This puzzle's main portion is a piece of... cake?

10 + 1 puzzles to feast upon!

^{See the formatting (hit "edit") for transcriptions for Puzzles 4, 5, 7 and 9. You'll want to enlarge some of the images (there's nothing hidden, it's just that the text is small).}

1. Work-In-Progress Puzzle

Across

___ Thai, a noodle dish (3)Swindle (3)Pub drink (3)Plant with starchy corm (4)Stupefy, shock (4)Tip to one side (4)Briquettes for barbecuing (8)Weapon in Clue/Cluedo (4)Top poker card (3)In spite of that (3)English Setter, for example (3)

Down

Buddy (3)Word expressing woe (4)Money that is owed (4)Household vehicle (3)Unrefined mineral (3)One of two universal gates (3)Ancient loose garment (5)Weird, outlandish (5)Opposite of save, in games (4)____ Tuesday, a US tradition (4)Weep; shout (3)Gardening tool (3)Appropriate (3)Something a prankster might pull (3)

2. Quizzing for Information

What has the world's largest love handles? Cabaret for large cetaceans, maybe.
What is the name of the world's largest organ? Risqué weighing instrument.
What is the loudest thing in the ocean? Indigo Maori hut.
What is the largest living thing on Earth? Depressed period of time.
What are large, blue, rare, slow-moving, have calves, suffer from wet bottoms and are found all over the world? Unfocus all of it.
What is the world's longest animal (2nd time)? Sad Pixar robot.
What is smaller than the moon and keeps moving the sea around? Cyan fine-grained sedimentary rock.

3. Hello, Inter-network

4. Step by Step

5. Dig for the Buried Answer

(7, 3, 6)
(3, 5, 2, 3, 5)
(5, 5)

6. Beach Episodes

On our trip, Donald brought along two card game expansions and we played some solitaire. Here is one of the logs. Something seems amiss though... can you work out the cause?

C, G, S;K, E, D, P;a, b, c, d, e, g, h, i, j;Events: none;|CCCEE|    CCC->$3, +b; ~EE;|CCCCE|    CCCC->$4; ~E;|CCEb|    b()[#2,E]; CCC->$3, +d; ~∅;|CCCCE|=> b'()[#1] =>|CCCCE|    CCCC->$5, +g; ~E;|CEbg|    d()[CC], g(), b()[#3]; ∅->$2, +a; ~EE;|CCCCC|=> b'()[#2,C], d'(), g'() =>|CCCCCC|    CCCC->$6, +G; ~CC;|EEag|    a()[], g(); G->$5, +j; ~EE;|CCCbd|=> a'(), g'() => |CCCbd|    b()[#2,C], d()[C]; S->$4, +e; ~CC;|CCCCE|=> b'()[#2,E], d'() =>|CCCCC|    e(); CCCCC->$5, +h; ~E;|Sagj|=> e'() =>|GSagj|    j(), a()[S], g(); CCCG->$8, +P; ~E;|CCbh|=> a'(), g'(), j'() =>|CCPSbdh|    b()[#2,E], d()[GS], h(); CCC->$5, +i; ~P, h'();    |CCe|=> b'()[#2,C], d'() =>|CSGe|        e(), g(); CSG->$8, +P; ~∅;|CCPj|=> e'(), g'() => |CCCPj|    j(), a()[G], b()[#1], i(); ∅->$3, +c; ~∅;|CPSdh|=> a'(), b'()[#3], i'(), j'() => |CCCGSPcdegh|    e(), c(), g(), h(); CCCCSSG->$14, +GP; ~PPd, h'();    |Sbj|=> c'(), e'(), g'() => |SSbj|        b()[#3], j(); CSS->$8, +P; ~P;|GGd|=> j'(), b'()[#2,C] =>|GGPd|    d()[GG], a()[C], i(); ∅->$0; ~∅;|PPSc|=> a'(), d'(), i'() =>|CGGPPSScehj|    b()[#2,C], g(), e(), c(), j(), h(); CSSSGG->$16, +PP; ~PPP, h'();    |CPi|=> b'()[#2,C], c'(), e'(), g'(), j'() =>|PPPSi|        i(); ∅->$3, +S; ~∅;|GPa|=> i'() =>|GPPPSSad|    d()[SG], a()[P]; CGSS->$8, +P; ~PPPP;|bcegj|=> a'(), d'() => |GPSbcegj|    c(), e(); GS->$8, +P; ~Pbgj;

7. A Lovely Game of Cards

On my trip to Asia I learnt a lot about the culture — maybe I should go somewhere more tropical next year.

8. An Admirer's Secret

Dear V,
I hope this letter find you on a very fine day. I apologise in advance for the spontaneous communication but I felt the need to convay my feelings no matter what, even though you are undoutedly busy working on your inventions.
To be dredfully honest, I was initialy going to ring. A proper love letter, however, is to my knowlege much more romantic, and thus I pen this heartfelt message for you, my partner at the Viktorian Formal Dance.
I hope that your heart accepts this letter, for I believe you to be extrardinarily bright, extremely kind, and truly beautiful. I know that this is highly unusual coming from me, as I so not easily give such praise, but I do hope that we can get along better.
Seven o'clock at night is my telephone curfew time. Ring me before then should you wish to reply, or by all means feel free to write back. I will be awaiting your risponse.