Monday, May 30, 2011

dear four year old,

look at her!
lu4

what? how!? why? WHEN??!

I remember four years ago, eating lime snow cones in the delivery room waiting for you to come. Daddy and I were watching Notting Hill, and I was trying so hard to focus on contractions, but instead I was laughing my head off at Hugh Grant.

To this day I am always laughing when you are around. 
You are the goofiest, sweetest girl....and you know it!

I love that all you wanted for your birthday was a fishing pole, but that you also will only wear the twirliest of dresses and sparkliest of shoes.

I love that you are usually wearing several band-aids and have scuffed up knees, but that you also love to  comb and comb and comb your hair, waiting for it to grow as long as Rapunzels.

I love that you are my baby. Sometimes I scoop you up in my arms and rock you back and forth....
....and then  you yell, "MOO-OOM!!! I am NOT a baby! 
Why do you always think I am a baby you silly girl!"

But moms are very smart, and usually right, and so I should tell you....you ARE my baby, no matter how big you get.

Let's try not to get big so fast....

Happy Birthday baby girl!!

love,
mommy.
lu1
annnd......all she wanted for her birthday cake was chocolate cake with pink frosting...
...so here you have it!
rufflecake copy

Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Buttercream

2 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup boiling water
6 TBS butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line bottom of two 8" cake pans with round of parchment paper, butter paper, and sides of pan.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot water and cocoa powder. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

In a bowl add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs (adding one at a time) until thickened slightly and light colored (about 3 minutes). Slowly add milk, and melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined well. Add flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Pour batter into pan, and bake in middle of oven until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.

Cool cake completely before frosting.

Strawberry Buttercream

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup strawberry puree (a large handful of strawberries thrown in the food processor)
1 tsp pure vanilla
5-6 cups powder sugar (depending on how thick you want your frosting. I needed it a little bit thicker so the ruffles would hold up. Ruffle tutorial here.

cream together butter, puree, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach the consistency you like.

Chocolate Buttercream (for middle layer)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup powder sugar 
3-4 TBS milk

Cream together butter, cocoa, powdered sugar. Add milk a little at a time. 

enjoy!

33 comments:

judi said...

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!
We were so glad to spend your day with you!
Gramdma and Papa

Ang said...

oh my goodness, Sheena - that cake is GORGEOUS! good job! And happy birthday to your baby girl, of course. :)

Kat Brown said...

I'm still on the other side of this, rocking my itty wee newborn boy and unable to imagine him ever being as big as 4 years old. How do they grow so fast?!
Looks like a gorgeous birthday cake. And those pink ruffly side plates... *swoon* Perfect.

WSAKE said...

WOW - that cake, love it!
Happy birthday little cut girl!

whitneyingram said...

That cake. Oh Sheena, that cake. Well done.

Lucy Lou, Happiest Birthday to you! Please remember to bring me that picture you drew for me a few weeks ago. I promise to have as many strawberries as you can eat.

rosie said...

awesome cake! same pink ruffles I photographed on a cake this weekend! love it :) Happy Birthday!

banananutmeg said...

happy birthday!
This morning, I woke up and I swear, ALL of my children looked older and bigger than they did yesterday. Even Quincy, and she never looks bigger!
It isn't fair at all.

That cake is so pretty! I love the cake stand, too.

tegyn said...

first things first: your daughter is the cutest thing ive ever seen!!!

next: that cake is a close second. :)
yum!!!

summer said...

aaahhhh! the frosting! i can't take it. it reminds me of the fudge from the old willy wonka movie. sheena: well played. :)

happy birthday to your cutie with the awesome crown! she is such a cool 4 year old already. i can tell.

ps. so, should i get my hands on some lime snow cones and Notting Hill this week? is that what brings babies?? :)

Bianca said...

Happy Birthday!!! She looks darling in her birthday crown. Yesterday we celebrated a four year old birthday too, and I tried to make that exact, pink, ruffly cake, only yours looks amazing and mine...did not work. (It was lemon cake and still tasted great though).

Rachael said...

She looks so cute!!! Happy belated birthday to her!
Yum. Looks like a good cake! Your daughter chose well!

kassidi bridge said...

happy birthday little lady! i LOVE the picture of her blowing out her candles, and how amazing is that cake? lovely job!!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday to your sweet BABY girl! My youngest will be four in three months and he is very much my baby still- all my kids are!! Always! Be! My baby!!

gram said...

Sheena .. loved your 'special' post! .. and the cake is a work of art! .. hope little girl is feeling better... hugs from gram.

Regan said...

Adorable photos, and that cake looks amazing!!!

Tara said...

I really can't believe she's 4 either, crazy! That ruffle idea is great, it looks so easy but gives huge effect!

Unknown said...

Awww happy birthday!
This cake looks like something my mother would do for me as well. Adorable!

lorelie said...

You are such a delight! And so is she...her personality explodes through each photo! Happy Birthday

shutterbean said...

i love how the plate matches the frosting! And thanks for the video link on how to frost. I didn't realize how easy it is!

Mai said...

Oh my, what a gorgeous cake. I'm so making this soon. Happy birthday to her!

Anonymous said...

i love this post. you are, by far, the epitome of who i want to be when i have children, on day.
xoxoxo alexandra

The Rowley's said...

That cake looks amazing!

stephanie said...

Super gorgeous cake. Super gorgeous little girl! Oh Sheena, I just love your blog.

Lula. said...

Such a beautiful Lucy. And that cake???? Are you serious right now? Wowza, you are amazing.

Lillie said...

This cake looks wonderful. And when did her hair get so long?! lovely.

The Urban Baker said...

what a gorgeous cake and a lovely post!

Sylvia said...

Sheena - just so you know, yours is the only blog I check regularly and go back through if I miss a post - I love it!

I have a question regarding the strawberry buttercream frosting - can I use frozen strawberries if I thaw them first or do they need to be fresh?

Thanks!

Rebekah said...

This cake was seriously AMAZING. My favorite cake i think that I have ever made!!

Love love love it and will be making it many many more times!

Thank you!!

p.s. i love your running posts too!!!

Kay said...

I just made the cake and the batter is very thin. This is my first time making a cake from scratch and I do not like the look of the batter. Usually when i make boxed cakes the batter is thick, but this has waterish consistency. Oh god, I am so scared I am not sure if its supposed to be like this or not.i am going to put it in pans now. *SCARED*

sheena said...

Kay cake batters are a bit on the thin side--but it shouldn't be watery at all. I have made this chocolate cake recipe 1000 times and it has never failed me! I'm sure as long as all your measurements were right, you should be fine!

Kasey said...

Seriously. HOW did you frost that cake like that?!?

Anna said...

This cake is amazing...just made it for my mom's birthday (red cake w/ vanilla frosting) aaand it turned out great! The ruffles are actually pretty easy just MAKE SURE to have enough buttercream!

Unknown said...


This looks awesome!!! This recipe is perfect. Next tomorrow on my birthday, we will surely make it.
I saw such beautiful cakes on the sites :
Online Cake Delivery in Ghaziabad
Online Cake Delivery in Faridabad
Online Cake Delivery in Dehradun