The best birthday cake

Friends, I gotta tell you the New Year is overwhelming. Marlene and I both travelled for the New Year and we had a great time. We're starting to get back into the posting schedule. So today, we'll keep it short and sweet (just like this cake).

This cake is truly a winner. My mom makes it every year for every birthday. And it is so delicious. Let's not forget the year i asked for a cake my friend's mom made her and then had a temper tantrum because it wasn't as good.

I hadn't made a cake in a while. I was thankful Marlene came prepared with levelers, icing knives, and some tools i'd never used before. Marlene is a dream to bake with mostly because she's so encouraging but also very direct. It's how she's always been and trust me, it makes for a great baker. She knows when something looks good, tastes delicious, or needs some work.

INGREDIENTS. *Claire Saffitz voice* Here's what you need to make birthday cake:

Cake:

2 sticks of butter

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

1 1/4 cup of buttermilk

2 tbsp whole milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 cups of flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:

2 sticks of butter

1tsp vanilla

24 oz of powdered sugar

4 tbsp of evaporated milk

3 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

I used a hand mixer for this because it's easier with all the butter. Plus, Marlene's kitchen aid was at her house. INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl mix together all your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. You can just gently toss this with a spoon. then in a bigger bowl. Cream your butter until it is light and fluffy then add sugar and eggs, beat together for two minutes until mixed together.

Here's the only annoying part about this process. You have to do the thing where you add some of the flour mixture, then add your milk, then add flour, then add milk, and then flour again. I start and end with flour so that my mixture isn't too wet or dry.

Line three eight-inch cake pans with butter and parchment paper and separate the batter evenly. Cook your cakes on the top shelf, even if this means putting two in and waiting on the third (that's what we did). Cook for about 33 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Insert a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.

Make the frosting while the cakes are cooling. Make sure your butter is softened. Mix your butter until fluffy, add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Then vanilla and evaporated milk. use the evaporated milk to get the icing to the right consistency.

Once the cakes are cooled we cut the tops of each layer so that they would be nice and even. I'd never done this before so it was a new experience. But, damn, this cake turned out beautiful and I'll be doing it again.

We did a crumb coat for this cake. So, we iced it and then put it in the fridge and let it harden and then took it out and iced it again to make sure it looked all beautiful.

We celebrated my mom's birthday and she was so excited to have birthday cake. Thanks to all our friends and family who came by the house and enjoyed the cake!