I had a birthday cake order this weekend for a young lady turning 90 years. The friend who was throwing the party said the birthday girl was very specific about the cake that she wanted. She wanted a cake like the one her mother made her when she was a girl (in the 1920's!)
Her mother made her a white coconut cake with buttercream icing and sweetened shredded coconut on the icing.
The only decoration she wanted was purple sugared violets, like her mother made.
I have made sugared blossoms including violets, roses and lilacs, but I told the client that I couldn't get any violets to crystallize for decoration this time of year. She told me to buy them on the internet. Of course, everything is available on the internet. For a price.
I found some and they arrived in time for the party but these babies were $2 a piece with the shipping.
But they were worth the price because these sweet blossoms were absolutely perfect, delicate and fragile, crystallized violas with every detail of a fresh flower. And completely edible!
The cake was large and the flowers were few. I debated about clustering them in the center but they were difficult to arrange since they were perfectly flat and easily broken. I opted for this.
There were a few for the extra gluten free cake. I grouped three in the center and I thought they were sweet.
I hope they had the appropriate nostalgic effect.
