ONE BIRTHDAY CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Make cake: Preheat oven to 350° and line three 8" cake pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl using hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
• In another large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until just combined. Pour in the milk and mix until fully incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in sprinkles.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake until slightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make buttercream: in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, sour cream, vanilla, heavy cream, and salt and beat until smooth.
• Assemble cake: Place the bottom layer of the cake on your serving platter and spread with buttercream; repeat with the second layer of cake. Place the last layer of cake on top, then frost the entire cake with buttercream. Garnish with more sprinkles, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
• To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until smooth. Finish mixing by hand to be sure the batter is well mixed. Pour evenly into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan to room temperature.
• For the frosting, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chips are completely melted. Off the heat, add the corn syrup and vanilla and allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture and softened butter on medium speed for a few minutes, until it's thickened.
• Spread the frosting evenly on the cake. Have the children decorate the cake with chocolate candies.