My goodness, it's been one hell of a week in the kitchens of Team Pretty Bake.
For starters, I was up for a weekend of pre-wedding shenanigans for my championed bride-to-be, which meant a test-bake of wedding cake #2 was in order. All went reasonably according to plan. Problem areas were identified and some tweaking will likely be done, but all approved of the concept, and given how quickly it disappeared, I think were happy with the taste of it too. There's still a bit of time until the big day, so while I don't want to give too much away, let's just say it's going to involve an awful lot of this...
The weekend's pre-nuptial celebrations also happened to coincide with Miss K's birthday, and since you can't have a birthday without cake, sleep was foregone to ensure all party necessities were completed. For safety reasons I stuck with an old favourite, but given the hen-like nature of the occasion, it seemed only fitting to present her with a 12" ding dong.
So it was most definitely cakes a-go-go and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the baked bounty, but despite already being two cakes down, this simply pales into insignificance when compared to what Miss Rose achieved this week. You see, while I was down in the country helping Miss K and her ladies celebrate, S and D were having their big day, and so was Miss Rose.
Serving as honorary kitchen minion this week, I now have a much greater appreciation for the amount of effort that goes in to making a wedding cake. The sheer mass of ingredients alone alerted that this would be a significant undertaking. And as the cakes themselves were baked weeks in advance and then fed at regular intervals to keep them nice and tipsy, I knew there was a great deal of planning involved. But I'd had no idea that as the big day drew ever closer I would, among many other things, be spending much of the week leading up to it filling fruity holes and polishing icing (yes, seriously).
Now I won't lie, I'm not a fan of fondant. Its physical properties are indeed fascinating, but I find considering this together with the fact that people happily consume it as a foodstuff positively frightening. But each to their own, and since the request had been made, we were determined to deliver.
Covering a four tier wedding cake in fondant is a serious workout, and while I'm sure I will be scarred for life from all the inappropriateness that went on, watching someone as petite as Miss Rose knead, and then roll, a three kilogram slab of fondant is admittedly rather amusing. But she never gave in, and so after much filling, rolling, buffing and more tiring hours than we care to remember, her babies were completed and ready for the most dreaded part of proceedings, transport.
Thankfully their journey was uneventful, and come Friday afternoon, all was in readiness for the big day. I should just take a moment to acknowledge The Oracle for all her advice and equipment, S and D for being on call for last minute errands, S's brother for safely transporting Miss Rose and her babies, and my favourite florist for providing such beautiful blooms. I want to do this now because while this support was greatly appreciated, I don't want to take anything away from how amazing Miss Rose is.
I was so disappointed I didn't get to see the monolith in all its towering glory, but by all accounts it was simply spectacular. I am in awe of the effort involved, intimidated by the expectation that's now fallen on my shoulders, and just so, SO proud of Miss Rose. It was beautiful, gorgeous, elegant and simply stunning.
Congratulations m'dear, you are the greatest.
I was also disappointed to have missed the final construction, as this was a story in itself. Those of you who know Miss Rose well will appreciate that she is not always a proponent of etiquette, but when the occasion calls is quite capable of frocking up, and has even been known to get her hair done for events such as these. You will also be aware that she is the shorter side of petite, so when it came to adding the final touches, she encountered a few vertical challenges. These were in no way aided by the long flowing gown, complete with even longer flowing sash, and so I am simply left to imagine the hilarity in witnessing the glamorous Miss Rose adding the final touches to her beautiful cake, teetering on a chair in four-inch stilettos, sash thrown over the shoulder and her gorgeous silk gown tucked in to her undies...
Lady, I love the way you work!
And so all that remains is to wish S and D the happiest of futures together. A gorgeous cake for a gorgeous and glamorous couple. Congratulations!