The American Cake In India

The original purpose for this little jont to India was two-fold. One, it was a graduation present to my self, in the form of the "light at the end of the tunnel" while I was pushing through the last few months of school (strangely I consider this third world stuff a nice afternoon out). Two, it was my friend Matt's thirtieth birthday. Matt is a hard core traveler and wanted to have his dirty thirty in a different country. This leads me to the adventures of the American cake in India.

After we arrived in Agra to see the Taj we figured out a rough draft for our schedule for the next few days. Soon Larry (a.k.a. Lisa) and I realize that because of our days, we are going to be traveling the day of Matt or I mean Curly's birthday. Over the first night in Agra we meet this nice family who have a cute roof top restaurant here (one of a gazillion) just across from our hotel. We have a few drinks and get some henna done by the owners daughter. The next morning Larry and I plot to have them prepare (in advanced) a cake desert of some sort so we could celebrate close to midnight on the the 14th. The man at the shop takes our information and we give him a brief description, telling him we only want the cake about 4 inches in radios, thinking that some pastry thing that came close to this would be sufficient. Over the course of the afternoon as we came in and out of our hotel traveling to the Agra Fort (which, as a side note was pretty cool) the man pulled me aside asking more questions, i.e name and age and such. I am impressed that the restaurant owner thought of these details but still I am expecting not much. 

Latter that night we end up in the restaurant for dinner which mat was trying to avoid. Larry and I had to almost drag him in. Nonetheless we eat a nice dinner and one drink turns to four or more. A bit later the Owner and his daughters bring the cake out. Larry, Curly and I are absolutely blown away. They managed to make a real American birthday cake about six inches wide with a more frosting colors and flowers than a bakery could compile on one cake. The owner even managed to find the big number candles, which he had already placed perfectly on the cake and lit on the way to the table. Larry and I start the birthday song and the children of the family stand around to watch and congratulate Curly (there are seven in the family and four were regularly fixed to our table).

Mean while Curly is shocked and thus speechless. He blows out the candles and we cut the cake which we have now heard the oldest daughter spent the afternoon making. One bite later and we are all but spiting the cake out. While they can make it look real, they simply don't have the ingredients to make it taste real. The flavor and texture was more like corn meal with half an inch of colored butter frosting.

Nonetheless, we finish at least the bite and then gladly cut up the rest and send it out to all the children and every friend they have until it is all gone. Curly in the interim is still shock that we secretly pulled this task off while in India (we are as well) and has subsequently carefully taken the candles off of the cake, cleaned them, wrapped them in napkins and  placed them in his bag for safe keeping.  And so ends another surprising night in India. And yes pictures will come of this as well.