As promised, here's a photo of the dessert masterpiece created for the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Conn., to mark the April 21 centennial of the great writer's death. The cake, in the shape of Twain's home, was created by Geof Manthorne, the sous chef featured on the Food Network's "Ace of Cakes." (All about Duff Goldman's Charm City Cakes company in Baltimore.) In an interview with the Hartford Courant, Manthorne estimated that the cake would weigh from 70 to 80 pounds, and include 15 sheet cakes and 100 eggs.
If you get the chance, the Twain house is definitely worth a visit. It sits just outside the business district, and right next to the home of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" author Harriet Beecher Stowe -- and not too far from the West Hartford home of Noah Webster. I haven't visited a lot of author's homes -- any other recommendations out there?
Photo courtesy of The Mark Twain House & Museum