PIANO 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:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly oil two large rimmed baking sheets. Beat the egg and egg whites together in a shallow bowl. Place the bread crumbs and flour in separate shallow bowls. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the bread crumbs and mix to combine.
• Slice the eggplants into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Dip the eggplant rounds in the flour, then the eggs (letting any excess drip off), and finally in the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to help them adhere; transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Roast until the eggplant is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Romano, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in the basil and parsley.
• Spread 1/2 cup marinara on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of eggplant (8 to 12 slices) and 1/2 cup marinara, and dollop with a third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/2 cups). Repeat eggplant, marinara, and ricotta layers twice. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup marinara. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Romano.
• Cover the dish tightly with an oiled piece of foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.