I just learned that today, the 19th of June, is Museum Cake Day. Uh…don’t ask me why this shit exists…who associates cake with museums? I know I don’t. Cheap wine, maybe but not cake. Anyway, this seems like the perfect time to remember the Frances Kuyper’s Mini Cake Museum, unfortunately now closed. I once wrote about this place about two years ago. In the 1970s “Cake Lady” Frances Kuyper, a self-taught cake decorator and instructor, bought a second home to showcase her love of all things cake. Her collection consisted of 150 demo cakes, 90 instruction video tapes and over 500 cake decorating books.
After Kuyper’s husband died in 1999, the cake collection moved to the Hollenbeck Palms Retirement Home in East Los Angeles. When Kuyper died, a San Fernando Occupational Center expressed interest in saving her cake-decorating models. But budget troubles prompted LAUSD to cut its adult education offerings in half, and the Occupational Center’s entire teaching, administrative and support staff all received layoff notices. The nonexistence of the culinary program led to the closing of the museum. What a tragedy! Because that Princess Diana Cake should have lived on for future generations. You know I’m right!
Oh, but there’s good news. You can still pick up a copy of A Bitter-Sweet Life, Frances Kuyper’s autobiography. Yes, it’s $68, which is expensive, but let’s not forget Frances was no ordinary lady…she was a CAKE LADY!!!
