A Single Conversation: Happy Birthday to Me! (Pink Cake)

Monday was my birthday and I love everything about birthdays! Cake, ice cream, parties, family dinner. I am in love with the whole thing.

I really love the cake. Always have. Doesn't matter where it's from or how extravagant it may, or may not, be. Cake is a sure sign of celebration and I am always up for that.

I received this cookbook as a Christmas gift several years ago. Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson. It is a collection of cake recipes that includes some vintage recipes, some new, and a good amount of writing and photos that any fan of baking and/or nostalgia would enjoy. I have read through it several times but have not attempted any of the recipes before yesterday.

The cover features a beautiful pink cake on a white stand and is the whole reason I asked for this book in the first place. So, I attempted to make this three layer chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream. Spoiler alert: things did not go perfectly.

Never fear! I did, in fact, end up with a chocolate cake with pink frosting. It resembles the picture in the cookbook even though the pink icing is not raspberry flavored. The cake turned out dense, but delicious. The meringue based buttercream frosting did not turn out and after 24 hours of puzzling over ways to save it I moved on to Plan B.

Meet Plan B: Basic cake frosting tinted pink with red food coloring. It may not be gourmet but it met my main goal of having pink cake. I say, "mission accomplished."

A lot of thoughts ran through my head over the last few days regarding what to share with you on the topic of cake. To bake or not to bake? Make it from scratch, from a box, or from an order form at your favorite bakery? Baking is a science. So, the chance that something will go wrong is likely greater than it would be when cooking a dinner or making hors-d'oeuvers which are more open to interpretation and rule bending.

I would liken baking to beginning a new fitness routine. If you are new to it enter in with caution. Listen to your body. If the opportunity arises maybe ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough to handle a baking disaster. Do not enter into a baking endeavor on the morning of a holiday or under any kind of extreme stress such as a breakup, potential pregnancy, or while watching a Debra Winger Movie Marathon.

The important things to know here include: (1) people love cake. (2) making or buying someone a cake is a lovely gesture that will not go unnoticed. (3) Making a cake from a beloved family recipe is a great way to spend a day reminiscing while sharing traditions with friends and loved ones. (4) Have a back up plan. Just in case.

So, whats the recipe?

Easy version: Order a cake fully baked and decorated from a reliable bakery. There are tons of great bakeries in the KC area. HyVee, Costco, Dulce Bakery, Bloom Bakery, and Three Women and an Oven are all on my list of go-to places.

Low to Moderate Difficulty: Bake a cake from a box or from your favorite recipe. Order pre-made frosting and decorations from your local bakery. Most will mix, flavor, and tint frosting to your specifications. You can make the cake ahead and freeze or refrigerate it until the day before your event. Pick up the frosting and assemble your cake within 24 hours of your event.

Masters Level: Bake a homemade cake from your favorite recipe. If you are a skilled baker you can likely tackle a recipe from any well written cookbook. Use your favorite frosting recipe and flavor or tint to meet the needs of your cake. Cut the cake into a custom shape and/or decorate to amp up the excitement for your event.

The goal is to have fun and celebrate important moments with the people in your life. So, if you don't enjoy baking use the easy version. If you love to bake than go crazy!

People sure do love homemade desserts!

(Special thanks to my coworkers for eating the majority of my beautiful pink cake!)

Here are some examples of fun cakes I have made in the past. I would rate myself as a cake novice so if I can do it most of you can too.