Wedding Cake Murder

by Joanne Fluke

  “We’re sure,” Hannah turned to Michelle. “Aren’t we, Michelle?”

  “Yes, we’re sure,” Michelle agreed quickly. “Set three places, Norman. Cuddles is going to be very disappointed if she doesn’t get at least three of those shrimp.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The conflagration of butterflies was raging in Hannah’s stomach, causing a firestorm of nerve endings that made her feel as if she were teetering on the edge of a steep canyon with no way to save herself from tumbling into the abyss.

  “Take a deep breath,” Michelle coached her. “Do it right now.”

  Hannah took a deep breath. Perhaps it would help. The butterflies settled down a fraction, and that made her feel a bit better.

  “Here.” Michelle handed her a bottle of water. “Drink just a little. Then take another deep breath.”

  Hannah followed her youngest sister’s instructions. What could it hurt? She was going to fall off the edge and into oblivion anyway.

  “Much better,” Michelle commented, smiling at her. “That particular shade of green didn’t go with your lipstick at all.”

  It took Hannah a minute and then she laughed. “I was actually green?”

  “You were. I’ve never seen anybody with stage fright that bad before. I thought you were going to pass out cold.”

  “I felt like I was going to pass out cold.” Hannah took another deep breath and another swallow of water. “I’m a lot better now. Did you bring my veil?”

  “It’s on the second shelf down, right by your left hand.”

  “And the cake server?”

  “It’s right next to the veil. Don’t worry, Hannah. Everything’s here. I checked it twice to make sure.”

  Hannah gave a little sigh. “I suppose I have to wear the veil.”

  “That’s right. You do. Lisa told me that if you didn’t wear it, Aunt Nancy would have a cow.”

  Hannah smiled. And then she chuckled. And then she laughed. “Have a cow?” she asked.

  “Yes. At least that what Aunt Nancy told Lisa. You’d better wear it, Hannah. If you don’t, who knows what might happen!”

  “Thanks, Michelle,” Hannah said sincerely. “I’m not as nervous now.”

  “And you won’t be nervous at all once you start to bake.” Michelle glanced at her watch. “Let’s arrange our bowls and pans, Hannah. It’s almost time to introduce the judges and the contestants.”

  Michelle was right. Once the introductions were made and Alain Duquesne had started the clock, Hannah’s nervousness disappeared in a blanketing cloud of activity. They’d rehearsed their cakes in Sally’s kitchen early this morning, and everything had proceeded smoothly. Hannah wasn’t sure if that was because she’d baked so often with Michelle, or because they’d rehearsed this cake more than five times. It really didn’t matter in the giant scheme of things. They finished mixing the cake batter, coloring and flavoring it with the Jell-O powders, and were currently waiting for their oven timer to sound so that they could cool the cakes enough to frost them.

  “The frosting’s ready,” Michelle said, carrying the bowl over to the center of their workstation. “Five more minutes before the cakes come out. Too bad we don’t have a kitchen coffeepot. I could use a cup.”

  “We do,” Hannah said, motioning toward the coffeepot that was set up behind them. “I brought our kitchen percolator, and I just made a pot of church basement coffee.”

  “You brought that big pot just for us?” Michelle asked.

  “No. I’m serving church basement coffee with my wedding cake. I think it’ll be perfect to cut the sweetness.”

  “You’re right. I wonder if they’ve ever heard of church basement coffee.”

  “I doubt it. It’s hard to find percolators these days. Dad had a case of thirty-cup pots and another case of twelve-cup pots. I snagged them both before I sold the hardware store for Mother.”

  “Smart thinking! I’ll get the coffee. Do you want a cup?”

  “Yes, please. I need to keep my energy up for the judging.”

  “Do you think I should offer a cup to Brooke?”

  “I really don’t think we should disturb her right now. She looks a little frazzled. She told me last night that she was making three kinds of petit fours and she was afraid the time would expire before she’d frosted them all.”

  When Michelle brought the coffee for them, both sisters climbed up on the tall, counter-height stools that were provided for each contestant and assistant. They had just finished their coffee when the stove timer rang. The cakes were ready to come out of the oven, and they had to cool the layers and frost them before the end of the competition.

  It took only five minutes to cool the cake layers in the micro-chiller. Then Hannah removed them from the pans and passed them to Michelle to frost.

  It was obvious to Hannah that Michelle had been practicing her cake decorating skills with Lisa. Her sister worked quickly and confidently, spreading frosting between the layers and stacking them expertly. Once the layers were stacked, she frosted the outside of the cake and then the top.

  “Time?” she asked Hannah.

  “Twelve,” Hannah said, glancing at the huge clock on the wall near the table where the judges were sitting.

  “Plenty of time.” Michelle picked up the pastry bag and proceeded to decorate the cake with a white-on-white scroll-work design that looked like fine lace, a copy of the pattern that was on Hannah’s veil. She finished it with red roses around the layers and added a heart on the top.

  “Done,” she said, stepping back to turn her cake slowly around on the carousel plate to make sure the design was perfect. “Do you want me to carry it to the judging table?”

  “Yes. I’ll bring the tray with the coffee. It’s beautiful, Michelle. Thank you for learning how to frost it.”

  “I had a great teacher. Lisa’s really amazing with the pastry bag. Are you nervous about cutting it?”

  “Only because I hate to spoil perfection. I’m really looking forward to cutting this cake. It’s so pretty inside.”

  Hannah glanced at the clock again. They still had three minutes. “Are we good to go?” she asked.

  “We’re ready. I’ll push the cart with the cake, the cake knife, the server, the forks, and the plates. All you have to do is put on your veil and bring the cart with the coffee.”

  Hannah felt silly as she clamped the veil on the top of her head. She felt as if she were making a spectacle of herself. But Aunt Nancy had been absolutely right, so far, and there was no reason to change the game plan at this late date.

  When Hannah heard her name, she motioned to Michelle to deliver the cake. Then she pushed the cart with the coffee in her sister’s wake. The cake was the star, after all. It should be the first thing the judges noticed.

  “What have we here?” Chef Duquesne asked her, looking highly amused.

  “It’s a much smaller version of my wedding cake,” Hannah explained. “I wanted something different, and I decided to serve a Double Rainbow Swirl Cake.”

  La Vonna Brach looked intrigued. “What’s that?”

  “It’s a cake with all the colors of the rainbow inside. As you can see, it looks like a regular wedding cake from the outside.”

  “Except it’s prettier than most,” Christian Parker commented. “Most wedding cakes are over-decorated. This one is elegantly simple.”

  “But that’s the whole idea!” Alain Duquesne told him. “The real decoration for Miss Swensen’s wedding cake is her veil and what’s inside the cake.” He turned to Hannah. “Am I right?”

  “You’re right, Chef,” Hannah told him.

  “And you’re wearing your wedding veil because you’re going to cut the cake?” Jeremy Zales asked her.

  “Yes, Chef.”

  “Hold on a second, Miss Swensen,” Helene Stone said. “Is that coffee you have in that silver urn?”

  “Yes, it is,” Hannah answered quickly. “I thought it would be the perfect complement to the sweetness of the c
ake. Would you care for a cup?”

  “Yes!”

  Three of the judges spoke in unison and Hannah motioned to Michelle, who poured cups of Hannah’s church basement coffee and passed the cream, sugar, and artificial sweetener.

  “Oh. This coffee looks rather weak.” Chef Duquesne looked highly disappointed.

  “It’s not weak, Chef Duquesne,” Hannah told him. “It’s church basement coffee and I used eggs and eggshells to clear the brew. Please taste it and see what you think of it.”

  Chef Duquesne picked up his cup and tasted the coffee. He took a second sip. “It has a good, robust flavor. How did you make it, Miss Swensen?”

  “I made it in an old-fashioned percolator, but you can also use a pot on the stove, or even one of those antique blue enamel coffeepots on a campfire. If you make it on the stove or a campfire, you wait until the water boils and then you dump in three eggs mixed in with the ground coffee.”

  “Shells and all?” La Vonna Brach asked, looking surprised.

  “Yes, shells and all. The shells and the eggs clear the dark brown coffee color. You put the pot back on the heat, wait until it just starts to boil, pull it off and, douse it with a cup of icy cold water. Then you just strain it into cups.”

  “And how do you make your church basement coffee in a percolator?” Jeremy Zales asked her.

  “That’s a lot easier because you have a basket to hold the coffee grounds and the cracked eggs. All you really have to do is let it perk until the coffee is the right color and serve it.”

  “And do you serve coffee like this at your coffee shop?” Helene Stone asked her.

  “Yes, every day. Many of my customers grew up on church basement coffee. They’d be disappointed if I served anything else.”

  “I agree that the coffee is superb,” Chef Duquesne said. “But let’s get to your wedding cake, Miss Swensen. Am I correct in assuming that you’re going to cut your cake without your groom? Or is he here to help you?”

  Hannah was so surprised at the question she was speechless for a moment, but then she answered quickly. “He’s here, Chef Duquesne, but he’s working behind one of the cameras. My fiancé, Ross Barton, is an independent producer for KCOW Television, our local station.”

  “Is there anyone who can take over for him so that he can help you cut your cake?” Chef Duquesne asked, his eyes searching the various cameramen stationed at strategic places near the cooking stages.

  “I’ll take over for him,” someone called out, and Hannah recognized P.K.’s voice. “He’ll be right there, Hannah.”

  Hannah knew she was probably blushing beet red as Ross came out of the darkness and took his place at her side. One glance at his face and she could tell that he was enjoying the unexpected appearance. Ross was laughing, and he gave her a little hug before he turned to Judge Duquesne.

  “I’ve never cut a wedding cake before, Chef. Will it be all right if I deliver the plates to the judging panel?”

  “Yes!” La Vonna Brach was laughing, too. “You don’t have to feed cake to each other the way you’ll actually do at the wedding reception. I just want to taste Hannah’s creation. If it’s as good as her coffee, I’ll be very impressed.”

  “I’m sure it will be,” Ross said, giving her his most charming smile as Hannah cut the first slice and he delivered it to her. “Everything Hannah bakes is wonderful.”

  “And you are going to have a happy marriage if you keep on complimenting her that way,” Helene Stone said, accepting her dessert plate and fork from Ross. “This is a beautiful cake.” She looked up at Hannah. “Did you use food coloring?”

  “No, I decided to use something that would give the cake the right colors, but also lend different flavors to those colors.”

  “Jell-O powder!” Chef Duquesne pronounced, tasting a bit of the green area. “I recognize the taste. That was brilliant, Miss Swensen.”

  “I saw you mixing the batter by hand,” Jeremy Zales told her. “I noticed that you used butter, cream, and powdered sugar, but there was another ingredient that you added to your frosting.”

  “Yes, there was,” Hannah answered. “It was white chocolate liqueur.”

  “Aha!” Christian Parker exclaimed. “I thought I recognized the underlying taste! That was an interesting choice, Miss Swensen.”

  Chef Duquesne nodded. “Yes, and it was a good choice. It doesn’t overshadow the other flavors, but it adds another very pleasant dimension to the frosting.”

  “Thank you,” Hannah said as the other judges began to praise her cake, describing it as innovative, surprising, and attractive on the plate. There were no negative comments and Hannah was delighted with their assessment.

  “Would any of you care for a bit more coffee?” Michelle asked when she noticed that several of their coffee cups were empty.

  “I would,” Helene Stone said, draining the last swallow in her cup.

  Several of the other judges agreed, and this time Ross carried the silver carafe over to fill the cups. Then he returned the carafe to the tray and gave Hannah a hug. “I’d better get back to work.” He placed a kiss on Hannah’s cheek and then he was gone.

  “I think you made a very wise choice, Miss Swensen,” Chef Duquesne said.

  “Thank you,” Hannah responded, even though she wasn’t sure whether the head judge was approving her choice of husband or her choice of cake. Actually, she hoped it was both, but she’d have to wait for the reading of the scores to find out for sure.

  DOUBLE RAINBOW SWIRL CAKE

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

  1 and ½ cups softened butter (3 sticks, 12 ounces, ¾ pound)

  2 cups white (granulated) sugar

  4 large eggs

  ½ cup (8 ounces) cream cheese (I used Philadelphia cream cheese in the silver, brick-shaped package—half of it is equal to a half cup)

  8 ounces white chocolate chips (I used half of an 11-ounce package of Ghirardelli white chocolate—it’s about a cup and that’s close enough for this cake)

  ½ cup unflavored yogurt (I used Mountain High)

  ½ teaspoon salt

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  2 cups cake flour (DO NOT SIFT—use it right out of the box—just scrape it out and swoop, leveling off the top with a table knife.)

  1 small package (makes 4 half-cup servings) raspberry Jell-O powder

  1 small package (makes 4 half-cup servings) orange Jell-O powder

  1 small package (makes 4 half-cup servings) lemon Jell-O powder

  1 small package (makes 4 half-cup servings) lime Jell-O powder

  1 small package (makes 4 half-cup servings) berry blue Jell-O powder

  1 small package (makes 4 half-cup servings) grape Jell-O powder

  Generously butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. (Don’t use Pam or any other nonstick cooking spray. Andrea says the Pam Baking Spray, the one with flour added, works just fine for her. But you can also butter the inside of the layer pans and sprinkle in flour to coat the bottom and the sides—that will work fine, too. Shake off any excess by thumping the bottom and sides of the pan and you’re good to go.

  Personally, for a wedding cake, I don’t want any browning on the top, bottom, or sides of the layer. The only way I know to prevent this is to line the layer pans with a circle of parchment paper in the bottom, and a strip of parchment paper around the sides that extends at least two-inches over the top of the pan. Once you’ve coated all the parchment paper with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, you’ve done all you could to prevent browning.

  Beat the softened butter and white granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. (You can mix this cake by hand, but it takes some muscle.)

  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until they’re light and fluffy. Make sure they’re well mixed.

  Soften the cream cheese in a microwave-safe container on HIGH for 1 minute. Let it sit in the microwave for 1
minute longer without heating.

  Add the white chocolate chips, the half-cup unflavored yogurt, and the salt.

  Heat the mixture you made on HIGH for 1 minute more and again, let it sit in the microwave for 1 minute. Then try to stir it smooth with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. If you can’t stir it smooth, heat it in 30-second increments with 30 seconds of standing time until you can stir it smooth.

  Add this to the contents of your mixing bowl. Beat until everything is thoroughly combined.

  Add the baking powder and the vanilla extract. Mix until they’re incorporated.

  Add the cake flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition. Mix until the resulting batter has no lumps.

  Divide the cake batter into 6 smaller bowls.

  Hannah’s 1st Note: This is easier if you first divide the batter evenly into 2 larger bowls and then divide each of those bowls into 3 smaller bowls. They do not have to be perfect. The cake batter police will not be knocking on your door to measure each bowl. Just do it as best you can.

  Open the first Jell-O package and add 2 Tablespoons of the raspberry Jell-O powder to the batter in the bowl. Mix until it is thoroughly combined and the red color is deep and even.

  Repeat with the next 5 Jell-O flavors, adding 2 Tablespoons of the orange Jell-O powder to the 2nd bowl, two Tablespoons of the lemon Jell-O powder to the 3rd bowl, 2 Tablespoons of the lime Jell-O powder to the 4th bowl, 2 Tablespoons of the berry blue Jell-O powder to the 5th bowl, and 2 Tablespoons of the grape Jell-O powder to the 6th bowl.

  Hannah’s 2nd Note: Lisa, Michelle and I prefer adding Jell-O powder rather than food coloring. The Jell-O powder gives a nice, intense color and it adds its own flavor to each bowl.

  Seal up the packages of Jell-O that are left over and stick them in your pantry to use for the next Double Rainbow Swirl Cake you make.

  To prepare your Double Rainbow Swirl Cake for baking, begin with the raspberry Jell-O bowl (the red one). Use a soup spoon to empty it in a puddle in the 1st layer cake pan near the outside edge of your cake.