“He opened the box and saw a tiny cake shaped like a bird's nest in three small round layers of tender, browned-butter vanilla cake with an apricot filling. A "nest" border of piped rum and mocha buttercream enclosed a clutch… — Judith Fertig Copy Share Image
“I was beginning to taste it. Something bitter, but warm. A flavor that woke me up and let me see things clearly. A flavor that made me feel safe, so I could let those things go. A flavor that held my hand and walked me across to the other side of loss, and assured me that one day, I would… — Judith Fertig Copy Share
“She couldn't see the homemade colored sprinkles, the tender yellow cake, or the pale pink frosting made with strawberry syrup enhanced with a little rosewater. Although our local strawberries weren't in season yet, I had conjured the aroma and taste of juicy berries warmed by the sun. I hoped this flavor would help the two old people return once more… — Judith Fertig Copy Share
“I didn't know until I licked the mocha buttercream from my third devil's food cupcake that this was the flavor of starting over- dark… — Judith Fertig Copy Share Image
“I was starting to think of her as the "Goth Van Gogh" on a good day or "Vampira" on a bad one. She took… — Judith Fertig Copy Share Image
“Jett's artistic talent was as weighty and emphatic as the heavy black makeup she applied to her lips and eyelids.” — Judith Fertig Copy Share Image
“At Rainbow Cake, January's special flavors would be dark chocolate and coffee, those pick-me-ups we all needed to start the day- or a new year. To me, their toasty-toasty flavors said that even if you only had a mere handful of beans and your life went up in flames, you could still create something wonderful. A little trial by fire… — Judith Fertig Copy Share
“Could a flavor be pleased with itself and its position in the world? That was plum. Not the sharp-flavored skin and the sweet flesh… — Judith Fertig Copy Share Image
“At the far end of the bakery, our canvas curtain heralded April's lime and coconut theme. Little bags of coconut meringue polka dots with lime buttercream filling were there for the taking. I was proud of our little cakes shaped like a cracked-open coconut- white coconut cake interior with a dark chocolate "shell," complete with a lime cookie straw inserted… — Judith Fertig Copy Share
“I knew that sunny citrus helped put things in focus, sharpened the memory, just like a squeeze of lemon juice could sharpen and clarify the taste of sweet fruit. I was also well aware that too much citrus could indicate a corrosive anger. My first wedding at Rainbow Cake had taught me that. But this was a gentle, subdued citrus,… — Judith Fertig Copy Share
“Let's not freak out here," Jett said, ever the diplomat in venom green nail polish and little skull earrings. "People aren't going to come until they've had their dinner. Pie is for dessert." Maggie and I stood behind the counter, arms folded, and stared out the display window. Jett shook her head. Leave it to her to be remarkably upbeat… — Judith Fertig Copy Share
“People I had never seen before flocked in, their faces showing a longing you never saw for cake. People's eyes lit up for a… — Judith Fertig Copy Share Image
“The flavor that came to me was a luscious Suncrest peach that I once had in California. This heirloom variety needed time to ripen… — Judith Fertig Copy Share Image
