benson's birthday cake

Today is my friend Angie's sons birthday. She asked me to make a cake for the event a few weeks ago. We have been emailing back and forth, and she decided on a tiered cake with fondant planes for the decorations. It is a 10 inch 3 layer cake, with a 8 inch 3 layer on top. I baked all of the cakes yesterday, and I frosted and decorated it today.

I had Lindsay over, and I gave her a spoon of frosting to try. She said it was perfect. Hours later, after finishing the final details, Lindsay wanted another taste. She licked the frosting off of her finger and said "It tastes a little bit weird."

I allowed myself to stick my finger in the big bowl of blue frosting and have a taste. What? Is that garlic I taste? I have another taste, and yes, sure enough, it does not taste like delicious buttercream, it tastes like garlic butter. Blue garlic butter. And it's covering the cake that I am supposed to deliver in 20 minutes.

I called my mom. I was freaking out. She calmed me down and said that she would go and get a cake from costco, and bring it to me.

What was I supposed to do? I sat on the couch and sighed. Lindsay knelt down in front of me and said "Don't cry. " I said "but the cake is ruined!" and she said "It's okay Jessica, I like garlic!" I had to laugh. Leave it to Lindsay to take the completely positive side of the situation. (that's one of the reasons I love her so damn much!)

Now I was late- so I gathered the cake into a box and into the car, and I took it to Angie. I almost started crying when she opened the door. She had the biggest, warmest, happiest smile on her face. She was so excited for the perfect cake. And I had to tell her that she wouldn't be able to serve it to her guests.

But of course, being Angie, she was so incredibly nice about the whole thing. I told her "Don't worry, you will have birthday cake. Just not this one." It looks wonderful, and just how she wanted it, it just tastes like garlic. She set it on the table and continued getting ready for the party.

I went home to wait for my mom to bring the emergency back-up cake. She arrived shortly, and I took it back up to the party. I apologized again to Angie, and she just smiled and said "This is going to be a great story to tell Benson when he is older." Very true. I was relieved that she was finding humor in it, but it's gonna take me awhile before I can laugh about it. I feel like a failure.

I make cake and cupcakes and cheesecake ALL the time and I have never had something this strange and absolutely bizarre happen. At least it LOOKED perfect, right? (sigh)