Fried Chicken and Finals

I had another one of my pesky freak out moments Friday as I was making a graduation cake for one of my amazing sister-in-laws.

It was decided that I would make a full sheet cake and somehow incorporate a 3-D Aslan, from The Chronicles of Narnia, onto it.  No big deal.  I had an entire day to get it taken care of, plenty of time...

I started Friday morning off by, of course, watching the Royal Wedding and all the news afterwards about it.  Don't even start waggin' your finger at me.  I can't help that I was in love with Prince William and still felt a bit of a heart twinge when I saw how he looked at Kate.  (Sorry, I believe their new titles are Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, my bad.)  

...Sigh...

Anyways, so I watched that and then had it playing in the background as I made this ginormous cake.  Who cares that I had only ever made a full sheet cake once and that just happened to be on the previous day (my DOT retirement cake).  No big deal, plenty of time...

After taking the cake out of the oven, I set it on a wire rack to let it cool when I realized my lovely husband had sucked down the rest of the milk that I needed in order to make buttercream icing.  Grrr.  Okay, no big deal, I'll just go to the store and grab some, maybe get some lunch too, plenty of time...

Home from the store, milk in hand, lunch not eaten yet, I decided to go ahead and flip my cake out of the pan.

It wouldn't budge.

I laughed nervously, grabbed a knife and slide it around the sides of the pan to loosen things up and tried again.

It still wouldn't budge.

I started banging on the bottom of the pan, I guess thinking it might just be caught on something and my banging would loosen it's grip.

It still wouldn't budge.

I freaked and began trying the lift up the corners with the knife.  I flipped the pan over again and banged on the bottom like some crazed baboon.

It slide out.

Phew, a crisis had been narrowly averted.  I decided I was still good on time, I mean, it was only 1:00pm.  No big deal, plenty of time...

I flipped the cake back over and began to try to level the top.  

At this point, I should let you know that my cake leveler is 10in wide and my cake was 12in. wide.

I suddenly realized 12 is apparently bigger than 10, so my lifter wasn't going to work.

Minor set back, I laughed a bit more nervously.  I'll just use a serated knife.  No big deal, plenty of time...

10 Minutes Later...

MOM!!!  WHAT DO I DO???!!!!  I CAN'T SERVE THIS CAKE!!!!!  I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT IT'S GIANT ON ONE SIDE AND TINY ON THE OTHER!!!  I DON'T HAVE TIME TO START OVER!  I'M OUT OF TIME!!!!

My mom:  Just calm down, go to the store and buy the ingredients to make a new one.

I CAN'T MAKE A NEW ONE!!!!  I DON'T HAVE TIME TO MAKE A NEW ONE!!!!

My mom:  Well then just serve that one.  I'm sure it will be fine.  I bet no one will even notice.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO ONE WILL NOTICE??!!!  IT'S HALF AN INCH ONE SIDE AND TWO GIANT FREAKIN' INCHES ON THE OTHER!!!!  IT LOOKS HORRIBLE!!!  I CAN'T SERVE THIS CAKE!!!

My mom:  Just calm down.  This is really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.  Just calm down and go to the store.  It will be fine.

At the store...

THEY DON'T HAVE WHAT I NEED!!!  THIS CAKE WAS JUST NOT MEANT TO BE!  WHAT AM I GONNA DO!!???  THEY'RE GONNA BE SO MAD!!!

My mom: Just calm down and try another store.

I DON'T HAVE TIME TO TRY ANOTHER STORE!!!  I SHOULD JUST SERVE THE ONE THAT'S AT HOME!!!  I SHOULD JUST BUY ONE ALREADY MADE!!!

At the next store...

THEY HAVE WHAT I NEED BUT IT'S CRAZY EXPENSIVE!!!   I CAN'T AFFORD THIS!!!  THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! WHO WOULD PAY THIS MUCH FOR THIS???!!!

My mom: How much is it?

$###

My mom:  Oh my gosh!  That is expensive.

...Should I go to another store?

My mom:  NO!  YOU DON'T HAVE TIME!  

Long story short, my husband and I were up until 4am finishing the cake that will from now on be refered to as the cake from H. E. Double hockey sticks.

We woke up an hour and a half later, drove two hours to the ceremony and smiled as she opened the box and loved on the cake. :)  Made it worth all the stress.

Aslan stepping out of the wardrobe.

Obviously this is just a close up shot. :)

The trees are waffle cones covered in green and white candy clay, the lamp post is candy clay and Aslan is made entirely from caramel.  All done by hand....  which I should realize by now, there's never enough time for, lol!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday Everyone!