Good-bye is a Process...

...Even if it's only to a wedding cake!  Ok, maybe a little too dramatic.  But this thing of beauty sat on my island all day.  So gorgeous looking, and so uneaten, except for that tiny piece off the back that the prince and princess had lovingly shared at their reception.  It seemed destructive to cut up something so wonderful and valuable for 'no good reason.'  That was a faulty impression, of course, so it was time.


First I focused on saving the top for the couple's first anniversary.  I removed the decorations, so carefully placed by Princess Bride Sassy, and patched the frosting wounds, hoping to better seal the moisture in the cake.  I then lifted the upper section.  Even this smallest part was heavy.  I had to know how heavy, so out came my Escali kitchen scale.  6 pounds, 6.7 ounces.

  
I pondered whether or not to remove the food-safe ribbon trim, and left it on.  I wrapped it in a few layers of plastic wrap, then foil, then more plastic wrap.  I finally 

Looks like a giant DingDong!

enclosed all in 2 of my plastic bread bags, as it was just barely too large to slide into a gallon ZipLoc Freezer bag, which wouldn't have closed around it anyway.  



I am still second-guessing the ribbon decision, and if you tell me it was a big mistake, I will kick myself, cry, and then unwrap it and start over to make it right.





When lifting the 2nd layer off, I found that this wasn't a project I should've undertaken alone.  An extra set of hands would have been nice.  
This layer weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and was on a plastic plate with major columns that extended into and through the lowest layer.  It was a little precarious to balance an 8 pound cake, covered in copious amounts of frosting, while trying to remove those legs in order to set it down.  At this point, it was necessary to keep a paper towel handy so I'd remember not to lick all the frosting off my fingers!  That wouldn't have been great for the safety of the food, nor for my stomach and blood sugar.



For this and the bottom layer, I cut the cake into manageable sections (fourths for the middle, and sixths for the bottom portion), then wrapped them in plastic wrap.  I was able to place them in ZipLoc freezer bags.  To keep them as fresh as possible I sealed the edges, but with a short straw inserted to suck out excess air before sealing completely.  


 I took my time with a break in between each, since it's a good recipe for getting dizzy!

The island's wedding cake is no more, and a whole freezer shelf is full.  There is a bit of a mess remaining, but I'm headed for bed, and that, like a lot of things, will wait until tomorrow.

Not nearly as pretty, but an accomplishment...and supply of cake for
several weeks to come!