A Birthday Cake for Alicia

Growing up, birthdays were always a big deal in my house and it wasn't long before I grew to love everything about them: cake, presents, and an entire day devoted to me. Even as I've gotten older, my love for birthdays lives on, and in some ways has grown. I now find myself not only getting excited for my own birthday, but also for the birthdays of my friends as well. In fact this year, I was more excited for the birthdays of others than my own!


Although this post is almost a month overdue, celebrating my own birthday on Monday got me in the mood for it. Because I am a firm believer that everyone should have a cake on their birthday, I enthusiastically jumped at the opportunity to make one for Alicia's big, quarter-life celebration. While I have been making cakes for some time, I have just recently started to venture away from old reliable (also known as Betty Crocker) and into the real world of baking from scratch. I have historically struggled with icing consistency (inevitably it's either too runny or so thick I can't get it to spread). Not this time. It was the most perfect icing I could ask for and the perfect accompaniment to Martha's classic vanilla cake. This is definitely one I will be making for many birthdays to come!

Martha's Versatile Vanilla Cake

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
3. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
4. Place one cake, bottom side up, on a cake stand. Tuck strips of parchment paper underneath. Using an offset-spatula or table knife, spread top with frosting.Top with remaining cake; frost top, then sides. 

Sing and enjoy!