Anyone who's older than 25 knows that the thrill of a good Costco trip is REAL. (Where else can you buy a giant wheel of parmesan reggiano, $10 leggings, and score a hot dog/soda combo for just $1.50?). Well, Nikki Oliva certainly knows the obsession well — she's such a fan of the superstore that for her 30th birthday this year, her friend and pastry chef Samantha Waller surprised her with a two-tiered, Costco-themed cake. And let me tell you, it was a glorious sight to behold.
For the ultimate surprise, Waller pulled out all the stops, topping off the cake with everything from mini churros to a detailed Costco receipt.
"I thought it would be great to go all out," Waller tells CafeMom. "I chose the Costco-themed cake because everyone who knows Nikki knows that Costco is her favorite place ever."
(I feel you, Nikki.)
Waller says she decorated the cake in mini hot dogs, pizza slices, churros, and sodas because those are some of Costco's most recognizable staples.
But she couldn't pass up adding a few of Nikki's personal Costco favorites, too — such as the mini croissants and pumpkin pie — YUM!
As for how she actually made the elaborate toppings? Waller, a Los Angeles-based pastry chef and owner of Samantha Cakes N Bakes, says this can take hours or even days to do, but she got creative with how she went about it.
"My local cake supply store has an edible image printing service," Waller tells CafeMom, "so I emailed in the images and specification and they printed it for me on edible paper. Then I molded that receipt onto thinly rolled out fondant and let it dry overnight in an empty egg carton to create its wavy shape."
Of course, she didn't just stop there. Waller even made a replica of Nikki's Costco membership card to use as the Happy Birthday sign.
"I thought it would be so fun … especially since Nikki is an executive member," says Waller, who enlisted the help of her friend Adison, a graphic designer.
From start to finish, the cake took two days to pull off. But in the end, the results were pretty impressive — and delicious! Waller shares that the inside of the birthday cake was funfetti, with a fresh raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream.
Needless to say, Oliva was more than surprised -- and loved every inch of her personalized birthday cake.
"She knew I was bringing a cake for her birthday party, but she had no idea what the design would be," Waller shares. "I think she thought it would just be a simple round cake with sprinkles or fresh flowers."
(LOL — think again, Nikki!)
I don't know about you, but I think we all deserve a friend like Samantha.
