W day minus 3 - it's getting real

It’s not only the baking gods who have been smiling this week. My meeting this morning was one which usually lasts most of the day, though looking at today’s agenda, I hoped that it would be a little shorter than usual so that I would have time to complete today’s cake tasks as scheduled. Already more than halfway through by coffee time, I can’t say how much I appreciated the efficiency of our chairman, who called the meeting over at just gone 12.30.

After a spot of lunch, I began by preparing the cakes as planned. Each one was just over 7.5cm deep, so the first task was to even them off and slice in half. I’d normally think nothing of taking my large knife and slicing through, but mindful of the way any slight anomaly would send the eventual pile of cakes into something resembling the Learning Tower of Pisa, I invested in one of these. Yes, that Sugar and Crumbs website is a bit of a rabbit hole and before you know it, you’ve found no end of things that you never knew you needed till now!

It does a great job and in no time at all, I had four large layers and four small ones, each 3.7cm deep.

Thankfully, I’d remembered to take the buttercream and the white chocolate ganache out of the fridge when I got back from swimming this morning, so it was soft enough to use.

First layer, lemon curd. (Telling myself not to spread it too thickly)

Next, a layer of buttercream.

After another layer of lemon curd it was time to put the dowels in place.

I cut them to size and checked it was all level before going any further. Then, just to be sure, I called my Hero to come and check everything was central, level and even. (It was)

I did exactly the same for the small cake, only layering buttercream - lemon curd - buttercream this time, and placed it on top before doing the first, thin “crumb coat” of ganache.

I made a mental note to myself to finish the top layer first tomorrow, when I apply the final coat of ganache. For now, though, my cake work was done for today. I left things to set and sat at the kitchen table.

It was time to open the book.

I see that it was last August when the first batch of edible flowers arrived. I reminded myself of the process of flower pressing and set to with absorbent paper and heavy books. A couple of months later, I checked that all was well and tucked them in between the pages of a book and put them in our dark storeroom under a couple of Le Creuset pans. Later in the Summer, when Maddocks Farm posted that they had their last box of the season available, I thought it might be a good idea to have an insurance policy and did another batch.

Today was the moment of truth.

Not a single mouldy flower in sight. I was thrilled to find page after page of pressed blooms, each one better than I’d dared hope for.

Some are better - or not quite as good - as others! Anything that started out white is now a bit beige, or brown, even. Others were not quite straight enough as the weight was applied and are a little crumpled.

Most, however, are lovely, especially those where I pressed them on the stem.

The pansies are perfect regardless.

I hadn’t even looked - or checked- the second batch at all and they were just as I’d left them way back well before Christmas. What might I find?!

Thankfully, more of the same.

Phew.

I left them all on their pages having reminded myself what’s there (definitely no shortage of lavender) and tomorrow, will look forward to putting them in place. We had a text from Edward to say he’d finished work and was going to Paddington to say ‘bye to Amy, who was on her way home to Devon. He’ll come here late tomorrow afternoon and travel to Cornwall with us on Friday.

It’s getting real.