I’ve finally reached the end of the birthday party recaps and I saved the best for last- cake.  Yellow cake with chocolate frosting is a classic recipe for a reason- topping a tender crumb with a rich buttery garnish is dessert perfection.

Prepping for this party with the wee one under foot took a little creativity.  It was especially challenging since Sammy is afraid of loud noises: the vacuum, the food processor, the Kitchen-Aid mixer.  We’ve been working on dealing with these phobias- right now, he’ll tolerate all of those noises for a short time as long as I’m wearing him in the Ergo.

Though he’s still the smallest member of our family (though not for long- the kid eats like a moose!), he makes his presence felt at all times.

Let’s play a little game of “I Spy…”

I spy a bottle, a pacifier…and a bottle of red wine (aka mama juice).

I spy a can of formula…and a handle of whiskey.

I spy something scrumptious.

For this three-tiered beauty, I made a double recipe of Sing for Your Supper’s Old Fashioned Yellow Cake.  The bottom layer is a 12-inch round cake, the middle layer is two 8-inch round cakes, and the top is a 4-inch round cake.  I trimmed off a few bumps and lumps (and promptly ate them), but as you can see, frosting and sprinkles cover a multitude of baking sins.  An offset spatula is invaluable when frosting a cake, but as you can see, my decorating skills have miles to go before they sleep (affiliate link).

You can read more about my love for this delightful cake in my original post- A birthday cake.