Colette's Birthday Cakes

A cake is de rigeur for any American birthday celebration worthy of the name. Continuing her series of volumes pictorializing her sumptuous cakes, Peters brings her decorative skills to cakes designed specifically for birthday observances. And anyone receiving a cake like one of Peters' creations should be particularly grateful. Peters' skill with milled fondant overshadows that of most other professional bakers. She can carve fondant into tight, sharp geometry’s, or she can swirl it, fold it, and wave it into silken ruffles and curves that belie its solidity. Line drawings assist the cook in recreating these elegant pastries, but only professionals and those with some formal training in handling fondants and cake-decorating tools and techniques will readily pick up on Peters' barebones instructions. Recipes, too, reflect a professional's approach, measuring by weight rather than volume.