It’s funny how you can overlook details, some of which can be pretty big, when you’re busy cake hunting. The cake at the Shrine of St. Joseph is a perfect example of that. I photographed this cake pretty well, but there is a fence around it, so I was so busy trying to work around the fence that I didn’t really see the cake, even though I was looking at it. And even after we got home, I was so busy thinking about how beautiful the church building is (and it really is!), that I didn’t really process the cake details. But after I saw the cake from another photographer’s point-of-view, I went back and looked at my pictures, and realized not only how beautifully well-painted it is, but actually fell in love with it to the point where it became one of my favorites!

The cake has a botanical theme, including the Missouri Botanical Garden and Forest Park’s Jewel Box. The colors and details used to express the theme are just magnificent. Being able to see the cakes through other people’s eyes, and pick up on details you might have otherwise missed is one of the unexpected joys of this project!