This cake was a labor of love and a big sticky mess! I made it for my mother- in-law who had just come home from the hospital that week. I wanted to cheer her up with something pretty and sweet. Sweet it was!! I made an angel cake with seven minute frosting. (trying to avoid artery clogging ingredients, not that all that sugar is so much better for you.)
My candy thermometer was MIA so I tried the soft ball method of testing the sugar. The first batch of frosting was just right but didn't quite cover the cake as well as I would have liked. Since I don't like to skimp on the frosting, I had to make another batch. Now mind you, I should be walking out the door to go to her house at this time. So I rushed a little and the frosting was a little too soft. I did not fully understand this until I put it on the cake, my understanding of this mistake grew even more when I started piping. The flowers were a redeeming quality for sure!! And yes, those are little bluebirds of happiness nesting in the flowers. By the time I got it to her house, the second layer of icing had fallen off and was running over the edge of the plate and the piping had disappeared. It was however, very delicious and she was pleased that I thought of her. And, big surprise, I was pretty late and my husband was pacing the floor when I arrived.