Originally, Toby’s cake was going to be a farmyard cake. I remember mum making them for me, and loving them. Ah well, next year, perhaps. Bathurst, apparently has no little plastic farm animals. A complete shortage. I can’t imagine why this Localized Small Farm Animal Drought has not made the front page news; perhaps some people don’t think it is important. In any event, the local television has been taken up with the Supercheap 1000 motor race, on Mount Panorama. The whole town spent the week buzzing with the sound of supercars zipping around the track. Either that, or we have some kind of swarm invasion occurring. I live right by the Mount, so I was lucky enough to hear cars all the time. All. The. Time. I love my town.
In keeping with the whole town’s embrace of The Race, I decided to go with a car theme for the cake. Sure, the grass was an odd shade of Shrek, the biscotti barriers went soggy, and the choccie track mostly lifted off with the cars, but it was an awesome cake.
I must make a confession, though. I did choose the theme; make the icing; buy the cars and candle; and decorate the cake, but my friend Christine baked it. We both baked cakes at my house, as her kitchen is mid-renovation and currently consists of an electric wok, a microwave and a barbeque (sans gas bottle). I baked mine first, and although my test-cake last week was tasty, moist and fabulous, this cake was not. I put it on the bottom shelf, so it burned. The base was black and crispy, and the rest of it was dry and most undelicious. Christine’s cake, however, came out bouncy, soft and flavourful. Being the awesomely wonderful best friend that she is, she kindly offered to swap cakes. Many props to her!
The party was a great success. There were kids from all over the place, and loads of family, friends and assorted ring-ins. Toby, though exhausted by the end, had a ball. Everyone brought food to share, so much so that I have been living off chocolate crackles, lamingtons and honey-sponge roll (omg, try it!) since the party. (If you’re reading, I promise I have had some real food too, mum.) We fed ducks, and ducklings.
For entertainment I went all out and hired six jets to formation fly around above us, and generally scare the children silly. Especially Toby, as he doesn’t dig loud or high-pitched noises. Seriously, there were jets. They were there for The Race, though. Toby’s Grandfather cracked out his new hobby, the unicycle, which was pretty good value. He didn’t fall off, though, so many were disappointed.
I’m very proud of my cake, and even prouderer of my little guy, who has successfully survived a year of being my son! It’s trial and error, but we’re mucking through life together.
Love you more than blue M&Ms, Toby.
