Skin of cream soda, hair of cappuccino

Joel submitted a plan to me.

For his 7th birthday, he wanted for me to draw his likeness with jellybeans, in the shape of a jellybean, on a Funfetti cake.
I was to write Happy Birthday Joely-Bean around the actual Joely-Bean.

I said I’d do my best. It isn’t often I sculpt a mosaic of a face with sugar, on sugar. In fact, it’s never. I never, ever, ever make people’s faces with jellybeans anywhere. Not on cardboard, cement, or whipped milk chocolate spread with a rubber spatula on Funfetti.

This afternoon, I stuffed Teddy in the Moby and set to work. First, I frosted the cake, which I baked and cooled this morning. Then I traced the shape of a jellybean into the frosting, using the flat end of an orange peeler. I placed the cappuccino hair, then I eyeballed the blueberry blue eyeballs. Next up, a red apple mouth, followed by cream soda skin.

Unfortunately, cream soda jellybeans look grey on chocolate frosting, so Joely-Bean looks kind of like a Zombie-Bean. I should have used peach or a very pale pink.

I plan to post pictures of the cake tomorrow, after the full effect with candles is digitally documented. Perhaps the 7 little candle flames will cast a warm glow on Joely-Bean’s cream soda skin, making my creation look a little less like it wants to eat your brain.

The important thing is that Joel is pleased with the end result. Watching him blow out 7 candles, signifying 7 beautiful years of holding him in my arms and in my gaze, will make the cake a true work of art.

Happy Birthday to Joel.

(birth story fans can read Joel’s here, plus see one of my favorite photos of him)