You only turn 60 once: Larry's birthday cake and a pint

Larry turned 60, and there was only ever going to be one theme.

The can is the whole joke

A real Guinness can sits tipped over the top of the cake, angled like it has just been opened and is about to go in. That tilt is the first thing anyone sees, and it is what turns a plain dark drum into a gag worth photographing before anybody cuts it.

Underneath it the cake is a tall straight-sided drum in deep bottle green buttercream, smoothed flat all the way round so nothing competes with what is on the front: the gold harp, and the Guinness nameplate below it in black and white. A gold Happy 60th topper leans in beside the can.

Keeping it dark

Almost everything here is dark — green sides, black board, black can — so the only bright things left are gold. That is the reason the harp reads from across a room. Nothing else is competing for it.

The board is black too, right out to the edge, which makes the cake look like it is standing on its own shadow.

And a dozen to go with it

Alongside the cake went a tray of German chocolate cupcakes in silver liners, each one piped with a tall swirl of cream cheese frosting and finished with a light dusting on top. Same cake, different frosting — so people could try both.

What's inside

Cake was German chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting. Cupcakes were German chocolate with cream cheese frosting.

Happy 60th birthday, Larry

You only turn 60 once. Might as well do it properly.