New Zealand's first bloke Clarke Gayford has shown off his baking skills, producing an astonishing television cake with projected cartoons for his daughter's birthday.
On Monday, Mr Gayford and his partner, Kiwi PM Jacinda Ardern, celebrated Neve Te Aroha Ardern's third birthday.
Ms Ardern became just the second head of government to give birth in office when she had Neve in 2018.
The Labour leader made cakes for Neve's first and second birthdays; a coconut-coated rabbit in 2019, and a chocolate piano last year.
On both occasions, she played down her kitchen skills.
Last year, she posed for a photo with the wonky piano cake, confessing it needed a jar of lentils to stand upright.
This year, Mr Gayford had no such issues, despite a challenging request.
"So the birthday cake brief from my almost 3yr old client changed daily from Frozen to Moana then Mickey Mouse and repeat," he wrote on Instagram.
"This has been going on for nearly a month so I came up with a plan to make 3 cakes into 1."
His solution: a television cake with a projector showing Neve's favourite cartoons.
Ms Ardern said Neve was delighted - but not necessarily by Mr Gayford's attention to detail.
"She's three. Everything's exciting," she said.
"She's still a kid that loves dolls. She's easy to please."
Speaking to TVNZ, Ms Ardern said Mr Gayford had won himself the chance to make Neve's cake next year.
"If it makes anyone feel better it literally took hours and he spent more time on a third birthday cake than he has on our wedding," he said
"That is actually true and zero exaggeration."
After meeting in 2012, Ms Ardern and Mr Gayford were engaged in 2019, and plan to wed this summer near the pair's summer holiday town of Gisborne, in New Zealand's remote north-east.
Australian Associated Press
