Payson Roundup | Payson, AZ

Vern Randall estimated the cake he and his family made for the 125th Anniversary of Payson weighed about 200 pounds and took them 50 hours to complete.

"My daughter, Mandy, did all the cutouts and my son, Nick, did all the beading on the layers," Randall said.

The Randalls used 39 cake mixes, 15 pounds of butter cream, 12 pounds of filling and 35 pounds of rolled fondant to make the one-of-a-kind cake.

Saturday afternoon the Randalls transported the 125th cake in layers to Green Valley Park, where they assembled it.

It could have fed 600 or 700 people in the standard one by two-inch pieces served at weddings, but at the park that evening, the Randalls cut larger pieces for a smaller crowd.

"We did not want to take it home," Randall said.

Those folks at the park for the Zane Grey Mystery Theatre and barbecue had the opportunity to taste the cake's eight sections and four layers. There was chocolate cake with raspberry, chocolate or strawberry filling, lemon with lemon filling, a marble cake, and one with caramel filling.

Additionally, Northern Gila County Historical Society volunteers made several different kinds of single-layer cakes for people to enjoy.

Pat and Rony Randall financed the making of the 125th cake.

Vern and his wife Wanda have been baking cakes ever since they wed 22 years ago.

"Friends getting married would ask us to make their wedding cakes," Randall said.

Vern is a self-taught baker.

Wanda grew up in Snowflake where she arranged wedding flowers. She began making elaborate cakes after she took a cake decorating class.

The 125th cake is not quite the biggest they have made, that award goes to a wedding cake that served 800, but the 125th cake is the most elaborate, because of the cutouts of trees, symbols, and brands and the fondant, marbled to look like leather.

Vern asked Wanda, "Are you ready for the calls we'll be getting after we do this?" She said yes.

Do you use an old family recipe?

"No. Life is too short. I use cake mixes and spice them up a little, do fillings, just about anything the customer wants," Randall said.

"I probably make the best carrot pineapple cake from scratch, in fact, I am making one this weekend for a Payson High School class reunion," he added.

Through word-of-mouth advertising, the Randalls made seven wedding cakes this past summer, he said.

Bakers Vern and Wanda Randall can be reached at (928) 468-0123.

Cake Decoration winners

Congratulations to the Cake Decoration winners at the Cake Walk of the 125th Anniversary of Payson.

ProfessionalsCake

First - The Red Elephant Bakery, Leonie Dobbins - Cactus Cake

Second - Gerardo's Italian Bistro - Brian

Third - Safeway Bakery

Best Kid's Fun Cake

First - Karyl Blair

Second - Karyl Blair

Third - Bashas' Bakery

Best Historical Cake

First - Diane Frederick Bedsworth - Apple Dapple from Cooking for Zane Grey Underheonto Rim, by Jayne Peace Pyle

Second - Diane Frederick Bedsworth - Apple Butter Pound Cake from "Cooking for Zane Grey under the Tonto Rim," by Jayne Peace Pyle

Third - Lori Meyers

Best Other or Classic Cake

First - Patty Rhodes

Second - Bernice Gaskill

Third- Small Cafe (Specialty Pie, not a cake, but it won over the judges)