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The Perfect (Birthday) Party Cake adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From My Home to Yours”

The Perfect (Birthday) Party Cake adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From My Home to Yours”
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         I was quite surprised to see that my Facebook Birthday reminders numbered 10 for this week.  It was by far the highest number I’d seen in a while and I wondered what on earth had caused this minor baby boom.  So I did some math.  It was then I discovered that if you’re born around this time, you were a twinkle in your parent’s eyes right around Christmas.  Apparently they seized upon the season to be jolly and you’re the living proof.  And to prove my point, according to Facebook, there another 16 September birthdays still to celebrate.  So I thought it might be fun to send you all a virtual birthday cake, something Andrew baked a little while ago that’s simply terrific.  With any luck, someone will take it upon himself or herself to bake you the real thing first chance they get.  This cake is truly worthy of any kind of celebration. 
         When Andrew bakes, I am always amazed at his scientific precision.  The perfectly measured cups of flour, the rigorous adherence to the teaspoons and tablespoons, the care that goes into every liquid measurement is astonishing.  When you are a savory cook, you have a lot more leeway than when you are a baker. I marvel at his meticulousness.  But that is what makes a perfect cake.  Take my word for it:  this cake itself is perfection. It’s a white cake with a light lemon-y flavor, three layers high with a wonderful texture or “crumb” as Andrew would no doubt say.

But as much as he is a slave to the dictates of the baker’s craft, his artistry emerges once the cake is baked and the frosting is perfectly made.  That’s what he did with Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for “Perfect Party Cake” which came straight from her wonderful book “Baking: From My Home to Yours” (Houghton Mifflin 2006).  He added a second flavor to Ms. Greenspan’s fillings using both Raspberry and Blueberry Jellies and he topped the cake in a way that was all his own.  He studded the rich coconut topped buttercream frosting with big beautiful Blueberries.  Hopefully you’ll have your own ideas how to top the icing on this cake.  But when you do make it, please opt for really good jellies—like Polaner All Fruit or Bon Maman–, they make all the difference in the final results  Here’s the recipe:



2 thoughts on “The Perfect (Birthday) Party Cake adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking: From My Home to Yours””

  • That is such a pretty cake and then the wonderful surprise inside, I absolutely adore cake! the cupcakes I have been recently been served everywhere, in general, have more frosting than cake. Thank you!

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