Mazel Tov!

I was recently asked to make a cake for a Bar Mitzvah.

It was my first. Considering I was raised in a Christian household, attended only parochial schools, and have only been inside a Synogogue a handful of times in my life.....I think it turned out pretty well, don't you??

I used two 9 x 13 pans to create a double layer vanilla cake. After freezing the finished cake, I carved the top and sides flat.

I bought this humongous spatula for only $5 at a close-out store in North Conway, N.H.

I don't know how I have lived this long without one.

LOOK! It picks up the whole dang cake!

Crumb-coat or "dirty-ice" the entire cake before placing the fondant.

Once the fondant is placed, work quickly to seal and trim.

The base of the cake represents the bimah, which is the elevated area or platform from which the person reads from the Torah. I used brown food coloring mixed with vodka to create a woodtone.

The Vodka dries to a very shiny finish. You don't believe me?? Okay, go spill some Vodka on your kitchen floor and let it dry.

Even though I froze the cake before carving out the shape, I still wasn't happy that the sides still came out slightly rounded. Next time, I'm using a chainsaw.

The tallit, or prayer shawl, was much easier to replicate. I used white fondant and rolled it out to the desired length. Then I used a small rolling pin to press three strips of blue fondant into the white.

This looks like the prayer shawls that were worn in the film "The Ten Commandments". Especially the one worn by...........go on..........you know the name.............tall guy, long white hair, gladiator sandals, carrying two stone tablets, answers to the name of.....................MOSES.

After trimming and shaping, I made tassles for both ends and tried to gracefully drape it across the cake.

For the yamaka, I shaped white fondant on an upturned cereal bowl and let it dry overnight. Then I carefully trimmed it with white fondant strips and sugar pearls.

A hand-held steamer is a great way to give the fondant a nice shiny finish on the completed cake.

I still like to use the food coloring and vodka mixture on the more detailed items though. You know what they say "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker".

Shalom!