Newtown Takes

The Cake

By Nancy K. Crevier

What does it take to bake a ten-foot-tall cake? The owner of Andrea’s pastry Shop on Queen Street ought to know. Tony Posca spent more than 60 hours baking, icing, decorating, and setting up the layers of cake that made up Newtown’s Tercentennial birthday cake.

Four hundred pounds of cake batter and 350 pounds of frosting, thanks to a generous $1,000 supplies donation from Dr Henry Gellert, went into the creation of the finely crafted cake. Putting the word “labor” back into Labor Day, Mr Posca and his assistants went to work at 4 am on Monday, artistically stacking and bracing the layers and layers of vanilla and chocolate cakes on the sturdy platform in front of the bakery.

“We practiced Sunday afternoon,” admits Mr Posca. “I wanted to be sure that I got the look I wanted.” His aim was an artsy, “SoNo” look, and from the positive responses he received, it seems he achieved his goal.

By 9 am the towering confection festooned with rooster cookies and gay balloons was a feast for the eyes — and before much longer, a feast for the tummy, as well.

Six staff members rotated between the shop and the giant cake, cutting and serving more than 2,500 pieces Monday morning.

“We had tons of support,” says the bakery shop owner. Asking, “What can I do to help?” unexpected volunteers flocked to the aide of the bakery. As quickly as his help could slice and plate the cake, townspeople took trays and served the crowd. “They all brought the trays back, too,” Mr Posca says, with a smile of satisfaction. These volunteer servers were of great help to Mr Posca and his staff, he says, as it kept the crowd down in the bakery parking lot and kept things moving.

The reward for his effort was the gratitude of everyone who stopped by to taste the cake and take pictures. “Just seeing everyone come together was great,” he says. “There was always someone there to help. And the store ran smooth because Nancy Jo [Childs] was running it.”

As the parade wound down, so did the serving, and by 12:30 pm, the energy turned to breakdown and clean up. Once again, the number of volunteers who stepped up to help sweep the parking lot, throw out trash and tidy up the remains of Newtown’s big birthday bash amazed Mr Posca. His marathon day was over, with just good memories and a sweet taste left in his mouth.

After all, says Mr Posca, “What’s a birthday without a cake?”