This is Chapter 6 of my book Organized Junk: Making It Your Business.

2. Introduction
Growing up the sixth child of a family of eight, means that a
party is not always possible, and it did not mean that we
celebrated under anything less than grand terms. My family
knew that the experience of an event was the most important
factor, not the amount that was spent. I remember not going
trick-or-treating on Halloween, but organizing a ghostly house
and preparing a spread of delightful foods for family and
friends. There was no one on the entire block that did not know
about our annual festivities that replaced the need to go out for
the traditional treats. I am quite sure that walking out in
unpredictable weather terms was not missed. Eventually, there
were two additions to the family after me; this made celebrating
every birthday and every holiday truly a majestic occasion. Not
only were there birthdays to enjoy every other month, now, the
dinner table for Christmas and Thanksgiving was brimming
with faces. Our family unit did all that was possible to make
each member feel special, whether it was a store bought cake or
the handmade delights by my grandma Susie, for many years
everyone at least had a cake on their day. Through all of these
efforts and the time tested techniques I created to make sure
monies were spent in a minimal capacity, the need for a
dedication to my organized junk was unavoidable.

3. Chapter 6:
Make the cake and eat it too
Cake, this sweet delight, is reserved for the ending of many
events because it needs a grand entrance. I have seen plenty of
extravagant cakes on television and know that people go
overboard with cake some times. As a child, mud pies/cakes
were my specialty. I would decorate them with outdoor
supplies. For instance, there was this plant that grew in the
grass that resembled a pea pod. I would open the pod and use
the little circular “beans” to garnish the horizontal border
around the pies. The pine trees also had these buds that were
pulled to make this dusty application for our masterpieces; our
cake was the best. Going to that extent for an inedible cake
shows that this is quite relevant to any occasion. Whether it be
a cupcake or sheet cake, these desserts can become costly the
more detailed they are. Some have found the need to take
decorating classes or ask close family to assist with this matter.
Nonetheless, purchasing or baking it at home does not make
the cake any less special.

4. Grandma Susie had this cake that she always made for
birthdays; it was and still is my favorite. I use to watch her
blend all of the ingredients in these tan mixing bowls. One of
the bowls must have come to close to an open flame since it
was partially melted in a spot. She had this stirring dance, the
shing-a-ling we will call it, that she did while she stirred her
fluffy cake mix. People usually wait for the spoon to lick after
the cake was in the oven, but we did not have to linger around
for spoons; she would dip her index finger into the mixture
and shove it into your mouth. It only started to feel weird
when we began to go through puberty. No one seemed to mind
in any event. The aroma of that culinary masterwork filled the
room and warmed your heart. That butter nut cake was
homemade from the batter to the icing. The taste was tattooed
on my tongue forever. Unfortunately, I did not get the recipe
before she passed away and have not eaten a butter nut cake
since only because I will not be able to get the unique spoon
treatment. I really feel like there will be no other cake like
hers.

5. My cake experience did not stop at my grandmother; my mom, aunts,
and cousins all made baking seem like a breeze. Like stated previously,
all of my sisters and brothers at least had a cake on our birthday, so cake
is very important to me. I have found unique ways to convert cake and
cupcakes into edible sculptures. A few were from other sources, but I try
to figure out how to manipulate the product to get things out of the
ordinary. Trial and error efforts along with experimental baking days
have made me a proud cake baker. We will examine some of my designs
and techniques to help inspire the pastry chef in anyone.
Some of the first cakes that I made did not have that many layers or
elements as the more recent ones. The more I saw the possibilities of
transformation the more I practiced. A carnival themed celebration is
bright and colorful; any and every color can be use for this occasion. I
took advantage of having a youthful childhood when I decided what the
scene would be. There were games, carnival foods, and sounds. My
brother dressed up as a clown so that no aspect would be left out. All of
the basics of a carnival were simple decisions; the cake, on the other
hand, could not be simple. The centerpieces were black top hats filled
with artificial lollipops. So I thought there was a need for the
centerpieces to match the cake. How to make the cake look like a top hat
was puzzling in the beginning. I needed to look at things from a diverse
angle. The hat could be seen as layers of circles. The bottom or brim of
the hat is a larger circle than the body; the body of the hat is levels of the
same circle. I sketched out a plan; Figure 8 demonstrates my thoughts.
The actual cake made follows.

6. Figure 8: Top Hat Cake

7. Knowing that I had to travel two hours with this cake uncovered it
looks pretty good besides the fact. The base (brim) of the hat is a 9 inch
cake. The body are four 2 x 2 cakes. Each layer needs to have frosting in
between to keep the structure stable. By keeping the cake in the
refrigerator, the cold air helps with stability also. The hat was not black
like the table pieces; black icing is usually bitter and I did not want to
risk having a tart cake. I turned white icing into purple by adding a little
red and blue food coloring. Purple candies were then added to give more
texture. The sketches are not exact replicas. The finished result, on the
other hand, is pretty accurate. Depending on schedules, some things
need to be eliminated.
My daughter loves the “Camp Rock” movie and asked for a guitar for
Christmas one year. I knew then that she was a rock star at heart.
Developing a theme equivalent to her personality is always best. The
event was a red carpet affair, literally. I had a red carpet with a backdrop
for photos. Stars were aligned throughout the space. The dinner settings
were laid like a royal event at a mansion. The bright pinks and purples
danced alongside shimmering silvers and midnight blacks. Graffiti
banners hung precisely along the walls. The scene was electrical. Mini
awards waited to be presented to guest and the cake lay boldly in a sea
of graphics, a guitar of cupcakes or a cupcake guitar.
The search for the perfect pastry figure was initiated. I found a cake
in the shape of a guitar. It had many elements to it. A lot of work was
ahead. There were candies of various types and shapes as well as
delicate icing skills represented. The party was once again back at home,
a two hour drive, which needed to be factored into the preparation. I did
consider still taking on the mission. The primary focus of the cake can
be found on Figure 9.

8. Figure 9: Guitar Cake
As you can see this would take a while to assemble, time I
did not have. A plan B was formed to reduce any time
restraints that this cake had. I did not draw up a new plan, but
I did think of a creative way to make the cupcakes look like a
guitar. The guitar that my daughter asked for was the essential
piece to my new undertaking. It was a straightforward chore.
The guitar was outlined on plain white paper. On one of my
experimental baking days, I cooked regular size cupcakes and
miniature ones just to see how each would work. I simply
placed the cupcakes within the outline to see what would be
best. I changed the icing color to match what the different
aspects of the instrument.

9. The difference between miniature cupcakes versus the standard
size was that it took more to fill the outline. I use boxed mixes or
bake from scratch. The spare time you have determines what you
should use. The handle of cake was covered in a silver icing while
the center was a deep brown almost black icing. The internet was
resourceful in this instance; research on how to change icing to
particular hues was found which was very helpful. I reused the
outlined paper for the background on party day. I added graffiti
lettering to give a rock star effect; it also matched the birthday
banner created. Making the cupcakes rather than the two circular
cakes eliminated a lot of decorating. The cupcakes are easier to
travel with as well. I invested in a covered cupcake holder, so the
mini cakes can be transported safely. The finished product was
quite eye popping.

10. I am not a pastry chef and do not claim to be a great
baker. Having heart and passion is the only thing that can
make a great cake. The lines are not perfect; the cake tends to
lean from side to side every now and then, but no one
complains. They know that I took the time to make it special
just like my grandmother. Cake is still cake no matter how it
looks. However, what is a party without entertainment, an
assembly. Entertainment can be just as cost efficient as the
decorations and food and cake!