A Birthday Cake For 15,000

Amy ScattergoodCulture

The finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe 75th anniversary cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodModel of the centennial cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPhoto of City Hall; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodWressell with his wooden models; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodMore old photos of City Hall; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodWressell with pastillage sheets; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe Guittard chocolate lab; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodEwald Notter making sugar flowers; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodEwald Notter pulling sugar petals under a heat lamp; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodSugar flower; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodSugar and molding chocolate palm tree; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodMolding chocolate details; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodMaking palm tree trunks; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPastry tools; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodCake bases and windows; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodAccolades on the refrigerator; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPastillage shopping bags; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPalm tree trunks; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodWindows; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPastillage shopping bag; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodShopping bag handles made out of molding chocolate; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe chocolate tempering machine; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodDark chocolate in the tempering machine; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodMaking chocolate petals; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodAssembling the walls; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe City Hall dome; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodLaying the foundation on the day of the event; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodSherry Yard and fellow pastry chefs documenting the event; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPutting the top on the cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodBlow torches and other pastry tools; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodAssembling the cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodTaking the cake out of the refrigerated truck; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodAssembling the layer cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodDetailing the cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe cake in the truck; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe palm trees; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodChocolate corn chip foliage; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodSherry Yard with the shopping bags; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPalm trees and City Hall windows; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodCake scaps; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe dome; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodSugar flowers; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodWressell dusts the lawn with cocoa; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished product; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished product; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodSugar flowers on the cake lawn; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodSugar flowers on the lawn; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodDetailing on the base of the cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodGuittard chocolate bars on the base of the cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPastry chef Donald WressellThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPastry chef Donald WressellThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPastry chef Donald WressellThe finished cake; Credit: Amy ScattergoodPastry chef Donald WressellThe finished cake; Credit: Amy Scattergood

Built for Beverly Hills' centennial party on April, 27, Guittard executive pastry chef Donald Wressell's cake (a strikingly faithful replica of the Beverly Hills City Hall Tower), would stand 9 feet high, 12 feet wide and 24 feet long, be composed of more than 700 pounds of chocolate and, when it finally came time to cut it, be cut into 15,000 pieces of chocolate layer cake. It also took months to make.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.