Happy Birthday Nathan!

We had the best day celebrating Nathan yesterday. I love you Nathan! Enjoy our pictures!

{Tuxedo cake, chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting.}

{hour devours}

{Reading his card. :)}

{The books I gave him}

{I made him homemade pasta.}

{Unfortunately I did not try any. Wedding is too soon for pasta!}

{His favorite meal. Pasta, peas, and steak.}


{We went to the beach for a sunset walk.}





{Came home for cake.}



{Happy birthday Bunny!}

What a successful birthday! P.S. Exactly one month until our wedding!

Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Whipped Cream and Berries

Today was rough, to put it lightly. I woke up with a burst of life because I knew exactly what I wanted to do today. I had every intention of baking this beautiful cake for my boy, as tomorrow is his birthday. The plan was to make a huge, luxurious chocolate cake with chocolate whipped cream and berries piled to the sky. It was going to be perfect and I could not wait to get started. With all the ingredients ready, and with no worries, I began to bake. Although the cake turned out lovely, the chocolate whipped cream was not as successful. I could not get he ingredients to come together and it was a mess. I found myself, literally, on my kitchen floor, sitting against my oven and staring blankly at the wall. I wanted tears to come but they just wouldn’t flow. Pulling myself off the floor, I decided that chocolate whipped cream was overrated anyways and so I decided to whip up some plain, good old-fashion whipped cream. What could possibly go wrong? Well, apparently, a lot. I prematurely stopped whipping the cream and eagerly slapped it on the cake. I had turned my back for 20 seconds and when I turned back around it had completely melted. That’s when the tears finally started flowing. How come it seems that when you want to make something extra special, something ALWAYS goes wrong? Is it just me!? Wiping my tears away, I made a new batch of whipped cream after salvaging the cake from the melted whipped cream mess. And guess what? It turned out to be a really pretty cake after all! Not only did it turn out beautiful, but it is DELICIOUS too! The lesson to be learned: slow down in the kitchen. Taking the time to read a recipe seems like a no-brainer, even for the confident baker, but take the time to read the recipe carefully and follow the directions. Slowing down and following steps in order will ensure that your creations will turn out perfectly. Skip skimming and you will get it right the first try; imagine that!?! Enjoy this cake. After the time it took me to make it, I know I will!

Banana Cake with Coffee Hazelnut Buttercream

Nothing makes me happier than baking a cake. For me, a cake is like a blank canvas. You can decorate it or fill it however you please. No matter what, people are always happy to be the recipient of a homemade cake. Its my Pops birthday and he has a crazy sweet tooth, so making cake to celebrate is the perfect gift! It’s the perfect opportunity for me to get super creative and satisfy his sweet tooth at the same time. I have had a freezer full of ripe bananas for a while, and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to put them to good use! The great part about adding bananas to a cake, or pretty much anything you bake for that matter, is that they add so much moisture! This delicious cake is great because it’s moist banana flavor is highlighted by coffee flavored frosting. It is truly the perfect pairing. It’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the mouth. I must warn you, this cake is not the easiest to bake, but I promise, it is totally worth it!