This weekend we drove down to Mobile, Alabama to celebrate our niece, Katie’s, 3rd birthday as well as my mother-in-law’s birthday. The party was decorated for a princess including the cake. My sister-in-law, Stephanie,  made a chocolate and strawberry castle cake. There were three layers of chocolate and one layer of strawberry with the pink icing. 

Stephanie used cupcakes and sugar cones to create four turrets and one with a chocolate tip that all the kids fought over. Strawberry whoppers, strawberry wafers and chocolate icing were used as the door, drawbridge and overall decor. Stephanie had said that she had been watching the Food Network’s great cake challenge and thought “I can do that, no problem”. A few hours into the cake making and she couldn’t figure out how the chefs decorated cakes for hours on end. All on all, the cake was absolutely beautiful and her little girl loved it more than her little mind could articulate. When it came to carve the cake, I had a little tear in my eye knowing how much time and energy went into making this little girl’s birthday wishes come true. When the kids had devoured the cake and ice cream heading off to open gifts, I asked Stephanie where she had gotten the idea.  She said the recipe had come from a cookbook I had given her last year that she made a few adjustment to for her purposes. For some reason I had a moment of pride and gratitude feeling that I in some way had helped although I know that wasn’t the case. Needless to say, the party was extraordinary as all Stephanie and Alex Pate’s parties are. I am just glad Zoey is only one so she won’t think her mommy will be able to create a cake like her Aunt Stephanie.