Happy Birthday Smitty!

Today's post is super special!  Why?  Because today's post is on my brother's birthday!  My sweet baby brother turned 24 towards the end of December.  He has this really tight nit group of friends, who always throw something together for whoever's birthday is up.  So, when Smith's birthday was up, they decided to throw him a surprise birthday dinner at one of the steakhouses here in San Diego.  However, let me tell you how good we got my brother first.  So, I work with my brother.  And I was going to make him a cake.  There was no way I wasn't going to make him something!  But because I work with him...It was kind of difficult to shield him from seeing me bake and decorate a cake.  So my grand plan?  Turn that cake into an order!  So, I ended up building his cake, right in front of his face.  In fact, he unknowingly helped me with is very own cake!  I made an extra special cake for my baby brother.  Baked up my chocolate cake and also a cheesecake.  Yes, a real cheesecake.  Not cheesecake fillSoing.  But cheesecake cheesecake!  And I smack dabbed that cheesecake right in-between two layers of moist chocolatey goodness.  I proceeded to engulf the entire cake with vanilla whipped cream (because cheesecake always tastes better with a dallop of whipped cream, right??).  Then, I stuck white and dark chocolate stripped cigarettes all around the cake (because it seems more manly....) and then realized I didn't have enough cigarettes for the entire cake.  DOH!  Fail....Lucky for me, I bought some chocolate squares too.  And luckily, I'm the super cautious type that always overbuys.  So, my brother help me remove all the chocolate cigarettes and helped me decide how to place all the chocolates around.  Once we were finished with that tedious task, I had to tackle the top.  What is manly to place on top?  I was thinking of shaving chocolate curls all over the top, but then decided it was too much chocolate and just too much business.  I really wanted to put mixed berries, but dang it, strawberries were $5.00 a pint at that time in December.  So, I asked my brother...his answer: Just get the berries and charge extra.  Oh, little bro..if only you knew...But I did really love the look of fresh berries on top of cakes.  It just looks so luxurious and fresh!  So, that's what I did.  I then told him to watch the shop while I deliver my cake to  my client.  Boy, we got him good. 

 Later that day, I made plans with Smitty to go out for dinner..just big sis and lil bro....and another couple.  Just the four of us.  And that's what we did.  Or, at least, that's what he thought we were going to do.  However, when we got to the restaurant (the crew had already reserved a private room in the back, so everyone was already there), Smith was thrown the biggest surprise ever.  Everyone was there.  His whole crew was there.  Right when he thought they really didn't care...they did.  Of course they did!! That, my dear readers, was surprise #1.  We got him real good.  

So, what's a birthday without a cake right?  See how awesome his cake was??  Look at all those yummy fresh fruit and all that chocolate!  And the cake sliced up was just absolutely beautiful.  Two thick layers of chocolate cake and a beautiful white layer of creamy cheesecake.  So good!!  And you should have seen his face when the waiter brought out his cake.  His cake...the one he helped with...the one for some other client...the one with the expensive strawberries.  His face was classic.  And I wished I remembered to take a picture of that face.  But, alas, I lived in the moment, and that face will forever be remembered in my memories!

Happy Birthday baby brother...try and top that! Ha! Hope everyone enjoyed this post!  PS...sorry for the terrible pictures...of course no one brings a real camera..and we had to take quick pictures in a dimly lit room!  But I'm sure you can still tell what everything is!  Until the next post!