The Cake.

On February 9, we celebrated my mom's 70th birthday. It was a full weekend of partying, eating, laughing, sipping, getting a little teary-eyed and sentimental, and honoring all the fabulous things that are MOM. I really could spend the rest of this post telling you of the wonders of my mom. But I'm about to take an unexpected turn because, all weekend while we were celebrating Mom, I couldn't help but be knocked off my socks by my wonderful Dad.

It makes perfect sense, of course, that an amazing woman should marry an amazing man. So amazing, in fact, that he made this cake:

 

I think he said this is the third time he has made this Black Forest Cherry Torte - each time for my mom's birthday, once every 15 years or so. And the thing about this cake is that it is truly a labor of love to make - it's not the kind you can make on a whim. In fact, Dad started on the cake a few days before the party, late at night after long days of driving and working in a cold warehouse. He soaked the cherries in kirsch, baked the cake in 4 separate pans, separated them into 8 layers, made the various frostings, and lay everything in place. And I'm probably forgetting quite a few steps in between.

 

The other thing I love about this scene is that Mom could make a hamburger by simply frying up a beef patty on a pan and Dad would rave about how good it is all evening ("So juicy...so much flavor...you make the best burgers!"), as though she spent as many hours making that burger as he spent making this cake.

 

Believe me, we were raving about this cake all evening, and I'm still raving (and my face might still be tingling from the decadence) - Dad, you're pretty incredible.