The last few months have been hell on planning. It seems like I turn around and it’s E’s birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now Dave’s birthday and I’ve got nothing planned, no idea what to do, and fifty balls in the air all at once in the rest of my life.
So this morning, after actually remembering to wish my wonderful husband a happy birthday, I asked him if he wanted a cake. He demurred, which meant, “Of course I want a cake! Are you in a coma?”
So I persisted, told him I was going to bake him a birthday cake and what would he like to have?
“A yellow box cake, with homemade jam between the layers, and chocolate frosting.”
Now I ask you, why in the world would I make a cake from a box when I can make one from scratch? It isn’t that hard (wow, if the past me could read those words!) and it would taste better AND I wouldn’t have to drive to the store for the mix. Besides, I can’t stand chocolate frosting in a can, it has always given me stomachaches and made me feel queasy.
So…
I altered the vanilla cream cheese frosting recipe – adding cocoa powder to it – and made the most fabulous tasting milk chocolate cream cheese frosting. I hope he likes it. If he doesn’t, well, I think I could just happily sit down and eat the entire damned bowl of frosting it tastes so good.
I then whipped together a simple yellow cake with the last of the cake flour. Here they are cooling…
And I pulled out some of the mixed berry preserves Dave canned earlier this year…
Now I’m no great shakes at cake decorating. I’ll leave the artistic tendencies up to my eldest. But here is the finished product…
The cake is moist, sweet, and full of fruity and chocolatey goodness. Which just goes to show you…I suck at being the obedient wife. But I RULE at baking!
