Three-tier culinary delight of city’s landmark buildings awaits monarch

DIGNITARIES will feast on some of Cork’s landmark buildings today ahead of the Queen’s arrival in the historic English Market.

A special cake featuring hand-carved icing models of iconic buildings like Shandon, Holy Trinity, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, UCC and the Butter Market, has been created for guests attending a luncheon in the Farmgate café hosted by Lord Mayor Cllr Michael O’Connell.

Mr O’Connell, his guests, including Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and the Lord Mayor of Swansea, as well as all the traders, will be “locked in” to the market from early morning, as part of a security lock-down before the Queen’s visit.

Farmgate staff member Aoife O’Mahony, 24, from Turner’s Cross, will serve the guests slices of her remarkable creation.

The professional chef, who makes cakes and pastries in her spare time, has, with the help of her art student brother Patrick, 21, baked a three-tier cake and decorated it with the icing building models, and a 3D icing model of the city’s coat of arms.

“It was a massive undertaking and a real challenge but I really enjoyed it,” Ms O’Mahony said.

Each circular cake layer is seven centimetres deep. It includes a chocolate madeira layer, a lemon madeira layer with lemon curd filling, and a vanilla sponge, with raspberry jam and vanilla butter cream.

The top layer displays the message, ‘céad míle fáilte’.

Aoife’s cake was placed in the café fridge last night as traders completed their final preparations before today’s historic visit.

The Queen is due to arrive at the 1788-founded market sometime after 2pm.

The market attracts an estimated 30,000 visitors every year and today’s visit is expected to boost the city’s food capital reputation worldwide.