I am not a pastry chef, but I occasionally make cakes for clients and friends for special occasions. When my friend Jessica–who I’ve known through rowing for the past 10 years–got married this November, that qualified as a special occasion.
Jessica and Simon were getting married in Hawaii, but they planned a reception for their friends and family in the Seattle area. For the party at Tulio, she wanted an elegant cake that served 75.
I suggested that Jessica choose a simple cake flavor (chocolate, vanilla or spice) and then select a more personal filling. Because chocolate is Simon’s favorite, Jessica asked for the entire cake to be layers of chocolate with a hazelnut buttercream filling. I made a chocolate fudge cake adapted from Sweet Celebrations: The Art of Decorating Beautiful Cakes by Sylvia Weinstock.
To crown the cake, Jessica gave me the bride-and-groom cake topper from her parents’ wedding in 1958.
To make their first cut, the couple decided to use a sword that had been awarded to Simon’s father’s uncle, who served in the British Army during World War I. Simon’s brother and his wife had also cut their wedding cake with the sword (in 2000), so Simon and Jessica were continuing a family tradition.
Congratulations, Jessica and Simon!
Thyme with Sage 