the making of the LUNAR LOVE horse cake
or, how I recommend NOT spending pub day
It’s heartbreaking what’s happening in LA with the devastating wildfires. I moved from LA to Nashville a few years ago, and it will always be “home” in many ways. It will always have a piece of my heart. If you’re in LA right now, I hope you’re safe.
If you’re able to donate, your financial support will go a long way. A couple recs (but there are many organizations doing great work and a lot of individuals that need support): Pasadena Humane (they’ve taken in 300+ animals as of 1/8) and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
Today is Lunar Love’s second birthday! (And yesterday was Red String Theory’s first birthday!) What better way to celebrate than by talking about cake. Yes, I know, eating one would be better (and I might just do that). (Or cookies.) 😆 It feels like just yesterday that I debuted. So much has happened since 2023, and I’ve learned a lot. About myself, about writing, about publishing. I have so many feels about all of it. But I’ll have to save that for a different time, because today’s all about cake. Horse shaped ones.
In Lunar Love, Olivia loves to bake. And because she’s a Chinese zodiac matchmaker, the cakes she makes are animal-shaped. At her Pó Po’s birthday party, she bakes her a horse-shaped cake because she’s—you guessed it—the Year of the Horse!
Here’s that moment in the book:
So, naturally, to celebrate pub day and my launch party, I thought it would be fun to make a horse-shaped cake! Because there wasn’t enough to do on pub day…🙃 (Hey, I was a debut and it was my first one—I did not know things. This is also classic me, to take on way too much.) All I did know was the cake could be no other shape or animal to celebrate Lunar Love, and the horse absolutely wasn’t going to be 3x2 feet like it is in the book.
I was thinking about the creation of this cake the other day and how fun (and funny) this experience was. It was also extremely messy. I have not made an animal-shaped cake since, though now that I’m putting this out there (and that it’s been over two years), I kind of want to again?
These in-process photos have never seen the light of day because I’m a perfectionist (working on this; getting better). The making of this cake was neither aesthetic nor frustration-free…in fact, it was the opposite of perfect. And yet, it still turned out great. I’m ready to face the imperfection and share this with you.
Let me preface everything I’m about to say with this: the cake was safe to eat and we kept everything clean. Promise! Everyone was fine (and actually enjoyed the cake)!
If you’re thinking about making an animal-shaped cake or baking something fun for a big day/celebration/event, I have insights to share.
Let’s start with the mistakes: