Flour, sugar and 40 hours of baking and decorating - that's what went into Becky White's confectionary creation of the National Infantry Museum, which GEN(R) Colin Powell, Congressman Sanford Bishop, MG Michael Barbero and other dignitaries cut Friday after the grand opening of the new museum.
White decided to bake the cake several months ago after her family enjoyed a tour of the White House led by Bishop. The cake was a thank-you to Bishop, she said, but also a way to give back to the military for their service and sacrifices.
"It was so historic ... just seeing all of the people who served and all the guys who currently serve who were there. It was just so moving, and I was really proud just to be a part of it," White said. "Obviously, it wasn't much, but it was a small thing to do, and I just really wanted that to be my contribution. We weren't involved in building the building, but we were able to do this for them for that one day and make it a little more special."
White's cake did make the day more special, said Vickie Benton, special events coordinator for the National Infantry Foundation.
"It was like another grand opening when they cut the cake," Benton said. "It looked as good as our model replica that the architects did that we have down at the USO. It was absolutely perfect. She had every brick detail on there, and the roof, those terra cotta shingles, she had those on there. I don't know how she did it. It was beautiful, and it was delicious. That's not just any cake; it's a once-in-a-lifetime cake."
White said she wanted the public to be a part of the celebration, too, so she volunteered to make extra cakes to serve visitors as they streamed into the museum.
"I said, 'We'll need cake for about 1,000 people,' and she said, 'not a problem' - never missed a beat," Benton said.
White started baking cakes for crowds much smaller. When she arrived at Fort Benning eight years ago with her husband, MAJ Spencer White, cake baking was just a hobby, she said.
"I was doing them just for myself and friends and then other friends of friends and then I did one wedding ... and from there it kind of went crazy," she said. "So hobby's out the door, and business is here."
White signs a lease for a shop on Boxwood Place behind the Columbus Public Library next month.
Buttercream Cake Art and Sweets will have its grand opening, complete with samples and display cakes, in August.
Her goal, she said, is to make unique creations that don't look quite like anybody else's.
"Sculpting is really my passion," White said. "I love to create things, and sugar and flour is just another medium to express myself - as well as something super yummy."
White will continue taking custom orders after her store opens. To submit a request, e-mail her at sbcwhite@aol.com.
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