How sweet it is

Eye-popping cakes are center of attention at parties for Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Diddy

The NBA All-Star festivities were a slam dunk for Who Made the Cake! and master cake designer Nadine Moon. Within three days, her team crafted 50th birthday cakes for both Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley and a cake for Diddy's private party held Sunday night after the big game.

The confectioner's adventure began on Friday with the delivery of a 47-inch tall cake to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston where MJ and friends celebrated his big 5-0 as they feasted on fare from City Kitchen and partied to the sounds of R. Kelly.

So this 47-inch tall cake featured two edible basketballs (one with signature Barkley earphones), a court shoe and plenty of stars.

Moon reports that at least 10 representatives from the basketball star's posse had input on the cake with paramount instructions that it was to have nothing to do with basketball. MJ asked for a single cake with two flavors — red velvet with cream cheese icing and divine white with butter cream icing.

For Barkley's birthday cake, served at the House of Blues on Saturday night, TNT ordered a full court press of sugary Barkley-isms on the cake. So this 47-inch tall bakery bonanza featured two edible basketballs (one with signature Barkley earphones), a court shoe and plenty of stars. Divine white and chocolate were the flavor choices.

Who Made the Cake! was given carte blanche for Diddy's cake that was served at a late-night bash Sunday in a party tent on Richmond.

Moon did her research and created a 24-inch tall confection featuring a completely edible bottle of Ciroc vodka resting atop a sound board, a nod to his recording industry ties. This one was made with divine white and chocolate cake, white chocolate fondant and butter cream icings.

Back in January, Who Made the Cake! crafted a groom's cake that made national news last week — a waist-up sculpture-like confection of Houston Texan J.J. Watt. The groom is a huge Watt fan so the bride ordered the cake — in chocolate with peanut butter ganache filling —as a surprise.

Who Made the Cake! created this vodka-inspired cake for Diddy's Sunday night party.

Diddy, birthday cake, who made the cake, NBA All-Star weekend

Photo courtesy of Who Made the Cake

Who Made the Cake! created this vodka-inspired cake for Diddy's Sunday night party.

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hello, friends

Public memorials and services set for 'Houston's anchorman' Dave Ward

Photo courtesy of Dave Ward

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ABC13 anchor emeritus Dave Ward died on December 13 at age 86.

Members of the public are invited to pay their respects to the longtime newsman at visitations and funeral services this week. Plans include:

Wednesday, Dec. 17: Ward will lie in repose from 11 am-6 pm at the Crimestoppers of Houston Dave Ward Building, 3001 Main St., Houston, TX 77002.
Thursday, Dec. 18: Public visitation open to all at George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors at 1010 Bering Dr., Houston, TX 77057 from 11 am-2 pm and 4-8 pm
Friday, Dec. 19: Funeral service open to the public at 12 pm at St. Martin's Episcopal Church at 717 Sage Rd., Houston, TX 77056.

ABC13 will carry the funeral live on television and streaming platforms.

For more than 50 years, Dave was Houston's anchorman. He began each newscast with his signature line, "Good evening, friends." That's how the legendary newsman felt about the viewers who shared his love for the city he was so proud to call his home.

His name was David Henry Ward, but he was known to thousands of Eyewitness News viewers simply as "Dave." Born in Dallas in 1939, Dave grew up in Huntsville and began his radio career with KGKB Radio in Tyler while attending college. Three years later, he joined the staff of WACO Radio as a staff announcer and quickly climbed to Program Director the following year.

Dave moved to Houston in 1962, where he worked for KNUZ Radio as a News Reporter and News Director for four years. He made the move to Channel 13 in 1966 as the station's only on-the-street news reporter and photographer, coming "inside" in early 1967 to anchor Channel 13's weekday 7 am. newscast.

Later that year, he became the first host of the wildly popular "Dialing for Dollars" program, which later evolved into "Good Morning Houston." Houston viewers flocked to see him and hear him, and by January 1968, Dave became the anchor of Eyewitness News at 6 and 10 pm.

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Read more about Dave Ward’s life and legacy, with video, on CultureMap's news partner, ABC13.com.

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