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So we all know that it takes eggs to bind a cake. And normally two eggs would be enough to satisfy any confectionary needs that may arise.

But when over a thousand — one thousand two hundred and fifty, to be exact — are used, you begin to get the picture that this is going to be a pretty big cake.

Enter Pres Les, a linen and homeware company celebrating their 35th birthday, add one outreach organisation in the form of two children's homes, Ons Plek (Our Place) and Homestead, a bakery and a confectionary genius, and mix in 100 homeless children. Allow to bake at a high level of excitement et voila — you have one helluva party.

These were the ingredients involved in the celebration at Ratanga Junction's Spice Island on Wednesday of a company that has been donating blankets and other goods to various outreach programmes and organisations across the Western Cape.

Clowns, mimes, stilt-walkers, face-painters, puppeteers and balloon magicians were scattered around entertaining 100 kids from the two homes in the room decorated with balloons and streamers.

As Sandra Morreira, representing the Homestead (a home for boys) and Ons Plek (the home for girls) put it: "Pres Les could've chosen to have a snap-up luncheon with all the top execs and champaigne, but instead they chose to celebrate their birthday by giving the children an opportunity of a lifetime.

"Government only provides for around 40 percent of our financial and running cost needs. And it is so wonderful that companies like Pres Les take an interest in these children."

The kids evidently had a whale of a time, spending the day on Ratanga Junction's ever-popular rides being tossed to and fro on the bounteous rollercoasters and carnival fare.

A mouthful

But the highlight of the day was yet to come. To be unveiled at the end of this fun-filled day was what was claimed as the biggest cake in the coutry. 60 kg of flour, 60 kg of sugar, 60 kg of butter, 60 kg of icing sugar, 10 kg of cocoa powder, 1250 eggs, three-and-a-half kilos of corn flour and the same amount of food colouring beautifully crafted into a barbie pink double-bed-shaped — complete with edible continental pillows and scatter cushions — chocolate cake.

Andrew Hammond, who — along with his baker-buddy, Alex and the Espresso Bakery — conceptualised and baked this cake, said he had been approached a number of months ago.

"Les (Ruhrmund, CEO of Pres Les) called me up and said 'Andrew, can you bake a cake the size of a double bed?' And I said I'd give it a go... "

Ruhrmund pointed out that the celebration was also to launch the "I can" campaign. "It's all about each of us realising that we can make a difference, however small," said Ruhrmund.

"I wanted to share this day with the children because they are going to benefit most from this project to give warmth to those children who have no-one to keep them warm.

"So we will, on an ongoing basis give blankets to these two, and other homes, and hope it turns out to be so successful we can extend our reach beyond the Western Cape."

"Eat till you throw up"

Les also urged the children to eat so much cake that they "vomit all over the place".

Certainly they could, as Andrew pointed out, "because as many children and children-at-heart that are here... it is a moerse koek!"