So my third-grader needed to make a model or diorama of the solar system for class. After searching out examples online, I somewhat jokingly suggested putting one on a cake, and she of course loved the notion. I insisted it was probably not a good idea–that the school might not allow it–and that we’d think of something else.
The next day she came in and said, “I told my teacher about the cake idea, and he loved it! He said ‘Go for it!’”
Hm. I told her we probably still needed something a bit more detailed.
The day after she came in and said, “You can’t trust anyone with a secret! My cake was supposed to be a surprise, but I just told Harvey, and he told James, who told…” A long list of names followed by “who told” followed, until she ended, “And now the whole class knows!”
Hm. “Well,” I say. “I really hadn’t committed to making cakes yet.”
“But Mom! Now everybody already knows!”
Ah, motherhood. Well, it was a cute idea, admittedly….
So (at 1 a.m. this morning–I couldn’t sleep anyway) I made a yellow butter cake for the inner system, and a black magic cake for the outer, and covered both in dark chocolate cream cheese frosting. Blaine fashioned planets from colored fondant and added sugar crystals for the asteroid belt. (And yes–she definitely wanted Pluto on there. ;-))
So her class can eat the solar system. It may not be the fanciest model around, but I bet it tastes amaaaaazing.
I can hope that some of it might come home for the baker, right? :-)
UPDATE: She got a 100. There were no leftovers. :)
8 Responses to “Eating the solar system”
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I'm a freelance copyeditor specializing in fantasy and science fiction. SF/F novels I have copyedited have been finalists for (and have sometimes won) the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke, Endeavour, Golden Spur, John W. Campbell Memorial, Quill, Locus, Philip K. Dick, British Science Fiction, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy awards. In 2007 I became the first and only copyeditor ever short-listed for a World Fantasy Award.
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That is awesome – I was already forming a comment in my head about Pluto, but looks like you both have that vital ingredient covered!
I’m glad she wanted Pluto in there. And this will teach you to make creative suggestions without really meaning it!
Hee, a whole class of third-grade Galactuses!
A and tasty too!
So what about Ceres and Eris? Got one dwarf, you gotta have them all.
Ceres is in the astroid belt — one could sprinkle chips for all of them!
Eris is out Pluto-ways, isn’t she?
Mmm, sounds tasty indeed!
I’ll have to remember the trick. Perhaps a couple of cakes with cookies of appropriate sizes and shapes stuck in for the planets…
Mmmmm. Cake.
We just found out we’re having a girl, so I guess I can look forward to baking adventures, too.
I must complain! This is scientifically inaccurate! Let us represent Earth with a cupcake three inches across. Then the Sun would be…ummm…a really big cake in another school district entirely. But delicious!
Very cool idea!
I think the cake is awesome……Had to say so.
Michael Travis Jasper
author of the novel, “To Be Chosen”