I started working at Simple Simon Bakery right around the time I read Laura Esquivel’s novel Like Water for Chocolate. The book follows a young girl who puts her many feelings into her cooking. The story and the skills I learned from that sweet (in all senses) bakery stuck with me like sprinkles to a donut (my first baking task at the shop).
I love birthdays. When someone wonderful is about to celebrate a birthday, I bake them cakes. Like Esquivel’s character Tita, I believe cooking represents love. Baking takes time, and I think you can taste that in the food that come from a home kitchen.
When it came to our badass aunt, sister and friend Kathy, who recently celebrated her big day, I knew it had to be quite the cake to contain all my love. So, from my small kitchen in Chicago, I attempted to give her the world.
Let there be peace on earth! I created pieces of earth from chocolate cake mixed with chocolate frosting. I molded the mixture in two bowls and let them set in the freezer. Then I covered them in blue frosting and sprinkles.
When the world is divided– all you need to put the two halves together is extra frosting, toothpicks and wax paper.
Be the change you wish to see in the world! And if it’s cake, that just means more double chocolate frosting filling (mostly for my cousin Traveain).
My aunt is an avid traveler so I noted all the places she’s been in the world with markers made out of toothpicks, melted cherry chips and heart sprinkles.
The greatest threat to our planet (when it’s cake) is not eating all of it.
The second greatest threat is transportation. It’s difficult to carry the whole world from Chicago to Milwaukee.
“The joy of living was wrapped up in the delights of food. It wasn’t easy for a person whose knowledge of life was based on the kitchen to comprehend the outside world.” – Like Water for Chocolate
If only all of the world’s cracks could be mended with chocolate, buttercream frosting.
And I’d like it if the people I love could hold the whole world in their hands.
Until then, let them eat cake!
My friend and comedy partner Leah loves Stevie Wonder. So, I made her this cake.
My friend Heidi loves Broadway.
My brother Vinnie thinks he’s Batman.
My friend Jen loves donuts. Doh!
Another friend, Emi, loves math.
I absolutely loved my cake!! We had to freeze the globe because I couldn’t bear to cut into it – and because we stuffed ourselves on the rest of the cake for days. I don’t know which was more surprising – you carrying that cake off the train or the number of LSU fans exiting the train with you! Thank you, Katherine, for helping make my birthday so perfect. Go Badgers!