably a reason my body isn't liking lactose right now and I shouldn't force the issue. 


It turns out that not eating dairy is really great for weight control. I lost 4 pounds immediately upon stopping, and only just recently have begun to gain it back what with the growing baby bump and all. So in the end, it hasn't been the great tragedy I thought it was going to be, and there are some days where I just give in and order pizza for dinner because it's too hot/I'm too tired/Lily was a pill all day. All things in moderation, I say.