This Spring Celebration cake holds a very special message among the spring flowers. Happy Birthday! See how I created this unique design and get the perfect Chocolate Cake recipe! If you love cakes, don’t miss my 50 Best Cake Recipes in the World!
My MIL graciously told me that I could bring a cake to a family get together this weekend. It just so happens that I know of three ladies celebrating a birthday in the next few days (happy birthday mom!), so I figured a birthday cake would be appropriate.
And since I have had my Dear Husband home this week, I was actually able to make a real cake.
I dread him going back to work.
Anywho, my MIL loves spring colors and flowers and so I thought I would make a Spring Celebration Cake.
That is Gloria holding her/my MIL’s birthday cake. Isn’t she gorgeous?
A sweet little cake with flowing green grass and some colorful flowers to brighten any winter day.
Except I wanted it to be a birthday cake as well…
So I made the grass with all the letters of Happy Birthday.
It was definitely a fun cake to make!
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Instructions
- MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper; butter the paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt at low speed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the oil, eggs and vanilla. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture
- into the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.
- Set a cake layer on a plate with the flat side facing up. Evenly spread one-third of the frosting over the cake to the edge. Top with the second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.
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Here is the frosting I used:
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce each) packages cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 cups confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the sugar into a large bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
- Once all sugar is added, beat until fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
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FYI~ I would probably not use the cream cheese frosting again if I were going to decorate it. I think buttercream works the best for that!
I used royal icing for the decorations which worked beautifully as I had to travel for 3+ hours by car with it on my lap. Since it dries hard it stayed totally in tact!
I have to be honest. At first I thought, “Hmmm… I could do that EASILY.” And then I looked closer and saw your amazing Happy Birthday lettering ALL OVER and around and in the shape of blades of grass and whatnot, and then I realized, “Ummm… Yeah… I don’t think anybody will be receiving a cake like that from ME anytime soon!” Ha ha ha.
It’s really cool Amanda. Your mother in law looks so excited!
What a cute cake! I love the happy birthday grass. I too, have had my experience decorating with cream cheese icing, and as delicious as it is, it sure is a pain to pipe. Great work!
What a great design idea! I love it!
(You should enter my lamington challenge! http://deliciousdeliciousdelicious.blogspot.com/2010/01/re-inventing-lamington-competition-and.html )
Love how you did the little flower stems! Very cool!
~ingrid
Adorable cake! Very cool idea with the Happy Birthdays in the grass/stems! I was actually wondering how you got that finish on the detail icing. I love the sheen to it!!! I find that a lot of detail icing looks dull. Can you post the recipe?
Found your website via MckMama. . . want to start baking right now. I am a bit challenged when it comes to baking but everything I see looks beautiful. This cake especially! What a great cake. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful, intricate addition to the stems. I love the subtle touch that makes this soooo special. Awesome.
*faints* Ok, so I thought the cake was completely adorable from a distance, and then you go and show that the GRASS is really WORDS? *faints again* AH-mazing. SO clever and sooooo cute.
THAT is truly an amazing work of art!! So gorgeous! Totally genius to use the letters. CLAP CLAP!
Wow, love the grass lettering! What a great cake!