She made the cake for Jenna Bush!
Thursday, May 7th, 2009 
Posted by admin“She made the cake for Jenna Bush By Presidential historian, Doug Wead”
Here is the link to dougwead.com
And here is the link to White House weddings.com
http://www.whitehouseweddings.com/
Mary Jane was fifteen years old, living in Denver, Colorado with her parents and four sisters when her father, Joseph Kulas, bought her a cake decorating kit. It was love at first sight. She had been interested in baking from a young age, having learned the art from her mother, Violet. Mary Jane went to work immediately, crafting a surprise for her sister Karen’s twelfth birthday. When her masterpiece was finished, Mary Jane tiptoed down the basement stairs, looking for a place to hide the cake. She finally settled for the top of the family freezer. But later, when she went to retrieve her creation and make her grand presentation, she walked up the stairs with tears in her eyes—and a melted cake in her hands
It was the first of many lessons Mary Jane would learn in what would soon become a lifelong passion.
That long ago day in Denver, Mary Jane looked at her dripping failure and wept, consoled only by the words of her sister. “Don’t worry, Mary Jane, you’ll make other cakes.” Indeed, she would.
What started out unsuccessfully would eventually become an art and, in recent years, a booming business. By the turn of the century, Mary Jane and her husband, Tom Ontiveroz, connected with a wholesaler, the Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery in San Antonio. The company, founded and operated by Jeanne and Marcus Samii, had been in business for 25 years. Tom and Mary Jane purchased the two retail stores in San Antonio. Using the fillings and icings from Ultimate Cheesecake they designed their own unique creations for weddings and special events.
People raved about the cakes, and Mary Jane, flushed with confidence in her craft, often dreamed of making a cake for a celebrity wedding. But that was the sort of thing that happened in California or New York, certainly not in San Antonio, Texas.
It was just another December day at the office in 2007 when Mary Jane Ontiveroz got a phone call from a stranger, asking about a Tres Leches wedding cake for the weekend of May 10, 2008. The voice on the other end of the line referred to a wedding in San Antonio the previous May. Her friend had attended that event, she said, and raved about the cake. In fact, she liked it so much she asked the bride who had made her wedding cake. “The Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery in San Antonio” the bride had announced.
The stranger on the phone insisted on “tres leches” and whipped cream icing, just like the cake in May. And then she added, “Oh, can you deliver the cake up to the Waco area?”
“Well,” Mary Jane said, “Let me talk it over with my husband and see if we can feasibly do that.” If she was going to keep up with orders, they would have to figure the logistics on making the delivery for this one. Tom Ontiveroz gave his okay, and the first round of negotiations was concluded.
In subsequent calls, Mary Jane was given the impression that she would be preparing the cake for a young couple named Lindsay and Tim and that it would be delivered to a ranch outside Waco. At other times she surmised that the lady who was planning the wedding was the bride’s mother. She was asked to prepare a sample of the Tres Leches cake for pick up in the Dallas area. She made the cake and had the local Dallas area Ultimate Cheesecake distributor deliver it. No flags went up, just business as usual.
Mary Jane found out that the person she had been talking to was a friend of the family, and was just doing the wedding planning as a favor for them. The calls were always on cell phones, and the staff at Ultimate Cheesecake was far too busy trying to run the business to be curious. Mother’s Day orders were overwhelming. “In this kind of business,” says Mary Jane, “it is all or nothing, and making a profit depends on juggling the many orders you have when things are good.”
Mary Jane was always trying to figure out how she could get everything finished, out the door, and actually delivered on time. The latter part of the process is sometimes the most difficult task. She had recently booked a wedding cake order for delivery to the Canyon Lake area, several hours drive away. She arranged for the Canyon Lake delivery to be made by her assistant, Anna. A couple weeks after that order had been placed she received a surprise visit from the Canyon Lake client, who had driven over to cancel the order in person. There was a friend with a closer bakery, the bride apologized.
That evening, Mary Jane sat down and wept with exhaustion. It was tough work, trying to survive in a small business. But she thought that maybe that cancellation was a good thing, because now she wouldn’t have to worry about that cake order and another delivery.
Three days later the phone rang. It was Lindsay and Tim’s wedding planner calling. “Mary Jane,” she said. “I have a little secret for you.” There was a pause. “The wedding cake that you are going to be making is for Jenna Bush!”
Mary Jane was speechless. A wave of emotions swept through her. She had fantasized many times of just such a moment, preparing a cake for a celebrity wedding, but it had never entered her mind that it could be possible.
Her sample cake in February had been a big hit, she was told. The cake was delivered to Dallas and used for a dinner hosted by the Bush family for foreign dignitaries, who enjoyed it as part of their dessert.
The woman on the cell phone said, “You can’t tell anyone right now until we find out how Mrs. Bush wants to handle the press releases.” Mary Jane agreed, and they finished the interesting conversation with the last words from the planner, “You can tell your husband.”
That night, Mary Jane couldn’t sleep. She tried. All night long she tossed and turned. Step by step, she went over the cake-making process, the delivery, and the other orders looming over her, and was overwhelmed by all that could go wrong. She didn’t tell Tom until the next morning. At least one of them would get some sleep.
He was half awake, lying next to her in bed, when she broke the news. “You know that cake we are doing for the couple up near Waco?”
“Yeah, I know the one.”
“Well, you’re going to want to go on that delivery with me. The cake is for Jenna Bush!”
Like Mary Jane, it took Tom a day for the news to sink in. By the third day reality had fully hit them both. Mary Jane was deeply moved by the responsibility. “We felt so honored.”
Ironically, the little cake baking business boomed. It was as if everyone knew—but, of course, no one did. They turned down many orders to make room for the extra planning involved, and limited their responsibilities to their current client list. Mary Jane had a few more sleepless nights, but the pace of work was so intense there was little time to be nervous. She had to concentrate on the things at hand. The cake for Jenna Bush remained an intimidating presence, always at the top of the list.
A few days later, Mary Jane called her parents. “Something really exciting is happening, and I can’t tell you about it now, but you’ll understand when the time comes. I am just calling you to ask if you would please say a prayer for us.”
“Well, sure,” her mother, Violet Kulas, said. “We pray for you every day anyway. But now, you’ve got me worried.”
“No, no, no worries. Just say a prayer for us for the time around May 9th and 10th.”
The week of the Jenna Bush Wedding Mary Jane organized the various parts and began the meticulous work of crafting the cake. Known as a fastidious cake maker, Mary Jane seemed even fussier than normal, continually keeping a protective eye on everything she did, taking pictures as she went. Anna, the young lady who worked for her in the shop, picked up on the vibes. She couldn’t help but wonder why this particular wedding cake seemed more involved than any other in the past. Something special was going on.
When Mary Jane made little samples for quality control everyone agreed that it was mouthwatering delicious. She served some of the samples to customers who had come into the store that evening. Everyone had the same reaction, “Oh, this tastes so good!”
Friday, May 9th was the day reserved for the icing and decorating of the “Lindsay and Tim wedding cake.” The cake had to be completely frozen to make the four hour trip up to Crawford, TX. On Saturday morning the cakes were taken out of the freezer and the careful work of adding supports began. The supports had to be perfect. Too high and there would be gaps in the cake. Too low and they would sink into the cake below. Mary Jane usually cut her supports perfectly the first time, but that Saturday morning she raced the clock as one attempt after the next was off the mark. Her workers teased her for the extra care, saying, “Your cakes are earthquake proof.” This one had to survive a 195-mile drive, and possibly several hours of display on the cake table.
Just before leaving on this once-in-a-lifetime journey, Tom brought breakfast for Mary Jane, who had been running all morning on two cups of coffee. Anna and another young man helped them load their white minivan with a heavy chest freezer that held the wedding cakes. They attached a yellow magnetic sign to the back of the van that read, “Cautious driver, wedding cake delivery in progress.” They were on their way after a quick prayer and a final moment of last minute jitters.
The White House staffers had given meticulous directions. They wouldn’t be able to travel the Interstate, as it would be closed down. They followed another route that Tom had laid out in the case of any changes. Mary Jane was a nervous wreck, telling her husband, “Slow down, slow down. Watch the curves!”
She called her mother as they traveled north on Texas State Highway 281. “Remember my call a few weeks ago, telling you to pray for us during a certain time? Well, we are in the van right now on our way to the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas, where we are delivering Jenna Bush’s wedding cake!”
Her mother screamed, “Oh, my gosh!”
Mary Jane cried. She had never heard her mother so excited, nor so proud.
As they passed through Marble Falls, Texas, they got stuck behind a funeral procession, which lasted for twenty minutes. Life goes on, and death too. Jenna Bush was getting married, but someone, somewhere else, was being buried.
They finally drove into McGregor, Texas, to freshen up a little at the local grocery store. They’d made reservations to stay the night at the Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, and wondered if they’d have time to drop off their suitcases before heading over to the Ranch, but Tom thought it wise to get the cake delivered first.
Ironically, I was staying at the same Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast with the staff of the Today Show. I had made an appearance that morning on NBC to talk about the history of presidential children and White House weddings. Without my even knowing about the wedding cake and who had baked it, the Ontiveroz van passed by.
When they drove into nearby Crawford, they saw hundreds of television trucks and satellite dishes springing up across the Texas landscape. They bore labels from all the famous American networks and many in other languages. Smartly dressed men and women stood out on the streets talking into cameras, rehearsing their reports, while other young men and women fussed with cameras and lighting. The full realization hit home: this was that big celebrity wedding Mary Jane had dreamed about all her life!
They finally got a call from a cell phone, a private number. It was one of the White House aides. “Have you made it through the first checkpoint yet?” the voice asked. “Don’t hang up; I’ll guide you through the various checkpoints.” They needed their social security numbers again, and automobile identification numbers. There were bomb-sniffing dogs at every turn. But gate by gate, checkpoint by checkpoint, the little minivan with Jenna Bush’s cake wound its way deeper into the president’s Texas ranch compound.
At the final gate they were met by two women aides in a golf cart. Security gave one more check of the vehicle, and then Tom and Mary Jane drove slowly behind the golf cart off the road across a field. They had thought to take some pictures, but there was nothing to see. Finally, in the distance they spotted tents and parked cars.
No sooner had they parked the car than the aides came rushing to their doors. “Hurry, hurry, the President wants to meet you.” The Ontiveroz’s had held out the hope of a presidential picture, but had been warned that because of the type of event, it was out of the question. But Mary Jane was ready, just in case. She fumbled for her camera and a thank you card she had prepared for the Bush family, but the staffers gave her no time.
“No, no, we’ve got to go now. You won’t need your camera.”
They soon saw the President talking with a group of men. One of the aides introduced them and the president shook Tom’s hand first. “We’ve been supporters,” Tom said. “Thank you for this opportunity!”
“Thanks,” the president nodded, and turned to take Mary Jane’s hand. “Nice to meet you, thanks so much.” Her knees turned to jelly but somehow she remained standing.
And the President, knowing what they wanted better than they did, turned the whole group around to face the White House photographers. “Thomas, take off your sunglasses,” the President told him, as they all had a giggle.
“Yes sir!”
And so Tom and Mary Jane had their picture.
After the excitement of meeting the President, Mary Jane surveyed the tent where the cake would be placed, as Tom gave orders to a team of young men who were standing by to help. Mary Jane quickly came back as they started to lift the heavy freezer. “Careful, please. Keep it level. Keep it level.” She hadn’t expected so many helpers, and it added to her worries. “Careful.”
After the men had set the freezer down, Mary Jane opened the lid and cold steam started pouring out. Mary Jane offered a quick whispered prayer, “Thank you, Lord.”
Tier by tier, she began assembling her masterpiece. It was a long way from her sister’s birthday many years before. A White House photographer, equipped with a telescopic lens on her camera, clicked away, as Mary Jane gingerly placed one tier on top of another.
When she was finished, she walked around to examine it. It looked good to Mary Jane. She already knew it tasted good.
At that point her work was almost done and she began putting away the boxes. “Where are the floral arrangements?” she asked. “I want to help with the flowers used on the cake,” she asked. She knew what could happen with someone unfamiliar with the delicate cake.
Mary Jane was told that the florist would apply the flowers. She relaxed; the florist was a professional like herself, and would handle the arrangement with care. Mary Jane knew that her job was completed, and she was happy with the way the cake looked when she left.
As it turned out, the decision to have someone else apply the flowers, coupled with the fact that Mary Jane had not felt the need to add support to the top tier, led to a potentially disastrous moment. The one photo of the famous cake that was released by the White House showed it with a pronounced tilt, sending it into the history books. When Mary Jane saw the first photos of the cake on television, aside from being surprised and astounded that her cake was on national TV, she cried that the cake looked crooked.
Tom and Mary Jane would chuckle over it later.
But on that hot, sunny day, as they finally relaxed, their work done, weaving their van back out through the winding road of security check points and onto the highways home, Tom and Mary Jane were filled with thanksgiving and amazement. They had been given the honor of being a part of American history.
She remembered trying to start her career a long time before in her home town of Denver, where no on would hire her. But the trail had led to this. Dreams do come true, she thought. Passion had paid off.
Mary Jane had promised to call her parents back as soon as they were finished. On the road she finally placed the call.
“You know,” her mother intoned, “I called and talked to all of your sisters. And none of them believed you.”
“Well, Mom,” Mary Jane laughed, “I know just how they feel. We couldn’t believe it either. All I can say is that it really happened. It really did happen!”
See: www.ultimateweddingcake.com
Doug Wead is the author of the New York Times bestseller and number one Amazon.com seller, All the Presidents’ Children. He has been an advisor to two presidents and served on the senior White House staff of George H. W. Bush.
Media Clips:
Fox News Channel – Is Jenna Bush the most beautiful WH bride?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAAWaKNopoA
The Today Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fSFk-e3-iU
MSNBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XPRMPSxpxc
Fox morning show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejuryZ_UtsE
Geraldo on the wedding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBOT11LL4Xg
Fox news on bush wedd ing versus alice Roosevelt wedding
