Well, guys. Today is National Chocolate Cake Day. And because my life is Narnia, my mind hastened to recall a rich loam that looked so much like chocolate, that Edmund tried a bit (though he didn't end up liking it). So taking that as my inspiration, I made cupcakes with some appearance of the four soils Lewis specifically mentions the Trees in PC eating. The cupcakes themselves are Swedish kladdakaka (sticky mud cake). Yes, "mud cake". Too right for this theme.
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
(The feature that earns the "mud cake" name is the sticky, purposely undercooked center.)
![IMG_0012b.jpg](./download/file.php?id=149&sid=ede5946973633c47b8b182cd7b3b18ba)
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![IMG_0019b.jpg](./download/file.php?id=150&sid=ede5946973633c47b8b182cd7b3b18ba)
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Soil #1: Loam. I dipped this one in darkened crumbs from another cake to simulate a rich, dark soil.
![IMG_0029b.jpg](./download/file.php?id=151&sid=ede5946973633c47b8b182cd7b3b18ba)
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Soil #2: Somerset pink. I toasted crumbs from another cupcake (but over-toasted them...
![Embarrassed :oops:](./images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
) and patted them into a pink buttercream.
![IMG_0016b.jpg](./download/file.php?id=152&sid=ede5946973633c47b8b182cd7b3b18ba)
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Soil #3: Chalky. I remembered being on an archaeological dig in Israel and coming across these soft chunks of white a lot, so I mixed little bits of white marshmallow fondant into leftover crumbs.
![IMG_0017b.jpg](./download/file.php?id=153&sid=ede5946973633c47b8b182cd7b3b18ba)
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Soil #4: Fine gravels mixed with silver dust. This one has ground almonds patted into the surface, then topped with some silver luster dust.