my boss (and the owner of the quilt shop i work at) has a daughter named amanda, who has special needs. every year, just after christmas, amanda starts counting down to her birthday. in april. this includes dozens of invitations in all of our work mailboxes. and for me, every since i became her personal cake decorator, specialized instructions, detailing her up to the minute cake decor requirements.
this year, she started off all in for butterflies, but i sort of maybe persuaded her towards sea turtles. it wasn’t a tough sell, and it seemed like a more fun cake for me. well. finally, the big celebration day was here, and i got to work on a sea turtle themed cake.
i opted for a coral reef motif around the sides, with a big old sea turtle, made of actual cake on the top.
i added an octopus, starfish, some corals and seaweed, and a cute little crab.
hazel offered plenty of artistic direction and oversight for the sea turtle. she was adamant that it be somewhat scientifically accurate (ie: not rainbow-y). i think he came out great. perhaps the head is a bit cartoonish.
anyways. amanda was a big fan.
the cake was pretty tasty too, if i do say so myself. i know this because i ate my body weight in leftover frosting and cake scraps. but also because i had a small piece at the party. and then also because folks were bestowing compliments, which is always nice for my dopamine system.
anyways. it’s cake season for sure. next up… anna’s birthday!!