Birthday's are special

When I was growing up, birthdays were a big deal in my house.  My mom always took the time to bake a cake (or dessert) of our choosing to make our day extra special.  I know that some people don't like to acknowledge their birthday - I'm not one of those people.  I think they should be enjoyed and celebrated.  I try and take full advantage of the opportunity to let that person know just how much they mean to me.  The fact is that I'm surrounded by the most wonderful family and friends and I don't tell them very often that I am truly blessed to have them in my life.  At the very least, once a year on their birthday, I'm reminded to let them know just how much I love them.

I get to bake cakes for people nearly every week as part of my personal chef business.  I've made birthday cakes in all sorts of different flavors and shapes and sizes.  It is so much fun to personalize a cake to reflect the individual tastes and style of the recipient.  (You can check out my collection of cakes by logging onto my facebook page: Creative Dinner Solutions.)  This is a one of the cakes that I made last week.

I also made a birthday cake for my mother in law last week.  She requested a classic birthday cake combination - yellow cake and chocolate frosting.  I wanted her cake to reflect her personality so I sculpted a flowerpot out of cake and placed it on top of a two layer base cake.

 

This recipe was adapted from my "Flour" cookbook.

Yellow Cake
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups cake flour. 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (nonfat)

Cream butter and sugar in a standing mixer for at least 4 minutes.
Don't underestimate the importance of this step.  The butter should look pale and fluffy before adding the eggs. 






Whisk together eggs, egg yolks and vanilla.  Add to butter mixture and beat until combined.  

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

 

With mixer on low, add 1/3 of flour mixture to mixer.  Add 1/2 of the buttermilk.  Repeat.  Finish by adding remaining dry ingredients.







Divide batter between 2 greased 8" cake pans.  Bake 40-50 minutes at 350.  

Cool the cake in the pans for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

I filled my yellow cakes with chocolate whipped cream and then I frosted them with my new favorite chocolate frosting recipe.  (Click on the words "chocolate frosting" for a link to the blog with that recipe.)

It is always a joy to be able to present someone with their birthday cake.  Seeing the look on their face when they see their unique cake for the first time - never gets old.  We had a fabulous birthday celebration with my mother in law last weekend.  We all got to celebrate at the opening of the new Legoland.

Legoland was pretty impressive.  If you live in Atlanta, you need to check it out.  

Ciao!


Yellow Cake
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups cake flour. 

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (nonfat)

Cream butter and sugar in a standing mixer for at least 4 minutes.  Whisk together eggs, egg yolks and vanilla.  Add to butter mixture and beat until combined.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  With mixer on low, add 1/3 of flour mixture to mixer.  Add 1/2 of the buttermilk.  Repeat.  Finish by adding remaining dry ingredients.  Divide batter between 2 greased 8" cake pans.  Bake 40-50 minutes at 350.