"A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs," Mark Twain wrote in "Following the Equator."
Which explains 70 to 80 pounds of cake, made with 100 eggs and all the fondant frippery that "Ace of Cakes" sous chef Geof Manthorne could summon. Made to look like Mark Twain's elaborate house in Hartford, Conn., the cake was presented there yesterday to mark the centennial of the author's death.
The Sun's Dave Rosenthal has the details at the Read Street blog.
As a native of the Hartford area, I've toured the Mark Twain House several times. One of the quirkier aspects are split fireplace flues that allowed windows to be placed directly above fireplaces. (The author wanted to be able to watch the snow fall outside and his fire inside.)
The house is well worth a visit, even without cake.
Photo courtesy of Mark Twain House