I love birthdays! I always have. In high school I had two friends with birthdays within a few days of mine. We celebrated “birthday week” and had a blast every year making the whole week special. Now that I have a family of my own we get to celebrate SIX birthdays each year. I’ve reluctantly reigned in the "birthday week" idea but do my best to make each birthday special.
One way I do that is through cakes. I love seeing my kids personalities come out in the cake flavors and designs they choose. I treasure playing such a fun (and flavorful) role in each of their birthdays.
Here are a few of my favorite birthday cake ideas and recipes I’ve found and loved over the years.
My daughters both love chocolate. This Tuxedo Cake has been talked about for years since it’s first appearance at my oldest daughter’s 4th birthday party. So much so, that I made it again for our second daughter’s 4th birthday!
My oldest son loves lemon and lime. His 5th birthday cake was “strawberry lemonade” - Lemon Cake with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream. I guess we share the same love for a tart dessert. I made this Lemon Blueberry Cake with Whipped Lemon Cream Frosting for my oldest daughter’s 2nd birthday and have been asked to make it again for both grandmothers.
And then there's my husband’s birthday. He goes back and forth between requesting cheesecake and cookie cake. This Cookie Cake has made its appearance at several of his birthdays and will appear again this April. I've made it before with an Espresso Buttercream for a more grown up flavor profile and it's delicious. My kids love to use a piping bag and decorate his cakes. Last year, the kids wanted to change it up and we made cookie sandwiches instead. They were a hit!
The most unique birthday cake request came from my oldest daughter for her 6th birthday. She specifically asked for a white chocolate donut cake with a marshmallow fondant pink bow. I had so much fun making this cake!
Birthdays are a great time to celebrate each family member’s unique tastes. What flavors do you like to make?