JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
With the care of a sculptor putting the final polish on his timeless marble masterpiece, Chef Duff Goldman of Baltimore's Charm City Cakes gently pounded long skewers into a three-and-a-half foot Christmas tree confectionary creation.
His magnum opus was not meant to withstand the test of time. The edible tree was the dessert course for a holiday open house held at The Courses at Andrews Dec. 8.
As early birds filtered into the Andrews Club House dining area, some silently snuck a peak as crews from the A&E channel filmed for next year's "Ace of Cakes" holiday special. The documentary TV show follows employees at Charm City Cakes as they push the structural limits of basic cooking ingredients, seeking new and interesting ways to turn sugar, flour, butter and yeast into attention-grabbing display pieces.
"These chefs are truly artisans," said retired Air Force Col. Catherine Ward, whose friend Michael Thomas, the course's general manager, tipped her off to the cake assembly. Colonel Ward arrived two hours early to watch the assembly of the cake in person. "It's great to see them recognized for their art and appreciated for their work."
Ron Johnston, the Courses at Andrews assistant general manager, worked with Charm City Cakes to design the tree.
"We've been doing these open houses for 27 years," said Mr. Johnston. "This is the second time we've used Charm City Cakes and we're very pleased with the products they bring us." Last year's cake featured Santa Claus hefting a sack full of irons and drivers, rather than the usual clunky boxes. Mr. Johnston designed and constructed that cake which was recently replayed on the A&E channel, prompting a huge response from the Andrews community.
This year's design arrived at the golf course in nearly a dozen pieces, which were reconstructed on-site by Charm City Cakes employees. Wide, circular sections of the tree were stacked on top of one another with confectionary glue carefully applied between the four sections.
"These sections are designed to be held by the palm," said Mr. Goldman, as he slowly laid the trees pinnacle on top. "That way you avoid altering the carved external edges and preserve the texture of the tree." Mr. Goldman quietly went about the process of mounting golf ball decorations on the tree; with support sticks fitting into the holes he had bored earlier using the skewer and hammer.
Mr. Johnston ensures that every aspect of the tree hewed to the golf theme. The flag sitting atop the tree displays the familiar crest of The Courses at Andrews, while under the tree an adventurous elf braves the chilly winter and sets up a shot.
After completing the display, the Charm City Cake employees were shown one of the DoD's largest courses. The 57-hole courses at Andrews are, "A place for the family of Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington to come together and relax," said Mr. Thomas of the facility he manages.
About 800 club members and senior leaders stopped by the open house to partake in a gourmet holiday meal and take in the visual display. "We plan on keeping the cake intact as long as possible so that everyone can see it," said Mr. Johnston, before the open house officially began. "It is, after all, both a dish and a piece of art. But don't worry, I'm sure it won't last the night. Everyone here looks pretty hungry."