Serendipitous, ultimate cake-walking luck! An example of why I love this town: I can go out for an evening stroll with my husband, run into friends I haven't seen in ages, then be invited - that exact instant - to a wedding cake tasting! How thrilling was this accidental invite, to be a member of the debate team sampling the confections of one of Ann Arbor's premiere, undiscovered cakemeisters!

Constructing a wedding cake is not for the faint of heart. Very important issues need to be analyzed and debated by a team of experts.

The debate primarily focused on examining the two fillings to be used between the cake layers. Did the panel think the lemon curd by itself was too lemony? Or did we prefer the lemon curd mellowed with bavarian cream? Perhaps Annamarie should have one filling be lemon curd and one filling lemon curd with bavarian cream, as pictured above? My head was spinning but my taste buds were in ecstasy. As a bona fide cake lover, I will tell you that this was one of the most delicious cakes I've ever eaten.

Annamarie Asher is the personification of her fabulous cakes, exuding an oh-so-deliciously elegant "lightness of being". Her cakes are sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. They can be frivolous and whimsical, but the flavor is seriously divine. I'll be revisiting Annamarie's kitchen soon, her talent runs in the family. Annamarie's son, WCC student Steve Snyder's, Yin-Yang cookies are to die for, and take far less time to make. Speaking for myself and readers, thank-you Annamarie and family, for generously sharing your favorite recipes and talent with our town.

Lucky bride! Lucky groom! This would, incidentally, be the ultimate birthday cake. I'd be knocked over hind-side if someone took the time to make a cake like this for my birthday!

Yield: 12-inch cake

Lemon Curd

1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter 2 Tb grated lemon peel 6 large egg yolks 4 large eggs 1 ¾ cups sugar

Cake

4 cups cake flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter 2 cups sugar 5 large eggs separated 1 Tb grated lemon peel 1 ½ tsp vanilla 2 cups buttermilk ½ tsp cream of tartar

Frosting

12 oz cream cheese, room temperature 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cups powdered sugar or castor sugar ¼ cup whipping cream 1 cup lemon curd (see above)

Pastry Cream

1 cup whole milk 3 large egg yolks ¼ cup sugar 5 Tb + 1 tsp cornstarch sifted ¾ tsp vanilla 2 Tb unsalted butter, cut into bit at room temp

Lemon Bavarian Cream

To fill one layer: ½ of the above pastry cream recipe approx ¼ cup whipping cream approx 1 cup lemon curd

To fill both layers: Use full pastry cream recipe Lemon curd and whipping cream to taste

Blackberry Sauce 1 1/8 cup blackberry jam 1/3 cup crème de cassis 18 ounces fresh blackberries (or frozen, unsweetened)

FOR CURD: 1. Stir first 3 ingredients in heavy large non aluminum saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. 2. Whisk egg yolks, eggs and sugar in large bowl until blended. Gradually whisk in hot lemon mixture. 3. Return mixture to same saucepan; whisk over medium heat until thick and smooth, about 10 minutes; do not boil. Transfer mixture to bowl and place that bowl in larger bowl filled with ice water. Stir mixture a few minutes until it cools. Remove bowl from ice bath. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface to keep skin from forming. Chill for a few hours. (Can be kept for several days in refrigerator).

FOR CAKE: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 inch springform pan with parchment paper. 2. Sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium sized bowl. 3. In a large bowl beat butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla. Stir in sifted ingredients in three batches alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. 4. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar in bowl until medium-firm peaks form. Fold 1/3 of beaten egg whites into batter to lighten. Fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon batter into pan and smooth. 5. Bake until cake is golden on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, approximately one hour. Check prior to one hour. Remove rim of springform pan and let cake cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until you are ready to assemble the cake.

FOR FROSTING: Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar or castor sugar. Gradually add ¼ cup cream, beating until just well blended. Add lemon curd and beat until smooth. Cover frosting; chill until very cold and spreadable.

FOR PASTRY CREAM: In a small sauce pan stir together the egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar until smooth. In another saucepan heat milk until boiling. Slowly pour milk into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly, over medium heat. This will thicken quickly. When thick and smooth remove from head and scrape into bowl. Stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature

FOR LEMON BAVARIAN CREAM: For enough to cover one layer of cake take ½ of above pastry cream and put in bowl. Save the other half for another use. With electric mixer blend the pastry cream until smooth. Add lemon curd to taste and continue blending with electric mixer until well incorporated and smooth. In a separate bowl beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the pastry cream/curd mixture. Chill.

FOR SAUCE: Whisk jam in large saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Whisk in cassis. Add berries and continue to cook on low heat, smashing berries, for several minutes, until berries have softened. Pour sauce through sieve into bowl, smashing berries to extract juice and pulp but not seeds. Chill until cold.

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE: Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally into three equal layers. This will be easiest if cake is cold. Place bottom layer, cut side up on cake plate. Spread filling (pure lemon curd or Bavarian cream) over the bottom layer. Top with middle layer and spread filling of choice over that layer. Top with third layer, cut side down. Spread frosting over sides and top of cake. Serve cake with blackberry sauce.