"Moil” - Birthday edition

I had planned out yet another cake in Blue for my husband's birthday because he loves anything and everything in Blue. A few days before the due date he saw my lists for supplies and cried out like a ten year old saying, "I want my cake to look like concrete, not blue"

Oh well, when your spouse drops a bomb like this in the end moment you are clueless.Recently, the renowned artist Melanie from Mel Cakes had crafted a beautiful concrete cake and my husband pointed out that he wished for something similar. Melanie has been a personal top favourite to both of us for a long time and taking inspiration from her is never a bad thing.

I tried very hard to achieve a finish similar to her creation.The harder I tried the farther I drifted from my concept and it had a totally different result.My mind wandered away to what we did on the walls of our bedroom at our flat in Saudi last year.We both had spent nearly two days scraping and painting up four white walls into a concrete and industrial finish.

I was halfway through and he saw me making deliberate cuts into the buttercream.He said to me.. " Don't be so hard on yourself, no two blocks or walls of concrete ever look the same "

That was it.The turning point.In less than ten minutes I finished off the decorating and went to bed.

The word "moil" means to work hard.And by all means that is what my husband is to me.I know of his moil. Not only of what I saw after marriage.But even of that before we met.Before he became an adult.Before I was born. Everything.

The various shades of grey interspersed with undertones of white and black is synonymous to the circumstances wherein there is so much of hard work.So much struggle.So much emotion that nourishes little joys.Joys that bloom into monochrome moments.They wither, wilt and yet stay rooted hoping that this block of moil will anchor it, just like concrete! My sugar leaves are loosely based on Gingko leaves. Gingko leaves look gorgeous and age gracefully even after they dry up.They attain a golden yellow colour that makes you feel that there is a much more beautiful life after death.

To match the palette used on the cake, I decided to make white Gingko leaves that are withered and wilting.The aged look has been achieved with black petal dust.

And for all those who asked.It was a German Chocolate cake.Forever favourite. Forever best selling.