Ravencon was this weekend with the usual fun and festivities. For two years I’ve been on the staff and among other things I’ve contributed a cake for the weekend.

Each year the cake ends up with an interesting story. The first year we had the icing that would not make and when I finally got the cake decorated I was so tired I decided the word ‘raven” should have an ‘o’ in it. What a debacle! The second year I made two cakes so that the con chair could have a birthday cake, but then they were not brought out so we used them as dessert for the “dead dog” party.

This year I wanted to make something real special. Sure the birthday cake for Con Chair was special, but this year we had a bigger birthday. Poe’s 200th birthday falls this year, and that means we should do something extra special for our Ghost of Honour.

I really wanted to come up with something and I was playing with various ways to use a raven. I thought about shaping the cake like a raven, but that is a little above my skills. My ability to draw is nonexistent, and that makes patterns hard to come by.

I talked to my friend who’s decorating skills are far above mine. She brought up fondant, which I’ve never had the chance to work with. I thought it would be fun and I could learn about fondant. I ended up going to her house and we set to work on two cakes.

I don’t make a lot of cakes from scratch. If I have my choice, I like Duncan Hines mixes because they are not only very delicious, but very moist. Unfortunately with very moist comes the tendency for cakes to crack.

In the end she said that fondant was not the way to go because it really shows every flaw. So no using fondant this time. Maybe next?

Well, she brought out a cake leveler which I’d also never used. I need to get one of those!! It’s awesome! I’ve never used one, so that was real cool.

She also had the recipe for a dark chocolate frosting so made that up. We ended up in the kitchen making this cake that became more epic as the minutes went by.

So in the end I ended up with this cake:

Doesn’t that look great? Very pretty. I’m grateful for the help and company. I need to get that dark chocolate icing recipe!

Hauling this mountainous cake into the hotel, I think I may have burned four times the average calories while walking due to the extra weight. In the words of our con chair, it felt like “an anvil”. Oh yeah.

Once more the cake ended up at our “dead dog” party. This time by design. When the top came off the oohs and aahs went out. At the same time the jokes started flying about how large this cake was. Watching the man cutting the cake struggle to cut the cake we saw the personality come forth… it was menacing in its demand to be eaten.

This is the cake that ate Richmond – starting with the staff of Ravencon 2009. Oh no, we did not eat it. It ate us.

Oh yes, I survived the cake of 2009.

What shall I do to top that in 2010?

So this week’s menu Monday is pretty dodgey. Frankly, so was last week. You know how it is when you are out of town.

Monday: We had pizza. I was still recovering.
Tuesday: Mexican UnStuffed Shells
Wednesday: Scout Court of Honour – We’ll find something quick before arriving!
Thursday: Spaghetti

Friday-Monday we’re going to be at Costume Con with my mother. I don’t know what the hotel offers or the area. So there’s no way for me to plan. I’m going to try to find what I can take that doesn’t need refrigeration or microwaving.

Next week, however, is going to be CHICKEN WEEK! That’s right, Megs is supposed to go to California on Sunday and not get back till late late late on Thursday.

Until next week… happy eating!

–Lady O