I have quite a few traditions with my family or friends, but one of my favorites is actually a big part of my time with my family and my friends: castle cake (yet another idea for C, who knew that would be such a popular letter). What is a castle cake? Usually, we make two cake mixes (at least) but instead of making just rectangles or circles, we make them into a variety of shapes – maybe one rectangle, one circle, one square, some cupcakes, mini rectangles, and whatever other shapes we want. After they’re baked, we take a piece of plywood (2x3 feet or so) and cover it with tinfoil. We arrange the cake pieces to look like a castle, frost them like a normal cake, and decorate. We use ice cream cones for turrets, chocolate bars for drawbridges, Swedish fish and blue food coloring for the moat, and lots of other candy like gummy bear guards. My mom and her siblings have been making castle cakes since before I was born, and we still make them at big family gatherings like July 4th and Thanksgiving. I started making castle cakes for my birthday when I turned 6. At that point, my friends and I would arrange the cake pieces, my parents would frost it, and we would add the candy. We had to work outside since we couldn’t be trusted not to make a mess. Over the years, we were allowed inside (though we usually prefer outside) and we’ve started icing our own cakes and going beyond castles. If we have a big group, we’ll do a contest, giving each team the same shapes and candy and seeing what they’ve come up with. We’ve made boats, carnivals, and elaborate estates but the idea is still the same – make something out of cake and candy, and eat it when you’re finished (or eat some of the candy while you’re decorating…). What are your favorite traditions?
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AuthorI’m Karen. I was originally diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in August 2004 when I was 10 years old. When I was working on my college and scholarship application essays two years ago, I wrote about my journey. Although it was a rough few years, it became such an influential part of my life that I can’t, and wouldn’t want to, imagine my life without having had cancer. I called it the worst best thing that ever happened to me. Archives
April 2022
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