I love birthdays.
There’s cake. There’s fire. There are smiles and joy.
Birthdays also allow for the possibility of fork candles. Pretty brilliant. Pretty genius. Pretty Fred and friends.
This is Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake batter. It’s studded with blueberries, just because.
Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake bakes up beautifully golden with a dense crumb and alluring sweet vanilla flavor. Plus blueberries… obviously.
Vanilla Whipped Buttercream. Sorta like eating a spoonful of sweet butter. Sorta like the best thing on earth.
Berries gosh dang it.
Berries on frosting on cake. This is getting good.
And then I whipped the rest of the cake together in a flash. Completely forgetting to take step by step photos.
Want to know how to frost a cake? I put together a tutorial a few years back.
I like this part.
I really like this part.
I especially like the part where I get to snag a slice of berry cake. Holy yumtown.
Big Berry Birthday Cake
makes a 2 layer 8-inch cake or 24 cupcakes
from Organic and Chic
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round baking pans and set aside. This recipe also makes 24 cupcakes.
In a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure that everything is well mixed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.
In a small bowl whisk together flour baking powder and salt.
In a separate small bowl combine the milk, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds.
With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture in three batches. Start and end with the flour mixture. When the batter is just combined, shut off the mixture and thoroughly incorporate the dough with a rubber spatula.
Divide the batter between the two pans.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a pale golden color, and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. For cupcakes bake 25 to 30 minutes.
Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool. Frost and berry only when cakes are completely cool.
Vanilla Whipped Buttercream Frosting with Rose Water
makes enough to fill and frost one 8-inch layer cake or frost 24 cupcakes
from Organic and Chic
2 sticks (1 cup) organic unsalted butter, softened
1 cup organic cane sugar
1 cup organic whole milk
1/4 cup sifted organic all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons organic vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rosewater
Cream the butter on medium speed, 3 to 5 minutes, in a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer until soft, adout 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup mil with the flour and vanilla extract. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Over medium heat, slowly add the remaining 3/4 cups milk, whisking constantly and cook until the mixture comes to a low boil.
Reduce the heat to low and continue mixing until the mixture starts to thicken slightly.
When the mixture starts to thicken, immediately remove the pan from the heat but keep stirring. After you have removed the pan from the heat, the mixture will continue to cook for a minute or two on its own.
If you overheat the mixture and find that you have some lumps, try to whisk them out with a little elbow grease, or pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Place the mixture in the freezer for a few minutes to speed up the process.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly poor the milk mixture into the butter and sugar mixture. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rose water during this final mixing.
Erica Lea
Everything about it looks good – I love fruit in cake! And on cake. The fork candle holders – never seen anything like it! Brilliant. Oh, and I really like your earrings. :D
joythebaker
thanks! you people notice everything!
Terri Koncelik
Hi. Joy love.your hair style. And that berry birthday cake looks so good. Thank you, Terri
Sasa
Very cute everything: cake, fork candles and especially your bamboo top!
joythebaker
thanks! i’ve had that top for like… ever. thrift shop genius find!
Jennifer Lee
Where do you get the fork candles? Too cute!
Silvia
Delightful cake indeed, if only I had someone who would bake for me on my birthday, I usually end up baking a cake for myself…
Love the candles, such a nice touch!
colleen @ sweetswallows
OMG, I love everything about that first picture. The pretty tablecloth and plates, the adorable vase and wildflowers, and the yummy looking cake. but the best part? That log cake stand! Where on earth did you get something that awesome??
joythebaker
the wood is called Boards by Joel. you can get them here: http://www.bibelotshops.com/index.php?view=product_detail&pid=10005259&name=Boards+By+Joel
Colleen @ sweetswallows
Thanks! What adorable things they have!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul
I wish I was at that Birthday party!
Evan
That looks absolutely mouthwatering! Yum.
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
Love the berries in that cake! I think I am making your strawberry cake today for Easter tomorrow! :)
joythebaker
the strawberry cake is darling. hope you enjoyed it!
thedelishdish
gorgeous!! the flavors are so simple yet sophisticated. gets me in the mood for summertime!
Mikaël
The expression on the guy you present the birthday cake to says it all! Mission accomplished :-)
Jenn
Yum! I’ll have to make this next time there is a birthday in my house. Love your blog. I’ve given you the sunshine award: http://delicious-ambiguity-nennyk.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-first-award.html
michelle
your cake is so simple and lovely, i always go over the top with this sort of thing, putting chocolate everywhere and making my people ill. your people look happy, and your hair pretty, i need a perm like yours!
Nicole
That sounds so delish! Yum!
Joe @ Eden Kitchen
Wowsa that cake looks mean. I bet you get invited to a lot of birthday parties! And the fork candles are total genius.
Barbie S
This cake looks incredible! Is that a real piece of wood that the cake is standing on?! You are so creative and talented.