Cupcake marathon

I did something yesterday that I bet you’ve never done. I spent the morning in a monastery kitchen baking 500 cupcakes for a wedding reception.

My best friend’s son got married in Vegas last month, so Sue is having a reception for them next weekend in their hometown. Kevin was opposed to having a big reception, but Sue knew all the relatives (a.k.a. the entire population of their small town) would expect a traditional Greencreek “do” to christen the new marriage and initiate Jeana to the family.

So, Sue talked her son into a Party instead of a Reception. What Kevin has forgotten about his mother is that she always gets what she wants, and no one ever called her Simple Sue. The Party will have big band music, alcohol flowing freely and a catered dinner for about 250 people. Hmmm. Sounds a lot like a wedding reception, doesn’t it?

Kevin didn’t want a big fussy wedding cake, so Sue offered the idea of cupcakes. Cupcakes definitely whisk the event out of the Wedding Reception category and place it in the Casual Party section.

Kevin wanted things simple. And what’s not simple about a tower of 500 decorated cupcakes? His father and grandfather built the tower out of Plexi-glass, and Sue organized a cupcake-baking marathon in the biggest kitchen she could find. Another lady is going to frost and decorate each little cake.

Yes, indeedy, cupcakes are MUCH easier and less fussy than a big wedding cake. Yes, sir.

And that’s how I happened to find myself making cupcakes in the monastery kitchen yesterday.

I arrived at the Monastery of St. Gertrude on the hill behind Cottonwood, Idaho, at 9:00 Saturday morning and let myself in at the laundry door. Two or three sisters were doing their weekly washing and ironing, and one of them led me to where Sue was getting the kitchen ready.
Throughout the morning sisters popped in to say hello and see what we were up to, drawn by hen party laughter and the sweet aroma coming from the bakery. Sister Carlotta offered to help, and we took her on board immediately.

It was a fun and busy morning! Sue was the official cook, putting together the ingredients for her secret cake recipe. Her daughter Maureen and Sister Carlotta carefully filled muffin tins lined with pink and white polka-dotted cupcake papers, 9 dozen at a time.

Since I proved early on to be hopelessly sloppy with the cake batter, I was put in charge of the baking. During the 25-minute segments of baking time, I leaned expertly against the huge ovens and oversaw the flurry of activity. Oh, and I repeatedly checked the baking progress, causing at least 250 of the cupcakes to be concave. Sue couldn’t kick me off that job, too, so she just kindly pointed out that a lot of heat escapes every time I fan the damned oven door. She suggested that I trust timer.

When the timer went off, we all scrambled to get the cupcakes out as quickly as possible, with me operating the reach-to-the-back stick. (The baking chairman gets to use the gadgets, of course.)

Throughout the morning we planned a cupcake business franchise, reviewed the Super Bowl commercials, dissected and examined Maureen's new boyfriend from Argentina and laughed and laughed. By noon, we had finished baking 500 cupcakes, and joined the sisters for a delicious lunch in the cafeteria.

What a lovely morning! I hope Sue’s other son and daughter choose to have Parties instead of Wedding Receptions, and that I’m included in the ensuing cupcake marathons!

(Photo by Sue. L-R: Me wielding the reach-to-the-back stick, Sr. Carlotta and Maureen)