So this is what 23 looks like...


Dun nuh nuh nuh nuh.....You say it's your birthday! Well, it's my birthday too, yeah!

Today, July 4th, 2008, I turn 23.

I bought some glasses...


And some Dr. Scholl's insoles, so I'm ready to go.


I made this birthday cake for MYSELF; it's a white cake adapted from Dorie Greenspan, layered with strawberry and blackberry preserves, with a real buttercream frosting and homemade marshmallow fondant stars.


I suppose it tastes good, I haven't tried it yet, but I have one thing to say:

I hate f*ing fondant - it's %&*(^@#$&)*$#&^@#)(@#*(#&#$*!!

Ohh, I feel so much better now.

The total time it took to make the cake and frosting was less time then it took making/dealing with the fondant. I'm soooo not happy with the fondant. What can I say? I'm a cake baker - not a cake decorator.


I'm posting the cake recipe, but not the buttercream frosting recipe. It's a good recipe, but it's not mine to give. I recommend purchasing Dorie's book, Baking From My Home to Yours to acquire it.

Hope everyone has a good 4th!


White Birthday Cake (Recipe by Me, but adapted from Dorie Greenspan)
Printable Recipe

2 1/3 cups cake flour
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line with parchment paper; butter parchment paper.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together buttermilk, egg white and vanilla in a small bowl, until combined.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk mixture, until ingredients are Incorporated. Beat an additional 2 minutes to insure ingredients are well combined.

Divide batter evenly into prepare pans, smooth surface with a spatula, and bake at 350 degrees F, for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Cool for 12 minutes on wire racks, run a knife around outside edges, and invert cakes onto wire racks (removing parchment paper) to cool completely.


57 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Em! I'm 33 on Monday. What was I doing on my 23rd birthday. . .oh, I'd just finished my first year of law school, was trying to get a job working with Ryan Seacrest (oh no, that was at 24), and had just gotten my dog. Wow, my dog is 10. That makes me feel old.
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  2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILINE!!!!! Oh my goodness, that cake is ridiculously gorgeous - perfect treat for your special day!! And despite not liking the fondant, I hope that that doesn't spoil your enjoyment of the cake ;0)
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  3. Happy Birthday to you!! Your cake is SO cute and festive! Sorry you had such a crappy time dealing with the fondant, but it looks SUPER! Hope you have a great one.
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  4. Em,
    What a gorgeous cake, which says so much about you...hardworking, sometimes blue and still starry eyed, oh and patriotic too.

    Ok, that was a bit much. Have a great one. I applaud your efforts in the not-stealing-people's-recipes-and-printing-them-even-if-you-give-them-credit-it's-still-without-their-permission battle.

    Happy Birthday, young one.

    PS Amy, wasn't Ryan Seacrest 20 years old ten years ago...or that's just what we're supposed to believe? Yeah, I guess he is probably in his early forties. Wow, he's OLD!!!
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  5. Happy B-day Emi, knock back some drinks and have a safe weekend!
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  6. Happy Birthday Emiline! I have those exact same glasses! Hope you have a great day! Isn't it great to have a holiday and fireworks allways on your birthday?! I love working with fondant, but I now buy it. The first time I made it myself I also wanted to say those nice things you sayed about yours! Still, well done!
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  7. I hear ­marshmallow fondant is nice to work with, and tastes good as well. : )
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  8. Wishing you one sweet birthday today, Emiline!
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  9. Happy B'day Em. All the best for the coming year and I hope you eat lots of that cake.
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  10. Happy Birthday! That is one good looking cake.
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  11. Happy birthday, sweet pea! 23 looks a lot like 22 but your 23 looks good with those stars. Too bad no one made YOU a cake like you did for your sister. That day will come soon enough, I'm sure.
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  12. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! You must feel so honored that the whole country sets of fireworks just for you ;)


    What a beautiful cake! I'm proud of you for working so hard on your birthday! I totally phone it in on my b-day... And, uh... 23? You're scaring me! I'm 27 and still totally think I am young!
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  13. Sue, I will tell you that he is supposedly the same age as me, 33. But I met and chatted with him once, when I lived in LA, and saw him a second time at a concert, and he looked like he was 30 something then, and I was early 20s. I know I look young for my age, but he didn't look anywhere close to 24.
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  14. Happy Birthday! You are still a baby chick. Beautiful cake!
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  15. Happy birthday :D! I didn't know there was such a thing as marshmallow fondant, but you did a gorgeous job with this cake! So cute - I really like the happy blue color of the stars.

    Cute glasses too! :)
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  16. Yay! Happy birthday! I turned 23 last November, and while I feel old, I actually feel like telling people I'm 23 makes me seems really young. Like, it seems younger than when I would tell people I was 22. I'm not sure why that is, though.

    Your cake is really pretty!
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  17. Happy Birthday, Emiline!!!!! What a great day to have a birthday! The cake looks SOOOOO yummy--I have a particular for white cake. I wish I could try a nibble. ;-)

    Hugs,
    Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage
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  18. happy belated birthday! heck, if you're already buying glasses and insoles, that doesn't leave me too much hope. :)
    i'm sure your cake is delicious. i like to make my own birthday cake as well...without fondant. :)
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  19. Wowzers -- Born on the 4th of July! What a great day for a birthday -- fireworks, parades, great food -- all in honor of you! Your cakes looks beautiful. Hope you had a great day.
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  20. I am still giggling about your fondant comment. I haven't used it yet, but I am scared. Shouldn't I be?

    HAPPY FLIPPING BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
    Your cake is adorable, as are the glasses. I hope you had a wonderful day.
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  21. Happy Birthday! Hope 23 is a great year for you!
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  22. Happy Birthday Emiline. You are such a talent. You're so young and you can do so many beautiful things. Hope your wish comes true and you become a chef one day sweetie.
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  23. happy birthday yankee doodle.....thats a cake deluxe and I sure wish I had a piece....
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  24. Happy B-day, well, belated now ;(

    I think I will avoid the fondant although it is so cute! Hope the cake was delish.
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  25. Happy birthday - cake looks great! If any one needs cake decorating tips its me!!
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  26. Happy Birthday Kiddo! Well you are a woman now! Great cake. I guess everyone would be intimidated to make you a cake because you are the best! Hope you had a blast.
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  27. Happy Birthday Emiline! Do you feel any different? (That's what everyone asks on a birthday, I have no idea why)
    I don't care what you say, the cake looks great to me. And I'm sure it was delish!
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  28. Happy Birthday Emiline!!

    Now that is one gorgeous cake, love the stars!

    Maria
    x
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  29. Happy Birthday! Love the cake...soooo festive!
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  30. Happy Birthday... yeah I know it's late... I was computer-less yesterday. The cake looks awesome, and I really like the color of the blue stars.

    I read somewhere that the female brain matures at 23 and the male at 25. Just something random to think about.
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  31. Happy Birthday, Emiline! What a great day to have a birthday on, too.

    The cake looks great (especially the recipe!), and so does the fondant stars, even though you didn't care for it. Nice touch with the candle.
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  32. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! The glasses are divine, the cake looks amazing, all you are missing are a good pair of support hose:)
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  33. Hey Girl! SO happy I popped in today. Happy belated day-late birthday!! Hope you did something wild and crazy. The cake is perfecto even tho you hated that process of decorating it :)
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  34. Hope you had a fantastic 4th of July Birthday Emiline!! My cute grandpa was 90 years old that day as well! Your cake looks beautiful too!
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  35. Wow, am I ever late. Happy birthday! Yay! That cake looks very patriotic.
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  36. Happy belated birthday Emiline!! It was my 8 year olds birthday as well!!! What a great day for a birthday...
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  37. Well, the stars came out gorgeous. The cake, rather. The whole thing just looks and sounds fabulous. Happy birthday! LIke the new glasses too.
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  38. Thanks everyone! You all left such nice comments. The cake was very very good, by the way.

    Amy- I would NOT want to work with Ryan Seacrest.

    JB- That's what I used! I've used it before. It's not the recipe - it's me. I'm not good with it.

    Ley- We're the same age! Yay! I don't really feel any different.

    Glamah- Yeah, I would be picky if anyone else baked it.

    Adam- My brain will never mature.

    Brittany- Ohhhh! The hose! I forgot the support hose.
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  39. Happy Birthday! Welcome to the 23 year old club (although, im leaving it in a month!)...the cake looks amazing! I've used that recipe before and love the results...fondant sucks! Hope you had a great birthday! :)
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  40. Happy birthday! The cake's bound to be good is it's a Dorie cake!
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  41. You say you're not a cake decorator...I think the photos say differently!
    Lovely cake
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  42. the cake is so cute!!!

    and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  43. HAPPIEST birthday Emiline! :)
    Sending you lots of hugs! Your ckae looks fantastic!
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  44. Happy birthday!
    I've never made fondant... Even at school where it seems that we make everything from scratch, we use pre-made!
    As to being a baker and not a decorator-- if you ever own your own bakery, that's what staff are for! :)
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  45. Happy birthday, I hope you had a fab time. The glasses are super cool!
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  46. Happy belated birthday!! I think the cake looks perfect!
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  47. I'm glad you had a happy birthday.

    The cake is beautiful (I couldn't do something so cute), but why would you have to bake your own cake? I hope you got some good gifts in return for that effort!
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  48. Happy B'day, you patriotic baby. Cake looks great-I'm not so much into fussy decorations either. Turned out cute for all your work.
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  49. Nice looking cake!! I have not tried working with fondant yet. Happy birthday!
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  50. Happy belated birthday Em! I know what you mean about fondant - it's a whole lotta stuffin' around, dying your fingers the colour of the fondant, waiting for it to dry after shaping etc. I am more of a bake 'n' serve girl - some glace icing and a shake of coconut or dollarettes and I am ready to go.
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  51. Happy Birthday Emiline! 23 was one of my favorite ages-no particular reason why, it just has a nice ring to it. Your cake looks very pretty!
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  52. Happy belated birthday Emiline!
    Sorry to hear about the fondant, but the cake turned out so cute in the end!
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  53. happy belated birthday!!! your cake is so cute and so much better looking than any fondant decorated cake i would ever make (that said, i'm not sure i'd ever work with fondant b/c i know better LOL)
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  54. I hate fondant, too!!! I don't like the taste of it either- Just too sugary for me. I like the good old fashioned pre-fondant cakes. haha It seems like fondant has taken over and it makes me sad :(
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