As someone who loves to plan events and parties, I’m pretty hard to surprise. I would much rather surprise someone else! I’m usually thinking about ways to celebrate birthdays months in advance. My favorite way to celebrate is to get all of my friends together and feed them. In fact, the last eight years running, I’ve made my own birthday cake!
I love baking so much that I don’t really need an excuse to do it. However, a birthday is really a great time to try a new recipe because there are actually enough people around to eat it! Can you imagine if I made a three layer cake for just Pat and I? Talk about tipping the balance towards gluttony! I talk about balance a lot here on A Side of Sweet and birthdays are no exception. I like to spoil the people I love with sweets and treats on my birthday and I usually try to send the leftovers home with our guests. That ensures that I get my one piece of cake and not cake for breakfast and lunch the next day too!
I was recently inspired to look through photos of past birthday celebrations. I even found a picture of one of my first birthday cake creations. This one above is from junior year of college and is covered with Rachel Ray’s seven minute frosting. The cake is from before I really got into making cakes and is actually from a box mix!
The recipe must have been a hit because a similar creation made an appearance the next year:
In grad school, I really loved having people over for fondue to celebrate my birthday. There’s something about fondue that just says party to me.
Since I met Pat four years ago, I’ve switched the focus off of my birthday and onto celebrating his. You could probably insert some metaphor about relationships and learning how to share here. He loves carrot cake and this one was such a hit that I also made it for our wedding!
My birthday is fast approaching and I have a lot to celebrate this year. Looking back on my 28th year on the planet, it was a big one. I graduated from medical school, got married, moved across the country, and started a new job as a resident physician in pediatrics! I’m looking forward to turning 29, even if it means that my twenties are winding down.
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Wow!! All of those look AMAZING!!! My husband and I do fondue for special occasions! We don’t do the chocolate kind though, unfortunately the hubby doesn’t like fruit… (I know, I know, WHAT?!) Anyway, we cook the meat in one pot and prepare a melted cheese concoction in the other. It is always a great time! Gosh, I love love love fondue!
Haha, my cake making skills are definitely a work in progress! I love fondue too! Going back through the archives inspired me to have a fondue part soon!