This cake was a gift, celebrating a happy and important occasion. It has the reputation of being the best chocolate cake in the world and it did taste great. The gesture was kind. It was the gold sprinkles on the frosting that impressed me the most. though. A few years ago the Museum of Finance in Manhattan had a special exhibit on gold. There were several examples of extravagant items made of gold...trash can, telephone, mouse trap, sardine can, fax machine and even a Monopoly game. There was gold crowns from Orthodox wedding ceremonies, gold foil for dental fillings and Olympic medals. There was even a bag of Gold Medal flour. The narrative accompanying the exhibit told the story of gold being the measure of excellence. All of this was running through my mind when I cut the cake and the sugary gold was gleaming against the dark brown. It is possible, and even probable, that the golden halo surrounding the confection was standard decoration. I allow myself a few brief moments to imagine that they were a special order. We all like to think that, sometimes, we are doing something well enough to win the gold.