Which Pattycake Bake is Best for Skipper Pat?
What is a pattycake bake? Is it anything like the official chocolate cake of the U.S. Navy?
At the northern end of the San Francisco Bay can be found the Vallejo Yacht Club—one of the season’s earliest clubs to launch its Bay Area beercan racing. April through end of September provides club racers with Wednesday nights designated for fun. Generally speaking, opening day means opening a can—not slicing up a celebratory chocolate, strawberry, vanilla or even coffee cake.
I lucked out though. On my regular VYC boat Summer and Smoke, skipper Pat has timed his birthday to coincide with the season’s first regatta race down Mare Island Channel. Time for a party–and naturally this got me thinking about what maritime cake I should put on order for the crew. It wasn’t hard to find inspiration on Pinterest. Ocean cakes, seaweed designs, fish funnel cakes, towering confections with crashing waves all around—there are some stunners out there.
While the sailor guys are fussing over beer, I will be focus on solid foods. The question is, “which pattycake birthday creation?” These nauticakes are all looking mighty fine. Even if our Vallejo boat heels over during beercan race number one—and the confectionery topples over into a cake wreck—I intend to have my cake and eat it too.
The above sailor cake gem is from Ini, a cake designer who owns and operates Erivana Cakes in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Nigerian-born Ini styles creations for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, baptisms and more. I wonder if she has tried a hand a cake for opening day. www.erivanacakes.com/
By not sailing off the edge of the earth, Planet Cake has created more than 12,000 designer cakes for A-listers such as Celine Dion, Rihanna, John Travolta, Lady Gaga and various other individuals. The crew has built a realistic replica of the Sydney Opera House for Australia Day 2011—cake weight more than 1.3 tons and requiring 32 decorators. Founder Paris Cutler bought Planet Cake in 2003. Since then she has cooked up books, television appearances, decorating schools and plenty of desserts. When will she make a pattycake bake? https://planetcake.com.au/
The above best cake for sailors is from family run Mother and Me has a foundation and fondant made from love. This Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, duo doublehands all creations, claiming, “nothing is too crazy, odd or tricky!” Consistent medal winners over the years at Cake International London, this pair is skating with the title Cake Makers for Dancing on Ice 2018. Next to work on a pattycake bake. www.motherandme.co.uk/