Layer Cake in the Checkerboard Bakery

A huge round layer cake stands on a checkerboard floor, with a wedge cut out to show layers of golden sponge, purple berry jam, cream with orange slices and dark chocolate. Its sides are pink with a teal lattice and dripping lilac icing, and the top is pale blue, ringed with mint swirls and cream rosettes, with a cluster of cherries, apricots, blueberries and flowers in the middle. Bakers in white hats climb ladders against the cut face, decorate the top from a small platform and carry plates. Around the cake is a bustling bakery: ovens with trays of cookies, tables of pies, tiered cakes and berry baskets, shelves of jars, mixers and a family eating at a small table. The tile pattern and the busy counters mark off lively sections.