This year for Christmas - among the many other wonderful presents Adam gave me (including The Penguin) - I received a cake mold and a box of cake mix. As my friend Sarah so accurately put it - Adam gave me "a task" for Christmas.I know in his heart Adam really believed that this present was for me - I do like to bake. But let's examine the facts here - I'm not much of a cake person and he has been asking me non-stop for weeks when I am going to make the Oreo cake. It doesn't take Angela Landsbury to figure out there was some personal motive behind this Christmas gift. It is endearingly cute to me. It must be love. Swoon.
Since his birthday
was fast approaching - I decided that would be the perfect time to unveil the great cake. So - with 25 people headed over to our house in an hour for a birthday BBQ (who throws a BBQ in SF in January??) and with my two year old niece Leila to entertain - I pulled out the goodies and got to work. Luckily - the whole process was relatively simple.Here are a few pointers -
1. Don't work with a two year old as your assistant. Yes - she was absolutely adorable. No - she was not of any help at all.
2. Perhaps mop the floor after - not before - embarking on making a cake - especially if using a two year old assistant. It is very difficult to get dried egg off of white tile because "somebody" insisted on more whisking.
3. When making a chocolate cake with white frosting - you can't really get away with not washing the mixer bowl and paddle to save time. I figured - it's all going into the same cake - why bother rinsing between the cake and the frosting? The answer to that question is that you rinse to avoid having beige frosting instead of white frosting. Oh well - it was still delicious.
4. Perhaps now that I am an honest to goodness adult - it is time I stock actual birthday candles in my house. This will save us from having Adam hold a pillar candle in his hand instead of blowing candles out on his actual cake.
5. Perhaps now that I am an honest to goodness adult - I could use a real camera to take birthday photos instead of insisting that an iphone can be used in absolutely every situation. Maybe then my photos wont be so damn blurry.
This party was a good indicator of how our lives have changed over the last few years. It hasn't been all that long since Adam's 30th birthday. That event was legendary - imagine maracas and a banana costume and a lot of bar time. Many of the same 30th birthday revelers (the same one that contributed to our debauchery just a few years before) were attending this year's party but this time - things were a little more tame. There were 4 babies, 2 pregnancies and 3 puppies in attendance. Things were clean and organized and well lit and nobody (with the exception of one of the babies) threw up. All in all - it was delightful. Don't worry though - we haven't lost our flair for fun - the banana costume will be coming out again very soon. Promise.
Happy Birthday Adam! Love you lots.
B.L.E.
P.S. - the cake pan and mix and all that is from Williams-Sonoma in case you are in desperate need.
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