Goal!

So, I don't think I've shared very much about my day job, which is completely different from my baking life. During the day, I work as an attorney for the state. The chief legal counsel of my agency is just an absolute peach. She's got five children ranging in age from 23 years to 18 months, and she doesn't look a day over 30. She's a beautiful little freak of nature. Anyway, her daughter had just turned 10 and it was a pretty big deal to her. She kept telling Rachael, "mom, it's double digits," and informed her she was expecting some type of birthday surprise commensurate with what a big deal this birthday was. 

Well, Rachael's first surprise was the party was a week late! Second, she surprised her with a part at Skyzone, a trampoline park. The surprise also included a cake carefully crafted by me, of course. Maddie absolutely loves soccer.  And, like her momma, is a die-hard chocoholic. 

Naturally, the cake was a soccer ball theme. It was my standard chocolate cake baked in a bowl the same way my pig cake was previously. It was then torted and filled with chocolate buttercream. Once the cake was covered with the fondant patches, it was time to make it shiny like a soccer ball. Anyone know the secret? Vodka. When people see vodka in my decorating kit, I like to joke that cake decorating drives me to drink.  But really, to make fondant shiny all you have to do is paint it with a vodka/water mixture. The alcohol evaporates and leaves a really nice gloss. 

Maddie only had a handful of girls at her party, maybe around 7 or so ten year-olds.  The cake should have fed 20+ people! but these girls worked up an appetite bouncing and finished it. Impressive.