Holy Name of Mary, "Ave Maria"

For the feast of the Holy Name of Mary I have made a very simple cake, I have used the same recipe from my Gregorian Chant cake for the Feast of St Gregory the Great except I replaced the white chocolate with milk chocolate and I added cocoa powder to the icing sugar.

I wanted to create the look of a wooden board with the words, “Ave Maria!” written on it. In each corner is a brown smartie, they are the nails, that nailed this plaque to a Moorish mosque in Granada just before it’s fall, ending the 700 year reign of Islam in that part of Spain.

That is a small part to a glorious and true story of the defence of the holy name of Mary...and when I read it I get teary at the thought that those battle hardened men could not BEAR the name of Mary be abused in any way. If you do make this cake, the story to read to the children is over at Starry Mantle, they are sure to enjoy it!

It is such a beautiful feast, that allows the Church to express it’s love and devotion for the beautiful name “Mary” which is such a word of motherly comfort and beauty.