tiny newsletter #76: guggencake

helloooooo! 

back in may, i saw this fogo island inn cake and was struck by a deep desire to recreate it in the shape of the guggenheim.

luckily, friend of the newsletter (fotn) eliza cuevas is a pro pastry chef and was onboard. this week, w fotn oonagh jordan, we did it!

here's how to bake a guggencake:

1. calculate how much cake you'll need. (it's 1 quarter sheet tray and 4 9" round pans' worth!)

2. triple this cake recipe, plus add 4 clamshells of blackberries mixed w a bit of flour to keep them from sinking and zest from 3 lemons.

3. bake them all, then cover each in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer to cool. 

4. double this buttercream recipe for a notable 10+ cups of frosting, lol. 

5. prep assembly! set up a cardboard base covered in parchment paper to work on and frosting w pastry knives ready.

6. cut your cakes: a 11" rectangular base w a 4" circle jutting out of it and circular cakes w 7.5", 8", 8.5" and 9" diameters. except i cut one of the 9" cakes too small, so ~along those lines~! 

7. cut your cardboard: 9 cardboard circles (3 each!) w 7.5", 7.75" and 8.5" diameters. use tape loops to turn matching circles into stacks of cardboard – these will support the cake layers and create space btwn them for the building's overhang effect.  

8. assemble: frost the base, place a circular cake down, frost it, place a smaller-than-the-cake set of cardboard circles down, repeat! i accidentally put the too-small cake down a layer early here and eliza and oonagh swapped it out via spatula teamwork. they were v brave!!

9. crown the guggencake w 4 additional clamshells of blackberries. et voila, dig in!

10. tear up at how beautiful it looks, how delicious it tastes, and w gratitude for amazing friends who happily spent 14 hrs on this w you. 

wdyt, park guell cake next?? 

💌 and that's the tiny letter! thank you for reading, xo aud