Today is Canada Day. It’s this great land’s 142nd birthday (although we like to say she doesn’t look a day over 129). We celebrate by waving paper flags, getting maple leaves temporarily tattooed on our cheeks, and eating cake.
But not just any cake. No sirree Bob. Not just any cake will do on Canada Day. On Canada Day, you must have Canada Day cake. It must be a vanilla sponge cake decorated with whipped cream and strawberries to look like a Canada flag.
Canada Day cake photo courtesy of Vanessa K on Flickr
There is some part of my soul that thrills to the idea of the Canada Day cake. I’m not sure why, exactly. I’m normally a chocolate fan myself. Perhaps it’s the fresh strawberries, perhaps it’s my patriotism shining through, but I adore the idea of this cake. Which makes it all the stranger that I’ve never actually had any.
I suppose if you don’t like cake you could go this route
Every year I scour the paper in search of Canada Day functions that feature cake. Many of them do. Some of them even up the ante and include lemonade. But somehow I’ve never actually managed to find a piece. Either the cake’s all gone by the time we get there, or we don’t make it to the event at all, or there’s just way too long of a line-up for my impatient self my kids to handle. So the cake remains ever elusive, just out of my reach.
I’m not even sure I would eat a piece now if it were offered, because it couldn’t possibly live up to my expectations. Actually, who am I kidding? I would never turn down cake, no matter how dry or bad-tasting I would soldier through. But I think my point is made – the cake is mythical in my mind, elevated beyond mere cake to something symbolic of Canada as a nation.
Canada has its upsides and downsides. I’m not afraid to admit that there are days I wish I enjoyed the same retail options as my American friends. But no matter what we have cake. Not just any old cake, either, Canada Day cake. And I’m almost positive that it’s delicious.
Happy Canada Day!
Love the cake!!! What a fabulous idea
Happy Canada Day!
Go find some cake! and eat some for me.
mmm cake…And Happy Canada Day!
Beautiful cake, You should go all rogue and make one with raspberries!!!
Happy Canada Day
That cake looks gorgeous and now I’m hungry.
Happy Canada day!
Well, it sure does look delicious. Eat some!
Oh, and a Happy Canada Day to you too!
It looks like it was a beautiful day. It rained here all day so there were no fireworks. But it was still a lot of fun.
Great cake. I love it. I’m borrowing your idea for next year.
Did you find cake? I saw some being eaten (my friends who were at the citizenship ceremony had some) but not a slice came my way. Had to make do with ice cream instead (twice – oh the hardship)
There was Canada Day cake at the grocery store, but it wasn’t the proper kind. The flag was just red icing, no strawberries. I didn’t see any at the celebration I attended. So I came up short once again.
One of these years, I tell you.
(And I had the ice cream too, it was excellent).