An Adventure in Cake Design

Saturday, July 30: Our family lost a dear friend after a brief fight with cancer last summer. One memorial for him was today in Connecticut. My sister and I were tasked with making a cake that would honor his passions – playing clarinet was his avocation, and his working life as a professor of biology featured the study of frog communication. He was a phenomenal teacher, a gifted musician; as a husband a true partner, and a deeply engaged father.

Yesterday was spent making the cake – a Kentucky Butter Cake and the chocolate ganache were made by my sister; I was responsible for making it look more or less like a clarinet.

I drove home last night; it’s about half way from my sister’s to Connecticut, so it breaks up the drive. And I could sleep in my own bed. And the cat was happy to have me there! I was up early, to attempt making a frog; I’d never used fondant for sculpture before. But I was pleased with how froggy it came out: