Poppycock December/January 2014-15 | Page 20

again, piping, chatting and gossiping all the way about whatever comes to mind. Layers of mini cakes and large cakes alike get the steady hand of trimming to sit straight. The crumb layer of scratch made frosting is applied to seal the cake before it is frosted for aesthetics. Elizabeth applies the perfect swirl atop a spinning cake; a stylish touch atop a handcrafted cake. My mother apparently lied to me about sweets for breakfast. In my morning at Palace, cake is a morning option like your mother never told you it could be. One guest orders a breakfast cake slice. Another group of women order a variety of slices for the office including a seasonal sweet potato cake still steaming with fresh icing drizzle as it is boxed. Another guest, a slice mocha chocolate cake…it wasn’t even 10am. A basque-style custard-filled cake, delicate chiffons, chocolate mocha, hearty breakfast cake, the sweet potato, and the yellow cake that started it all pepper the display counter in the shop amongst other cakes that come and go. Some of it family recipes, others creations of a baker’s mind. Elizabeth and Juli endeavored to create something new, some place they could have a slice of something they missed, and in the process built a business from the best of the culinary past. Bakers that strip away everything but the cake, they do just one thing: Great cake made of the best ingredients for all the right reasons.