I have been a fan of Amy Sherman-Palladino since the first episode of "Gilmore Girls." Well okay, I didn't technically know who she was at that point in time, except for the name that appeared on the screen after an all too soon ending of my favorite show. It wasn't until a few years later that I was able to put a face to the name, during an airing of an interview for what was once the WB (a frog wearing a tuxedo was their mascot, it was a magical time).
Anywho, after that interview, I decided I wanted this woman to adopt me as her little sister. I mean, a person who is smart, funny, and can pull off a top hat? Definitely dream big sister material.
So of course when I heard that she was writing a new show called, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" I was there for it. I mean, forget my previous prejudice of paying for yet another streaming show service (it's only available on Amazon Prime), I would have built my own wifi tower from scratch if that's what it took to watch the show.
So, putting my over the top fangirl-ing aside, while I knew that "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" would be good, I had no idea the level of perfection I was about to witness. I know, I know, I'm extremely biased, but I can honestly say if I had never heard of Amy Sherman-Palladino this would still be one of my all time favorite shows. From the story, to the dialogue, to the acting, and the setting of late 1950's New York, it was all marvelous. The critics loved it, it had almost all positive reviews on Amazon, and it was nominated for everything.
So of course I figured it would be canceled.
To my immense relief, I heard that not just one, but two more seasons had been picked up! So to celebrate, I decided to do what comes naturally to me when I want to share something I love, which is to recreate it out of cake.
Just in case you haven't seen the show, here's a quick recap: The series centers around Midge Maisel, a 1950's housewife who would have put the entire town of Stepford to shame. We're talking two kids, pristine apartment, home cooked dinners, and makeup only to be removed after her husband is asleep and applied again before he wakes up. When her husband decides he wants to try to be a stand-up comic, Midge does everything from bribing the club owner with a brisket to get him the best time slot, to recording how many laughs he gets per joke. Despite her Donna Reed level of perfection, her husband leaves her for his 21-year-old secretary who doesn't even know how to use a pencil sharpener. Distraught and more than a little drunk, Midge goes to the nightclub where her husband performed and by chance gives the comedic genius performance of a lifetime. When Susie, the manager of the comedy club, sees Midge's "act" she knows she is witnessing the next big comedy star. Together, the two of them form a team with the combined dream of making Midge a famous stand-up comedian.
So now that we are all up to speed, we can have a serious chat about cake. Usually the first thing I determine when I'm making a cake is to figure out how many characters to create. While all the characters in "Mrs. Maisel" warrant a tribute made of sugar (I especially love Lenny Bruce *sigh*), I decided to keep it simple and focus on Midge and Susie.
Midge Maisel
The thing I love the most about Midge Maisel is that it feels as if she should have existed. That this smart, resilient, and hysterical woman was supposed to have been part of the incredible comedians that came out of the 1950's and 60's. Even the actress who plays her, Rachel Brosnahan, looks like she took a ride in a DeLorean especially to star in this series. (Side note: Rachel is much prettier than her sugar figure.)
Midge has several fantastic outfits throughout the show, but for her sugar figure I decided to dress her in what Susie calls "the look." A beautiful black (Chanel?) dress with just the right amount of details. Her accessories include black gloves and a double pearl necklace, making it the perfect combination of classical elegance. I also gave Midge a sugar stage, a microphone, and her Pyrex dish, brisket not included.
Susie Myerson
Susie is the kind of friend most of us would love to have. A person who not only gives Midge the confidence and strength to be the best version of herself, but also bailed her out of jail, and verbally annihilated her ex-husband in a speech that made me laugh, cry, and cheer all at the same time. If anyone can make Midge a star, it's Susie Myerson.
For Susie's sugar figure, I thought I would put her in the outfit she was wearing when she first saw Mrs. Maisel's "act." A striped shirt with suspenders and gray slacks.
To finish off the look, I added her signature hat, the keys she wears as a necklace, and a lit cigarette.
As for the cake itself, I couldn't really find many references to cake flavors in the series, except for when Midge's father was telling her how her mother once ate an entire chocolate cake when they were dating *gasp!*. I therefore decided to make the top layer a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream, and for the bottom tier a vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream (which is similar to the black and white cookies we see in the first episode). The colors of the cake are based on the title shown in the beginning of each episode.
So I now have a very large cake to enjoy while I wait for Season 2 (airing in 3 days, 8 hours, and 4 minutes) which I will eat while pondering the big questions: Will Midge's parents ever find out about her stand-up comedy? Will Susie be able to book her on a major tour? Will Midge date someone new? Will they ever tell us her brisket recipe? Hopefully we'll find out on December 5th! Put that on your plate!
Comments