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Remember St Louis 250 Cakeway to the West?

St Louis celebrated it's 250th anniversary in 2014 with an art installation of over 250 fiberglass cake sculptures decorated by local artists. One thing about me is that I love a checklist, a spreadsheet, and earning badges, and I got it into my head that I was going to photograph every single cake. I enjoyed driving around to places I'd never visited before, so much so that I would say Cakeway to the West contributed to me quitting my job that year. Ironically, my 25 or so posts about the cakes are the least viewed posts of all time on this blog. 

Recently, my friend Deanna sent me a Facebook Marketplace listing for a STL250 Cake painted by Mark Swain. Instantly, I knew this was not an original. I would have remembered cartoon characters. I ended up going through all my photos to confirm. Still, Mark Swain did paint a couple of the original cakes! So where did this one come from??

A colorful, three-tiered cake featuring cartoon characters is displayed against a brick wall. The top two tiers are decorated with yellow and red stripes resembling a circus tent, interspersed with cartoon figures and confetti. The bottom tier prominently displays "STL250" in large gold numerals. The base of the cake is decorated with additional cartoon-themed images.

After the STL250 celebration ended, each host location got to choose what happened to their cake. Some remained at the original site, some were auctioned off. Some of the auctioned off cakes that were purchased were then donated for public displays! The one above was originally the KATY Trail cake, and Mark Swain repainted it in 2016 due to wear & tear. As of today, it's still listed on Facebook Marketplace for $450. (check before posting) I do still want a cake for my yard, but I want an original.

Seeing all the cakes was a labor of love at the time (some of them were a stretch to call the St Louis area) and to commemorate the return of CC&G, I've spent the last few weeks compiling ALL the cake pictures into one post, now in alphabetical order with alt text. Yes, I have learned to embrace my spicy brain over the past 10 years.

A whimsical, outdoor sculpture of a tiered cake, celebrating St Louis's 250th anniversary at Aerie Winery, painted with vibrant images representing the town of Grafton, Illinois. The cake is displayed on a wooden deck under a covered patio. Each layer is decorated with scenes including the river, bluffs, and local landmarks. . The sculpture is topped with a yellow candle and shows "STL250"
1. Aerie Winery in Grafton, IL

A collage of three images related to the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog. The top left shows the museum's exterior, featuring a round window adorned with a dog-shaped constellation symbol. The bottom left is a shot inside the "Hall of Fame", with a German Shepherd dog standing in front of a wall with the words "Hall of Fame" and an American flag. The other image on the right includes a large, decorated cake reading "Museum of the Dog" and “STL250,” placed outside the building, with a "Notice: Surveillance" sign visible on the entrance door.
2. AKC Museum of the Dog (relocated to NYC in 2019)

A split image shows Alton City Hall's exterior, featuring columns and "City Hall 101" above the doors. The other half displays a three-tiered silver cake commemorating St Louis's' 250th anniversary with the number "250" displayed on it.
3. Alton (IL) City Hall

A collage showcases Alton, Illinois, sights: the Alton Visitor Center, and the Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debate statues. A colorfully painted, three-tiered cake with a candle, labeled "stl 50," stands near the Lincoln statue. The Visitor Center is a brick building with signage, and a "Welcome to Alton" sign with an American flag is visible in the background.
4.  Alton Visitor's Center/Lincoln-Douglas Square

A three-tiered cake celebrating St Louis's 250th anniversary at Ameren's headquarters stands outdoors beneath a pergola. The bottom tier features blue solar panels, the middle tier is yellow with "250 STL" written in light green lettering. The top tier is blue with lightning bolts and features a globe surrounded by green grass. A single candle sits atop the highest tier.
5. Ameren

A three-panel image showing the exterior of America's Center, and two window displays of custom cakes. The first panel displays the facade of America's Center, with a large sign advertising Emerson electric and Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers. The other two panels each show a tiered cake displayed in a window. Each cake is decorated with colors and imagery related to St. Louis for the 250th anniversary of the city.
6. America's Center/Edward Jones Dome

A collage of three images representing St. Louis transportation. The first is a black and white cake sculpture with a candle in memory of St. Louis's 250th Anniversary. The second is a picture of the riverfront with train tracks, railroad cars, and a power station behind them. The final image shows a sign reading "America's Central Port" in bold, black letters on a brick wall.
7. America's Central Port (Granite City, IL)

Two-paneled photo of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. The left panel shows a large, two-tiered STL250 birthday cake decorated in Budweiser colors on a walkway with the Brewery building with Christmas wreaths in the background. The right panel depicts the entrance to "The Biergarten" with people entering. Festive decor surrounds the entrance.
8. Anheuser-Busch Brewery

- A split-screen image displays two sides of a painted, two-tiered cake sculpture. One side honors the St. Louis neighborhood "The Ville" featuring "Phillips", the number "250" in large digits, and a simple street map of the neighborhood. The other side honors Annie Malone, an African American businesswoman, philanthropist, and pioneer in the hair care industry. It features a portrait of Malone, her name, the phrase "more than just a parade," the words “celebrating 125 yrs,” and a depiction of the Poro Beauty College, Est. 1917. The base of the cake lists names including Arthur Ashe, Chuck Berry, Julia Davis, Grace Bumbry, Sonny Liston, and Dick Gregory. A tall light-blue candle sits in the cake's top tier.
9. Annie Malone

A collage of three different images depicting landmarks within St. Louis. The first image shows a two-tiered cake placed in grass, decorated with blue and green paint, resembling a landscape and including imagery of a jogger, and a person pushing a stroller. Large yellow numbers reading "250 St. Louis" are painted on the cake. The second image captures the Ashley Powerhouse/Union Electric Power building, a tall brick building with arched windows. A sidewalk, street, and several light posts can be seen in front. The third image shows the "Riverfront Trail" sign, with large white letters against a blue sky.
10. Ashley Street Powerhouse/Riverfront Trail

A collage showing different aspects of a Dr. Edmund A. Babler memorial. On the left, a two-tiered cake-shaped monument commemorating the 250th anniversary of St Louis at Babler State Park, decorated with nature scenes and the number "250." In the center, a statue of Babler atop a tall stone plinth, framed by trees and a fence. On the right is a close up of an engraving from the plinth with the quote, "Nothing is more estimable than a physician who, having studied nature from his youth, knows the properties of the human body, the diseases which assail it, the remedies which will benefit it, exercises his art with caution, and pays equal attention to the rich and the poor."
11. Babler State Park

A two-tiered cake sculpture celebrating the 250th anniversary of St Louis and Barretts Elementary School sits outdoors. The bottom tier is painted to look like blue and green swirls with "250" in large red numerals and "st" in small blue numerals on the front. The top tier is black and decorated with multicolored glass fragments glued on top and dog prints around the base. The cake sits on top of a blue base saying "Barretts Elementary". It includes a red, white, and blue striped candle on the top tier. The sculpture located in front of the school in a landscaped area with bushes and a brick wall.
12. Barretts Elementary





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