I asked Gagne what his first reaction was to the castle cake design , which he recalls as being Ron Logan ’ s idea , but again , that castle was just begging to be covered in icing , so it was likely a hive mind phenomenon of enthusiasm and ideas once it got rolling .
Gagne said , “ My initial reaction to the project was dismissive . ‘ What a silly idea ,’ I thought . It was only upon reflection I came to realize this was an example of what Walt called a ‘ weenie .’ That thing which draws us in , leads us toward a discovery or some delight . I came to appreciate the idea of having a big birthday cake as that weenie , the centerpiece of the park for the period of the birthday celebration .”
Such a high-profile project was a dream come true for Conrad . He recalled , “ It was thrilling to know that Eisner had seen my sketches , even if the concept didn ’ t fly . But now I was even more excited to be given another shot to make it happen .“
Along the lines of candy and cake , Gagne asked Conrad to come up with a few variations that would keep their imaginations and options open .
Conrad remembered a few of the designs : “ One was pretty much the original WDI concept , only more so , with dripping icing , bolder decorations , and lots more candles , while another covered the entire bottom story with a massive round structure like a layer cake , with a great big slice having already been carved out of it . Someone on the team came up with the idea of using candy to decorate the cake , more or less like a gingerbread house . An intern was dispatched to the candy store at Pleasure Island to pick up some samples for inspiration , and we were off and running .
“ Some of the sharp conical roofs could be turned into candles , but other towers seemed to call for a different approach ,” Conrad continued . “ So I imagined them as stacks of Oreo cookies , each surmounted by a gumball and a Hershey ’ s Kiss , complete with its flapping flag . There would be thick candy canes for the main tower , candy corn accents , and windows surrounded by Lifesavers of various flavors ( and thus colors ), all glued together with heavy , colored icing . Also set into the frosted walls were gingerbread men , gumdrops , SweetTarts , and chocolate Sno-Caps , along with a multitude of colored sprinkles . Some of the turrets were to be ringed with lollipops , and in the center of it all would be the familiar wax number candles for ‘ 25 .’”
And that signature pink ? Conrad passed that one off to Gagne . “ If I recall correctly , it was Wayne who suggested that the pink frosting , apparently as a way to make it less like the original building , with its gray stone walls and blue roofs . My sketch shows one swath of color through the middle to see how that might look with all the candies in place .”
FACT : There were actually three different colors of pink on the cake castle . With the addition of candy décor elements , the design was almost fully baked . IMAGE COURTESY OF MIKE CONRAD