 |
| Gillian's Surprise Hamburger Groom's Cake for Marty |
 |
| Hamburger with all the Fixings - Lettuce - Onions - Pickels and Ketchup with a Side of Potato Chips |
 |
| Fixings Anyone? Tale of Hamburger Groom's Cake Doing research for a hamburger groom's cake is a no brainer! So, when Diane (mother of the bride) and Gillian (bride) asked me to create a surprise groom's cake for Marty, I was only too thrilled (ahh all the possibilities!) to start the research. What research you ask? It's a hamburger after all! Ahh....not so my dear frients! There are so many to choose from! Skinny patties, Double patties, rounded buns, flat bums, tall buns, oversized buns! How does one create the "just right one" Well.....culinary research!!! Of course!!! So, in the name of "inspiration" I not too reluctantly made my way to several of my favorite food establishments and finally decided - 10 pounds later - on the thickest patty with the tallest bun with sesame seeds on top on a checkerboard red tablecloth! Mustn't forget the side fixings of tomatoes, pickles and onions dripping in ketchup and for extra crunch...potato chips on the side. Alas, however, it didn't taste like a hamburger - BUT - instead, the cake was a yellow butter cake filled with passion fruit IMBC and topped with crushed pineapple infused with a pineapple simple syrup. The Delivery The ride out to the Bourne Mansion in Oakdale, New York on the St. John's University Campus was a beautiful hour long ride with my friend Peggy, who often comes with me on deliveries "just for the ride". I usually don't drive on deliveries as I like to sit in the back of my SUV facing backwards checking on my creations. However, this time, my daughter, was in the City and I had to drive...making Peggy the designated cake watcher. "It's not doing the shimmy shake" or "still standin!" or "no Irish Jig here" were often the comments coming from the back seat!!! We arrived at the Bourne Mansion only after getting lost for just a couple of minutes...and after a couple of ("controlled frantic) calls to Steve....the maitre d'...Remember...I was driving!!! As we pulled onto the grounds of this glorious turn of the century mansion...we saw a beautiful bride and her hubby.....having their photos taken! Oh my!!! It was Gillian and Marty! Peggy and I looked at each other with "Now What!" in our eyes!!! This is a surprise cake! How on earth do I get this cake inside the venue while the bride and groom are in front of the mansion!!! We could either go back out of the circular drive or just sit there waiting for them to go to another part of the grounds (thank God for tinted car windows)....or go into the campus! So...after yet another phone call to Steve...and telling him of our situation, he instructed me to the east side of the building. There I would see a stoop and to go up the stoop. From there follow the hallway to the kitchen. Hah....at that point...east - west - north - south was a post doctoral dissertation for me! And a stoop!!!! A stoop!!!!! With a cake??? Okay...maybe it's just one or two steps! OMG! (This is a flashback to when I was on "Iced With Sylvia Weinstock" - delivering a cake to Cipriani's - When the servers there told us there was no elevator!!!) LOL Nope...it had to have been at least 7 steps! One step with a cake is like going rock climbing with a cake in one hand and the other on the ropes! lol Going up 7 steps - with a cake in hand - especially when you are not 25 and physically fit is not an easy feat!( I've got to get myself to the gym!) Well....one by one -Peggy and I got up those steps - into an area that did not resemble the kitchen. I left Peggy there....guarding the cake with her life....and the promise of a strawberry farm stand.....to hunt down some assistance. After making my way through the kitchen (I really do love exploring!) (not kidding!) (I was actually thinking of The Lion - The Witch and the Wardrobe, half wishfully expecting to find a wardrobe and a magical land!) (Yah...I'm still a teacher at heart!) and into the mansion itself...which by the way is Gorgeous!!! I mean simply splendid!!! It has sooooo much character! I think I was born in the wrong century! - Sorry for the digretion...back to the delivery. I found a very helpful young server - Bob, who joyfully helped me find an appropriate and SAFE place to hide Martys cake - He assured me it would be fine where we put it....so long as we put a sign on it asking people not to touch....Asking??? Nope....I said - commanding! So - using my food coloring pen....and a piece of paper....I gingerly wrote... Gillian and Marty SURPRISE Groom's Cake DO NOT TOUCH! Thank You! With that....and after securing a couple of stray potato chips and sesame seeds with some royal icing from my emergency cake kit....and saying a silent blessing over the cake that it be a complete success and that Gillian's surprise for Marty was all that she hoped for - I took the long way home - in search for a strawberry farm stand - we were out east afterall! MAZEL TOV TO GILLIAN AND MARTY! MAY THEY HAVE MANY MANY MANY HAPPY YEARS TOGETHER! AND TO THEIR FAMILIES! CONGRATULATIONS! |
