I can only really blame one person for neglecting my blog: Frank Lampard!!
Early on this season rumours were flying around about Frank's future. Chelsea FC seemed reluctant to offer their prolific midfielder a new deal and the media were constantly speculating about Lampard's fate, linking him to numerous clubs including LA Galaxy. Some regular readers of my blog may have picked up on my growing frustration at how appallingly Chelsea were treating their best midfield player ever. I couldn't believe the club were willing to let him go and felt utterly helpless...Then it came to me... I would make him a cake to let him know what myself and other 'Super Frankie Lampard' fans thought of him. Even though this thought came to me as far back as December (in anticipation of the January transfer, which thankfully did not materialise!), it was only after I was recovering from my back operation in February that I began to take the project seriously.
Manly football fans, if you are still reading, then please don't stop - I know cake baking is not hugely synonymous with football but it was the only way I could think of getting my message of solidarity to Frank!
I knew I wanted to include a model of Frank on the cake and in mid April I began trying to make Frank's head from icing - modelling with icing is very difficult as it doesn't retain it's shape well and seams are hard to disguise - clay is much easier but obviously not edible. I was struggling with the shapes and colours and how life like I wanted it to be. On one of my visits to Stamford Bridge, I got drawn to Peter Osgood's statue. I remember thinking there should be a statue of Frank.... and so the idea was born.
I also knew I wanted to use edible photos on cubes of cake - whenI was young we had photo cubes with photos on each face of the cube. I decided to give each cube a theme. By the time I started the cake Frank had scored his 201st goal and was two goals short of breaking Bobby Tambling's all time top scoring record. I wasn't sure if he would break the record this season - thanks to Rafa leaving him on the bench every other game. So I dedicated one cube to his goal tally with photos of his last four goals (198 - 201) with 201/2/3 and a question mark. I finished the cake the day of our second leg Europa League semi-final at Stamford Bridge against Basel (which I went to!! and we won!!).
I know a wonderful gentleman who was able to deliver my cake to Frank's home on the day of the match. Frank was kind enough to send me a signed photo saying thank you. I haven't framed it yet - but I will!!
Although Frank started the game, he did not score on that occasion - but 9 days later in our penultimate premiership game against Aston Villa, Frank's magic returned and he scored a double, first equaling and then breaking Bobby Tambling's record and so Frank Lampard became the highest scorer in Chelsea history with 203 goals.
Four days later Frank captained Chelsea to win our first Europa League title, making Chelsea the first club ever to be holders of both European titles simultaneously (even if for 10 days only). As if becoming champions of Europe again (well kind of !) wasn't amazing enough, I was introduced to Frank the next day, at Stamford Bridge, hours after the announcement that he had signed a one year contract extension. Everything I had heard about him was true - he is a real gentleman and extremely humble. I felt hugely privileged, not just because of the timing of meeting him, but because I got to explain to him the motivation behind my cake. Although I am relieved that Chelsea FC have acknowledged Frank's importance to the club for now, I hope they will learn to nurture such heroes and treat them with the respect they deserve.
Frank Lampard is a true Legend. I feel extremely honoured to have been able to tell him so!
Manly football fans, if you are still reading, then please don't stop - I know cake baking is not hugely synonymous with football but it was the only way I could think of getting my message of solidarity to Frank!
I knew I wanted to include a model of Frank on the cake and in mid April I began trying to make Frank's head from icing - modelling with icing is very difficult as it doesn't retain it's shape well and seams are hard to disguise - clay is much easier but obviously not edible. I was struggling with the shapes and colours and how life like I wanted it to be. On one of my visits to Stamford Bridge, I got drawn to Peter Osgood's statue. I remember thinking there should be a statue of Frank.... and so the idea was born. I also knew I wanted to use edible photos on cubes of cake - whenI was young we had photo cubes with photos on each face of the cube. I decided to give each cube a theme. By the time I started the cake Frank had scored his 201st goal and was two goals short of breaking Bobby Tambling's all time top scoring record. I wasn't sure if he would break the record this season - thanks to Rafa leaving him on the bench every other game. So I dedicated one cube to his goal tally with photos of his last four goals (198 - 201) with 201/2/3 and a question mark. I finished the cake the day of our second leg Europa League semi-final at Stamford Bridge against Basel (which I went to!! and we won!!).
Although Frank started the game, he did not score on that occasion - but 9 days later in our penultimate premiership game against Aston Villa, Frank's magic returned and he scored a double, first equaling and then breaking Bobby Tambling's record and so Frank Lampard became the highest scorer in Chelsea history with 203 goals. Four days later Frank captained Chelsea to win our first Europa League title, making Chelsea the first club ever to be holders of both European titles simultaneously (even if for 10 days only). As if becoming champions of Europe again (well kind of !) wasn't amazing enough, I was introduced to Frank the next day, at Stamford Bridge, hours after the announcement that he had signed a one year contract extension. Everything I had heard about him was true - he is a real gentleman and extremely humble. I felt hugely privileged, not just because of the timing of meeting him, but because I got to explain to him the motivation behind my cake. Although I am relieved that Chelsea FC have acknowledged Frank's importance to the club for now, I hope they will learn to nurture such heroes and treat them with the respect they deserve.Frank Lampard is a true Legend. I feel extremely honoured to have been able to tell him so!
