My biggest project this week was baking and decorating a cake for a friend’s golden birthday (29 on the 29th).  It was a surprise party thrown for her by her husband.  He asked me to make a cake for 100 people, and chose a cherry almond cake with almond buttercream – one of my favorites (to eat and to make!).  I did two round tiers – a bottom, 16-inch round, and a 12-inch round on top.  As it was her golden birthday, I decorated with a gold ribbon around the base of each tier, and then piped dots around the cakes which were painted with an edible gold glaze.  One of the new things that I tried with this cake was a different type of support structure.  In the past I have used wood dowels, which have to be measured and then painstakingly cut to the right size.  It is always a chore, and the last one I did, I ended up breaking a good knife.  So one time when I was watching Ace of Cakes recently, I noticed one of the guys putting supports in a cake, almost like straws, but really thick, and easily snipping them to the right height with a scissors.  Snip Snip Snip, and it was done!  (Yes, I know, most people just watch that show for the fun, but I have stuff to LEARN from watching it!)  So I went to their website, and found one of their links for cake advice.  And there was the answer – bubble tea straws!!  I immediately found a source online and purchased some – spent about $5 on 50 straws.  Oh, but let me tell you, how wonderfully easy it was to cut those supports for the cake.  Snip Snip Snip, and it was done!  Never, ever will I use those awful wood dowels again.