Babler Memorial State Park

In memory of cake.

Jacob and Henry Babler presented the state of Missouri with 88 acres of land in loving memory of their brother, Edmund, in 1934. Today the park is nearly 900 acres. Edmund Babler was a prominent St. Louis surgeon. Jacob was determined that the park he dedicated to his brother would grow and attract people for generations. Jacob wanted the Civilian Conservation Corps workers to develop the park. Today, twenty-two Civilian Conservation Corps structures at Babler State Park are now included in the National Register of Historic Places. Jacob also had a New York sculptor create a bronze life-size statue of his brother, Edmund.

Jacob Babler’s dream has created a state park that provides a valuable green-space oasis among an ever growing suburban St. Louis landscape.

Guest blogger - Diane

Cake artist - Kelly Harmon

Eighty-six down 164 to go.

Bonhomme Old Stone Church

The Old Stone Cake.

Bonhomme Presbyterian Church is the second oldest Presbyterian church west of the Mississippi River. It was founded in 1816. For many years church services were held in the log cabin homes of the members of the church if and when a minister was able to come out from St. Louis. In 1841, the members of the church built a Meeting House out of limestone that accommodated a public school on the first floor and place of worship upstairs.

The Old Stone Church was active until the outbreak of the Civil War during which it was closed by the military. The new Bonhomme Church is located about a half mile away.

Colin and Andrew said they really liked this cake because the cows were having a birthday party.

Guest blogger - Diane

Cake artist - Alissa Shoults

Eighty-five down 165 to go.

Crown Candy Kitchen

Home of the Heart-Stopping cake.

Crown Candy Kitchen was opened in 1913 by Harry Karadzieff and Pete Jugaloff, who came from Greece. Five decades later, the business is still run today by the 4th generation Karadzieff family.

Crown Candy Kitchen is known for their famous “Heart-Stopping BLT” which has 14 pieces of bacon on it. My husband and I both tried one. It was delicious but after eating it we both thought it was too much bacon!

Crown Candy Kitchen also makes their own chocolate. I had to try some! I
got a homemade peanut butter cup. It was really good! I’ll definitely have to get another one next time I go back. The kids each picked out a lollipop.

Crown Candy Kitchen is also known for their “5 Malt Challenge”. Anyone who can drink 5 24-ounce malts in 30 minutes, the malts are free and your name gets placed on a plaque. Since 1913 only 30 people have successfully completed the challenge. This is one challenge I don’t think I will take part in. We got 2 malts (a chocolate and a marshmallow) and 4 of us couldn’t drink them all.


Guest blogger - Diane

Cake artist - April Morrison

Eighty-four down 166 to go.

Laclede’s Landing

St. Louis’ birthplace for cakes.

Laclede’s Landing is the birthplace of St. Louis. In 1764, Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau founded a city on a nine-block area that today is called Laclede’s Landing. Pierre Laclede established a trading post on the western bank of the Mississippi, which later would be named St. Louis. Laclede’s Landing was an important riverfront community that was once used for trade and commercial activity. Today it’s still an important riverfront community for St. Louis, with places to eat, work, and visit.


Guest blogger - Diane

Cake artist - Dan Jaboor

Eighty-three down 167 to go.

Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France

The Old Cake

The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, which is also known as the Old Cathedral, was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River. In 1764, Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau deed a block of land to the people of St. Louis. On this land was a one room log cabin that was the first Catholic Church of the newly founded St. Louis. It was originally named Laclede’s Village. It was later named St. Louis by Laclede to honor King Louis IX of France.

By 1833, the log church was deteriorating and could no longer accommodate the growing parish. Bishop Rosati decided to replace the church all together rather than renovate the old log church. The Bishop was able to raise $63,360.85 for the new church and it was completed in 1834.

The Old Cathedral is also unique to both St. Louis and America as it is also a museum that contains many artifacts from the early days of the Catholic Church in St. Louis and local historical information of an active parish community.

The Old Cathedral is currently under a $12 million renovation.

Guest blogger - Diane

Cake artist - Vince Sciaroni

Eighty-two down 168 to go.

Museum of Transportation

Choo Choo Cake

We were greeted at the Museum of Transportation by the cake. The cake scene showed the rolling meadows and majestic mountains as you took a train ride across the country.

As we entered the museum we were told the Friends of the Trolley was giving free rides. Colin and Andrew checked out some of the train cars as we waited for the trolley.


The conductor told us a little history about the trolley. It belongs to the Friends and the museum lets them ride the tracks. It was made by the St. Louis Car Company 100 years ago. The trolley was used to transport the Water Works employees to the destination downtown.

Front of the Snow
Plow Train

We got off at the upper train shed where we saw dining cars and sleepers.

Cake artist - Jane Saunders

Eighty-one down 169 to go.

Cathedral Basilica/Busch Stadium

Breakfast at Tiffany's, make mine cake.

Sometimes things are related in ways you would not expect.

The Cathedral Basilica is a beautiful and spiritual place. It is a building that would seem to be more at home in Constantinople being the seat of the Byzantine empire than on Lindell Boulevard.

Rich marbles, stained glass, and opulent mosaics give this building an other worldliness that commands respect and reverence. The Cathedral is without a doubt a work of art.


Now of course many people in St Louis feel this way about Busch Stadium. Busch Stadium is a high holy place to the sacred right of St Louis baseball and heavenly abode of the Cardinals.

The Demi gods that ply their miracles on these Elysian fields often play host to mere mortals and add to their legend on a nightly basis. The divine raiment of these celestial beings is known as the “birds on the bat” and should never be the bird and squirrel on the bat. (The only thing that should go along with a squirrel is a “moose and squirrel”). To many in St Louis the emerald meadow of Busch also commands respect and if not reverence at least an awe inspired by the wizards that work their magic there.

This would seem like a logical connection between the two places but I saw something different this night.

 It was the logo of another storied franchise challenging the home town nine, the either despised or beloved New York Yankees. The interlocked N Y of the Yankees was designed by Tiffany's as were the mosaic tiles and stained glass of the Cathedral Basilica.

Guest blogger - Rich

Cake artist
Cathedral Basilica - Vince Sciaroni
Busch Stadium - Katherine Nelson


Seventy- nine and Eighty down 170 to go.

LGBT Center of St. Louis

Pridecake

The LGBT Center will host a booth at Pridefest. It will be held June 28-29 at the Soldiers Memorial. It's held in June as a tribute to the Stonewall Riots of 1969.

In cased you are wondering, LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender. 

Cake artist - April Morrison

Seventy-eight down 172 to go.

Left Bank Books

Can't take your eyes off the cake.


Left Bank Books  is a part of a dying breed in this country. Independent stores are on the way out and the big conglomerate is the place to go.

In the battle for local content, the staff at Left Bank Books book is right on top of current events. On the day that Maya Angelou “passed quietly” not three hours later a shrine was set up in the store for her. 

A fine selection of current books is in the store, and a decent selection of used books.  A bust of T.S. Elliot outside the shop will let you know that literature is close by. 

I was wondering about all the eyes and the grin on the cake but when you check out the artist Peat Wollaeger you will understand.

Guest blogger - Rich

Cake artist - Peat Wollaeger

Seventy-seven down 173 to go.

World Chess Hall of Fame

Cakemate

The Chess Hall of Fame holds both World and US inductees. Since 1986 there are 19 world inductees and 52 US inductees. This includes Bobby Fischer, who is listed on both.

It was just in 2011 that began the World Woman Chess Champion. Vera Menchick was the first inductee.

Not only does the World Chess Hall of Fame offer classes on the game, they also exhibit chess art and artifacts from artists and collectors.


Cake artist - Screwed Arts Collective

Seventy-six down 174 to go.

Chuck-A-Burger

Cake Cruisn'

When Chuck-A-Burger opened in 1957, it was the happening place to meet your friends afterschool or take a date and sit in your car sipping cherry cokes. On the weekends you would cruise around the place in your hot rod/muscle car.

You can still show off your classic car on the last Saturday of the month during the summer.

Burgers and malts are still on the menu as is the chili that still uses the same original recipe.

Artist - Bill Christman


Seventy-five down 175 to go.
We are a quarter of the way!!!!!!