# Birthday Cake



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Photos to follow eventually.

Daughter is so good to me. I wanted to make a champagne raspberry birthday cake for her but it’s very time consuming so she talked me out of it. The time-consuming part was a sponge cake and then it has a raspberry puree filling. (But it was fun to have extra champagne left over)

What she insists she wants now, and it’s a little easier, is a Strawberry Lemonade cake.

I bought cake flour because generations of women in my family used cake flour altho she never does. Also bought strawberry jam today and fresh strawberries and cream. Her birthday is Tuesday but we will be working so I’m baking the cake tomorrow, that way in case it doesn’t turn out I have Sunday to redo it.

Birthday cakes bring joy. I always think of an elderly lady in the neighborhood back where I grew up. Limited income but she loved making birthday cakes for her grandkids. they all got to choose what kind of cake they wanted. It was a big deal to get a cake from their g’ma.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

First glitch. The recipe says to divide the batter into four 9” pans. I only have two. I’ll put the extra batter in the fridge until my two pans are free but concerned beaten egg whites may start to collapse or the baking powder may start to activate.

I have two 8” pans daughter has two 9” pans. I may go ahead and use all four then put the two smaller ones on top. The cake will just have an odd tiered appearance.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

So far so good. Turns out daughters pans were 8”. How could she have them for years and not know if they were 8 or 9”. Anyway, pouring cake flour out of the plastic bag it comes in made it tip over. Me and the floor are covered with flour. Looks like a 5 yr old was in the kitchen. I used to have lovely cake stands but gave then to the kids. This is going on a Corelle plate. 

Amazing from tasting crumbs in pan how strong the lemon flavor is with only 1 tbl lemon zest and 1 tbl lemon juice.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Startingover said:


> Anyway, pouring cake flour out of the plastic bag it comes in made it tip over.


I got lost here. What tipped over?


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Startingover said:


> Me and the floor are covered with flour. Looks like a 5 yr old was in the kitchen.


I guess you just forgot to post that picture?


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Where is the pic of the finished product?


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

THIS WAS “SUPPOSE” to be easier??? By whose standards? No I'm not the speediest cook but this took 6 hours. That included a few breaks and then she came over and distracted me a few minutes and of course everybody and their brother was texting me and I should’ve turn my phone off but no I have to stop and see who it is. 

photos later. Running it over to her house before rain Starts.





Nik333 said:


> I got lost here. What tipped over?


Flour. Flour everywhere.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

@Startingover - I think you're overthinking the cake pan sizes. It wouldn't really matter unless you're making a wedding cake with slick icing. It's only 3" of an edge, spread out over the entire circumference of the cake which is around 25 - 28 inches for 8" or 9".

Pi X 8" =


π * 8=  25.1327412287 …

I'm not really that much of a math nerd, just saying. . . 😊

I'm sure your daughter appreciated all your effort! That's what really matters after all. How did it taste?


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> @Startingover - I think you're overthinking the cake pan sizes. It wouldn't really matter unless you're making a wedding cake with slick icing. It's only 3" of an edge, spread out over the entire circumference of the cake which is around 25 - 28 inches for 8" or 9".
> 
> Pi X 8" =
> 
> ...


Look at you an your fancy math. 😉


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Startingover said:


> Look at you an your fancy math. 😉


It's not that I use Pi all the time, it's what a baking site gave for figuring circumference.
Hey, my "cooking" classes required 4 quarters of Chemistry, Physics, etc! 😳


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> It's not that I use Pi all the time, it's what a baking site gave for figuring circumference.
> Hey, my "cooking" classes required 4 quarters of Chemistry, Physics, etc! 😳


Math(calculus etc) made me cry.....in college.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Let me try reposting cake again. We gave up putting correct number of candles on.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

And nobody wished her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, shame on yall.

Happy Birthday young lady.

Your story reminded me that my Grandmother made cakes all the time.

Then she had a special recipe for birthdays only. A much better cake that was. 

ED


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

de-nagorg said:


> And nobody wished her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, shame on yall.
> 
> Happy Birthday young lady.
> 
> ...


I hope someone in your family saved your grandmother’s recipe. Thank you for your birthday wishes to her. Tomorrow is a version of Alton Browns French toast and her favorite, chicken pot pie.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Happy Birthday to your daughter...the cake was really a labor of love. 
For adults you only need to put three candles on a cake - one for the past, 
one for the present, and one for the future. 
BTW, I like those dishes.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Startingover said:


> I hope someone in your family saved your grandmother’s recipe. Thank you for your birthday wishes to her. Tomorrow is a version of Alton Browns French toast and her favorite, chicken pot pie.



Yes indeed, being the oldest of 6 kids, I got first dibs on all mom's stuff.

And Grandma's Recipe box was one of the things I kept.

There are at least 4 recipes for cakes in there, Regular cake, Birthday cake , Pineapple upside down cake, and Mayonnaise cake.

All made from scratch , and like you did, sometimes flour got everywhere. 

ED


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

de-nagorg said:


> Yes indeed, being the oldest of 6 kids, I got first dibs on all mom's stuff.
> 
> And Grandma's Recipe box was one of the things I kept.
> 
> ...


i make Pineapple upside down cake. what is a mayonnaise cake


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Startingover said:


> i make Pineapple upside down cake. what is a mayonnaise cake


 I'll get the recipe out, in a little while, after I bolt my leg on, and can reach up into my cupboard, and tell you all I know, I remember it being quite flavorful.

ED


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

de-nagorg said:


> I'll get the recipe out, in a little while, after I bolt my leg on, and can reach up into my cupboard, and tell you all I know, I remember it being quite flavorful.
> 
> ED



I'm mobile now, got the recipe out.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1.5 cups sugar
2 level tsp baking soda
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
optional 5 tablespoons cocoa

Directions

mix flour, sugar, soda, and cocoa.

Then add Mayo, vanilla.

Stir

Add water.

Stir well, pour into buttered and floured 9X12 cake pan. 

bake at 375 degrees F.

There is no time listed to bake, but I remember maybe a half hour, and using a broom straw to see if done. 

The pan preparation is important to prevent it from sticking, use a stick of butter, rub the butter on the bottom and sides of the pan, then a quarter cup flour, spread around the pan and tapped up the sides, until all butter is covered with flour, dump excess flour back in the bin. 

Frost with Powdered sugar frosting.

Baking time varies with altitudes, adjust to your altitude. 

I assume that the Mayo replaces the eggs and oils in other cakes.

Another thing I remember, walk gently around the kitchen while baking, or the cake will "fall", and not rise while baking, and be thin and dense.

Still good eating, but she wanted them to rise and be fluffy.


ED


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

de-nagorg said:


> I'm mobile now, got the recipe out.
> 
> Ingredients
> 
> ...


oh nice. Thank you! I’ll let you know when I try it.

ha. I remember my mother saying that when she made an angel food cake. don’t slam the door don’t walk too heavy you’ll make my cake fall!


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Startingover said:


> oh nice. Thank you! I’ll let you know when I try it.
> 
> ha. I remember my mother saying that when she made an angel food cake. don’t slam the door don’t walk too heavy you’ll make my cake fall!



Gives new meaning to A Fallen Angel, huh.

ED


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

I've heard that saying also but never known it to happen. Could I suppose if you shake the pan.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

wooleybooger said:


> I've heard that saying also but never known it to happen. Could I suppose if you shake the pan.


I have made it happen, the cake is still good eats, just no air bubbles, in the thing.

Think FLAT BREAD, where they leave the soda out intentionally.

ED


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