5 BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan or three 8- or 9-inch round layer cake pans.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each one. Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Sift together the baking powder, flour, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk. Blend after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat an additional minute.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a dash of salt until stiff peaks form. Fold one third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it; gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
• Bake in preheated oven until cake springs back when touched lightly with a fingertip and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cake layers may be done baking after 25 minutes; a 9x13-inch cake may take 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Steps:

• Prepare batter for Yellow Cake as directed; fill a 5-inch-round, 3-inch-deep buttered cake pan with 2 cups batter, and use the remaining batter to fill 64 cups of three 24-cup mini muffin tins lined with paper liners (1 tablespoon batter per cup). Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean, 10 to 11 minutes for the cupcakes and 45 to 50 minutes for the cake.
• Using a serrated knife, trim top of cake level, then cut in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a small cake stand or a cardboard round wrapped in parchment paper. Spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Top with remaining layer. Thinly coat top and sides with 1/4 cup frosting. Refrigerate 10 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and frost with 1/2 cup frosting. Refrigerate 10 minutes. Frost mini cupcakes with remaining frosting (about 1 1/2 teaspoons frosting per cupcake).
• Place 1 cup buttercream in a small bowl; tint buttercream pink. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #5). Using a toothpick, make an outline of a garland on the side of the cake. Pipe buttercream over design, doubling back and forth over the line to create a crocheted effect. Ruffles along the bottom border of the cake can be made by switching to a ribbon tip (such as Ateco #44). Gently press rounded gumdrop halves into frosting at the top of each garland strand; reserve flat gumdrop halves for another use.