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Month: December 2019

35th

35th

Mama and the Tans celebrating with us from the land of the rising sun.

Thank You for sustaining me for 35 years, Abba. I wouldn’t have survived 35 years without You. Thank You for the people You put in my life to love me, believe in me, and not give up on me. Thank You for reminding me that I am loved by You and the people You allow to stay in my life. I am grateful to and for them but I am most grateful to and for You, Lord.

Today’s Devotion: Luke 19:1-10

Today’s Devotion: Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus had such a humble heart. There were so many people wanting to meet Jesus but since he could not see Him amidst the crowd because he was short, he climbed a tree. He recognized Jesus’ authority. He sinned but his repentance led him to return the money that he embezzled fourfold (he was a tax collector) and give half of his possessions to the poor.

When Jesus told him that He will go to his house, he immediately climbed down the tree and welcomed Jesus with joy. This resulted in the salvation of his household.

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” v. 9-10

Melted Buttercream Frosting

Melted Buttercream Frosting

When I got home around 1:30 a.m. yesterday from work and opened my Messenger, I saw the groom’s message that said “collapsed”. My heart sank when I read it and saw the photos (below). Apparently, the icing melted and they didn’t have a fridge in the wedding venue to save it.

Questions like, “Did the best man drive carefully?”, “What was the temperature inside the car?”, etc. flooded my mind. The wedding was in Antipolo and the cake came all the way from Quezon City. I thought maybe it was the hilly roads that caused the icing to melt and the big flower on the first tier to fall.

To be honest, the worst thing I thought could happen was for the cake to fall. I didn’t think the buttercream would melt because the recipe I used was really sturdy. I used buttercream before and we had no problem with it. I am completely embarrassed by the whole thing! I don’t know if they even put it on the table.

Suddenly, I remembered the groom’s excited face when I presented to make their wedding cake months ago. In a split second, I imagined the frustrated and disappointed look on their faces when they saw it. It wasn’t just any cake… It was their WEDDING CAKE!!!

Thoughts like, “I shouldn’t have presented to make their cake”, “Why did I even volunteer?”, “Did I hear wrong from you, Lord?”, “I won’t serve in Sunday school anymore (because the bride and groom also serve in Sunday school)”, etc. ran through my mind. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it up to them. It’s something they will remember for the rest of their life. Que horror! I sent my apologies to the groom.

My 1st Wedding Cake

My 1st Wedding Cake

I picked up the gum paste flowers (from Gum Paste Philippines) yesterday before going to work. The 2 pieces in the middle were given to me for free because of some misunderstanding. My instruction was to color only the center of the flower but they included the rest of it. They decided to give them to me for free because they didn’t want to throw them away. It was a good thing because I was able to use them. 😊

The cake board I used for the top tier was 9 inches. It was supposed to be 8 inches but I realized it late so I just covered it with buttercream. 😔

The bride and groom wanted a textured frosting so I did my best to do just that. It’s my first time to do a textured buttercream frosting. I had a hard time crumb-coating it because it’s chocolate cake. The brown crumbs kept showing on the surface. 😞

I volunteered to make the wedding cake of one of our level coordinators in Sunday school. The cake was picked up by the groom’s best man around 5:30 this morning. I worked on it right after I got home from work last night. I haven’t slept yet but it’s okay. Thank God the cake turned out well somehow. I wanted to stack the other tier but I didn’t have enough time. I was praying the whole time that I would be able to deliver. I hope it would make it to the wedding in one piece. 🙏🏻

Wedding Cake Project

Wedding Cake Project

I learned that for the cake not to form a dome, I must put a damp katsa (unbleached muslin cloth) around the cake pan. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to look for one. Sayang din kasi ang cake scraps kapag ni-level na.

I made natilla filling (Spanish custard).

I used black plastic bubble tea straws for the dowel.

I covered the stacked layers with a cling wrap. The plastic bubble tea straws are sticking out but I will fix that tomorrow.

I just finished baking, filling, and doweling the chocolate cakes. I haven’t got any sleep yet but it’s okay. I’m relieved they’re done. I am making a three-tier wedding cake (5 x 11, 5 x 8, and 6 x 6 inches). I will coat, stack, and decorate them after work tonight.