Obsession with cake at the age of five

My cousins, brother and I (partly obscured) entranced by cake at my fifth birthday party.

At my fifth birthday party I clearly remember having two cakes: one for the adults (a yellow cake with chocolate, fudgy frosting) and a cake for the kids (some kind of white layer cake). I remember coveting that yellow cake but as you can tell from the photo above, I succumbed to the white cake as it was being cut.

Years later. In the days leading up to my birthday, I started making a miniature yellow cake to Paul’s chagrin (he was planning to handcraft me a special cake). The recipe is from Small-Batch Baking, a cookbook dedicated to smaller desserts for one of two people. I thought it would be a good solution for my household since there are only two of us.

Making cakes from the book is like making doll food. The largest measurement I’ve had to deal with so far when making cakes is a half a cup. In addition, I can do it all in my toaster oven.

But even three yellow cakes later, Paul still baked me a birthday cake: a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, recipes straight out of the book. And rather than posting a photo of the cake which he specifically told me not to do (it turned out fugly — PH), I’ll instead post the necklace he gave me.

And yes, that is a squirrel.

Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake

Unsalted butter, at room temperature for greasing the pans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for flour for the pans
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Yolk of 1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly between them. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Quick Fudge Frosting

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the chocolate mixture cool until it thickens to the the consistency of frosting. Spread on cooled cake.