I made this cake for my own retirement party. It's meant to be a thank you to everyone I've ever worked with over the last 35 years. I bake from the heart, so I thought it was a very fitting parting gift from me. I wanted to make a cake that looked like the old black velvet paintings that I used to make fun of years ago (you know -like the Elvis ones). Then I came across a cake made by Truly Custom Cakery and I borrowed her idea. TFL