Birthday Cake, Forest Cafe

What is the Forest Cafe? A volunteer run arts initiative in Edinburgh.  Non-hierarchy.  It is a central part of Edinburgh's cultural scene- means a lot to people. Art gallery, cafe, music venue.  Throughout my five years living in Edinburgh, I came to the Forest, regularly, but this was the first summer I volunteered. It also happened to be the summer that the Forest celebrated its 10th birthday- and I put myself forward to make the cake! 

The challenge was to made a cake which catered for about 150 guests.  I also wanted it to epitomised what the Forest Cafe was about- equality, creativity and DIY.  Myself and a team of Forest volunteers set about designing a cake which fitted the bill- and came up with a design for a nine foot wooden structure in the shape of a cake which guests (2 at a time) could go into and take a cupcake- hanging on a ribbon from the ceiling of the cake. 

This happened at the end of a 10 course banquet.  We were all given candles to put in our cupcakes, and sang 'happy birthday' to the Forest at the top of our voices. It was an epic moment.