Word Salad II

(aka, Double Chocolate Courvoisier Torte with Brandied Buttercream Filling and Two Icings [Brandied Nutella Frosting and Cream Cheese & White Chocolate Ganache Glaze])

(...Fic first. Recipe after.)

Mycroft... knows that power, especially when it leans so close to the absolute, must be constantly tested to prove that its foundations are sound. Its bearer's weak points must be laid bare, examined, reinforced, then stress-tested again. And for Mycroft, cake is a weak point. It would be irrational to deny it.

So when it comes time for him to do the quarterly assessment of his strengths and his ability to manage his weaknesses, not just any cake will do. He requires something truly dangerous, a veritable Moriarty among cakes... so that his mettle can be tested, and proven not wanting, at the highest possible level. And finding the worthy antagonist for such tests has occasionally proven as much fun as the test itself...