Project: SUPER MOCHI KART

The reason for this US trip was a groom's cake. And as a fitting commemoration of a relationship of nearly 12 years, I was determined to do a darn good job. When consulted for ideas, fiancee Camille contributed that, apart from herself, the things Francis loves most are his screenwriting, video games and devoted yellow lab, Mochi. Egad! How to put all that together?!

I 'get' screenwriting, I've also met his dog, but weeks of researching and downloading, even consulting with my students didn't ease the frustration of not being 'with-it' enough to play those games. What quickly became apparent is that there were more varieties than I had the time and patience for. A turning point to the design dilemma was a chance interaction with a group of young ballerinas studying at our building. At the off hand question, "Who plays Super Mario Kart?", three DS players were instantly whipped out and 7 fifth graders fell on top of each other as they fought to give the best suggestion to my plight.

All the hand-molded sugarpaste decors were made, packed in and hand-carried from Manila. When told of the contents of my large bag, the immigration officer at the SFO Airport commented with a chuckle, "Tell Agriculture that if they break anything, they will have to report back to me!"

The cake was baked in San Francisco, iced in Santa Monica, and decorated in my hotel room at Woodland Hills, LA. It was not an easy feat but my support team was of high caliber.


To say that the cake was well received is an understatement. More people took pictures of and with this cake than the actual bridal cake-- sorry, Camille. Hey, but your cake was really delish! I had seconds of the Vanilla and White Chocolate Cake with fresh berries, as well as the Chocolate and Banana layers.