My Neighbor's Wedding Cake Experiment

My neighbor decided to bake her own wedding cake. She has no baking experience. She practiced in her kitchen every weekend for three months, and since we share a wall, I became her official taste tester.

The first cake collapsed in the middle. The second leaned like the Tower of Pisa. The third was so dense it could have been used as a doorstop. I ate them all, cheerfully, and gave her notes.

By week ten, she was producing beautiful, fluffy lemon layers with raspberry filling. On the wedding day, she carried the final cake across the lawn herself, three tiers high, with fresh flowers on top.

Everyone said it was the best wedding cake they'd ever had. She pointed at me across the reception tent and mouthed "THANK YOU." I gained eight pounds that spring. Worth every bite.