Janet Jackson celebrated her 57th birthday this week at the Divine Lorraine Hotel on Broad Street.
As part of the festivities, Kyle Cuffie-Scott, a pastry chef at Darnel's Cakes on North 3rd Street, was asked to make a birthday cake for the iconic singer, songwriter and actress.
Cuffie-Scott says he was beside himself when he got the request and being part of Jackson's birthday celebration was the opportunity of a lifetime.
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"I said yes immediately!" he said. "Yes, I would love to make this cake."
Cuffie-Scott says he made a two-tier strawberry shortcake with a pastry cream filling.
"I wrote 'Happy Birthday Janet' probably like three or four times because I messed up because I was shaking," he said with a laugh.
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Despite the nerves, Cuffie-Scott finished the confection to his liking in two days. He says presenting it to her was icing on the cake
"I walked over to her and sat it down. Once it was on the table, I could breathe a little bit, but I still couldn't because Janet Jackson was still in front of me," he said. "I'll never forget that moment."
Cuffie-Scott says Jackson loved the cake, a compliment he's still processing.
He says the hardest part was keeping the fact he was making Janet Jackson's birthday cake a secret for two weeks.