A Cake with a Story

This is a fun cake we created for a retiring teacher a few weeks ago, but the story behind this cake starts way, way, way before that...

Shortly after I started working for Debbie, I discovered that she was from Stuart, FL. It's where she discovered her knack for cake decorating and first got into the business. She even opened a cake shop there. Well, cakes must not have been on my family's radar because we lived in the area for 11 years and never knew of her shop...

Fast forward about 11 more years...now Debbie has established her cake business in Newberry, FL and I am in the midst of getting my Ph.D. at the University of Florida. Still, we are completely unaware of each other until I finally email her asking for a job.

Now, here we are in July 2010, and I've worked for her for 4 whole months! Then, we get a cake order from someone who lives in Stuart. They'd had some of Debbie's cakes when she lived there, and one more of "Ms Debbie's" cakes was all she requested when she retired. So, her daughter drove up from Stuart to pick the cake up - that's dedication and love!

Well, as soon as the daughter saw me, she said, "You look familiar." Turns out we went to high school together but we never really knew each other! I took choir my freshman year and she was in Opus. For those of you who don't know, choir is for all those people who either think they can sing or just hope to learn. Opus is for those serious folks with real singing talent. Needless to say, I never made it to Opus...

But isn't it crazy how life's paths can run unknowingly parallel and then intersect when you least expect it??? Just makes you think...


This cake was iced in buttercream and decorated with wavy fondant stripes on the top tier and fondant polka dots on the bottom tier. Then we added bunches of red ribbon roses on the top and sides of the cake.


Pink, orange, and red is one of those color combinations that I used to cringe at. But, now I think it definitely works!