Expecto Patronum!

Dementors!

At Hogwarts!

Expecto patronum!

This cake captures the moment just before Harry's silvery stag patronus starts to form and drives away the evil dementors.  Why the moment just before?  Because, in making this cake, I learned how hard it is to create a sugar patronus. 

First I tried the make one out of sugar paste.  But it was too heavy and broke poor Harry's arm.  (I needed that charm that re-grows bones to fix it - ha ha!) 

Then I got the brilliant idea to use cotton candy.  But the lovely humidity here in North Carolina created a vanishing spell and dissolved my patronus into a limp cobweb.  Not exactly the most threatening-looking patronus, huh?

So, I settled for letting the birthday boy use his powers of imagination.  That and chocolate... because, of course, chocolate is what you need after an encounter with a dementor.  Good thing this is a chocolate fudge cake with chocolate buttercream.  It's sure to get all those party guests back in a festive mood! 

A special request from the birthday boy - the number 7 on Harry's robe for his seventh birthday!