A memorable “Firetruck” themed birthday!

While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.

                                                                                                                                                         -Angela Schwindt

My younger son turned three a few days ago. I don’t remember where the time went from when he would struggle to roll onto his stomach, to now him being able to dress himself up. I used to think that my mother’s comments on how we grew up so fast as children was a bit exaggerated, probably reflecting her emotional needs once her children moved out of her house. But now, I realize her words were as true as it can be. I have begun to see with my own eyes what she meant by those words, and probably feel the same way now. My boy is fast growing up, his baby babbles fading into the past while his ever-expanding vocabulary grows in leaps and bounds. And so do his demands!

As we sat across the dinner table discussing our plans for our baby’s birthday, my husband had the bright idea of putting forth the most difficult question to our three year old. We had spent close to an hour going over what we thought would be the best birthday cake, and we were still indecisive. The number of cartoon characters is unbelievable. I grew up being able to count all cartoon characters on my fingers, but today, that has grown exponentially to make up an entire universe in itself! In the midst of our confusion, was our son who seemed nonchalant and clear with his answer. “Firetruck” he said, an answer which automatically raised up more questions in our head. Was it a cartoon? Would it be a model cake or a regular one with a picture on it? Where can we get this unusual cake made?

After several whatsapp inquiries, phone calls and further discussion we decide to try out Sheer Joy, a cake shop based in Sion. I am a fussy mom. I looked up Google for firetruck cakes, downloaded a whole bunch of images, chose what I liked from those pics and then explained to the guys at Sheer Joy what I wanted for this cake. I must’ve gone through 50+ pics, several phone calls till I felt satisfied that I had communicated what I want. The cake had to be par excellence, the highlight of the party, and I was not in a mood for compromise. It was the first birthday cake that my son had actually asked for and I felt emotionally obliged to give it to him.

On the day of the party, before my guests arrived, the cake was promptly delivered to my place.. I couldn’t help but take a sneak peek as the delivery guy placed the cake box on the table. I was ecstatic. It seemed like the cake was taken out of my imagination and placed into that box. Unbelievable! At 4 kg, 12 x 6 inches, the firetruck stood majestic, with all details evident, right up to it’s Maharashtra number plate! I couldn’t wait to see my sons face when he laid his eyes on it.

After serving the snacks and drinks, it was time to cut the cake. As I set up the table and placed the cake, my three year old runs up to see what it was. “FIRETRUCK!” he exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy. It took only a few seconds to get him so excited that he was all set to grab it with both his hands. “Thank you mama, thank you dada” were his next words which melted my heart as they reached my ears. His excitement showed that it was exactly what he wanted, and there couldn’t have been a happier mom at that time. As we sang the birthday song, my son continued to be enthralled by the sight of the cake, repeatedly exclaiming “Firetruck, see dada, firetruck!” And as soon as we were done with the cake cutting, he literally took no time in dismantling his cake.

The cake was truly resplendent, receiving a lot of positive comments from my guests. The ganache glaze and bitter sweet filling of the eggless dutch truffle cake made up the base of the firetruck, while the fondant icing was nice and chewy. The cake tasted elegant and rich, soft and creamy, and not sugary sweet, much to my liking. I loved the attention given to detail, including that to the indulgent accompanying cup-cakes which had cute fondant icing images of firefighting accessories like a hydrant, fire cap, hose pipe, et al. The base flavours of the cupcakes included chocolate, vanilla red velvet and blue berry. They were very colourful, bakery fresh and of a soft smooth texture, melting in the mouth on every bite. The cake was so good I had to put a clamp down on second helpings which was getting a bit too much for me to let go off. In the desert entourage were chocolate almond brownies, also from Sheer Joy, provided with a customizable ganache piping bag with which I decorated the brownies after pre heating them.

Three days later, we are still feasting on the cake, piece by piece. The freshness is amazingly intact and tastes exactly like it did on day one. My son might not remember the cake by his next birthday, but the look on his face has certainly left a lasting memory I can cherish for the rest of my life. They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it can damn well buy you a fantabulous birthday cake from SHEER JOY (Sion). (PS: They deliver all over Mumbai)