tropit

My Dau's Bday is a week from today. She's a great cook and a bit of a gourmet. I need a sophisticated cake recipe to make for her. Suggestions please.

Iceblossom

You do such wonderful baking! My own birthday cake was the Williamsburg Orange Cake, I used the Betty Crocker recipe, but here's a linked one to look at.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/78...g-orange-cake/

My boyfriend at the time that was my cake, always wanted the German Chocolate cake with 3 layers from the German Baking Chocolate wrapper.

Haven't done one in a long time, but Burnt Sugar cake can either be quite rustic or look elegant.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/82...sugar-cake-ii/

bearisgray

My Mom would - only for ultra special occasions - make a 3 layer poppy seed cake with custard filling and 7minute boiled frosting .
yum!

I think she soaked the poppy seeds in milk overnight. dont know for sure because i never made it.

RedGarnet222

How about a fruit trifle? Pretty easy and looks great as a presentation.

SueZQ from MN

My mother always made me buttermilk red velvet from scratch. Even after 37 years, the memory of that cake and the creamy frosting still make my mouth water.

tropit

Thank you everyone. I like all of them! I would gladly make a Trifle. She'd be so surprised and it's relatively easy. Only problem is that I don't own a Trifle bowl, or anything that could do in a pinch. I'll have to save that one for later. All of the other ones sound great too. I love poppy seed cake, German Chocolate and the Buttermilk Red Velvet sounds so Southern. I'm especially attracted to the Williamsburg Orange Cake. It really speaks out "Spring!" and it's different and not as heavy as most cakes. Also, I still have one orange left on our little tree and I also have some tangerines, which might be a nice substitution. I think that I'll give that one a go.

eparys

This was our "go to" birthday cake growing up. My Mom also made it at Christmas. It is a moist Nut Cake.

Auntie Helen Cornell’s Christmas Nut Cake

2 ¾ c Sifted Cake Flour
1 ¾ c Sugar
2 t Baking Powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 c Crisco
¾ c milk
1 tsp. Orange (or Lemon) extract
1 tsp. Almond (or Vanilla) extract
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk unbeaten
1 c walnuts chopped finely

Cream shortening and sugar. Sift dry ingredients together and fold into creamed shortening /sugar. Add milk, and fold in. Add Eggs fold in. Add walnuts fold in. Bake in an ungreased tube pan at 350° for 60 – 70 mins

For half recipe -
** Cut the above measurements in half but use 2 eggs. Follow the above mixing directions. Bake for 50 min.

petthefabric

My birthday is this April too. My fav is strawberry pie. And April is strawberry peek season, especially California.

Husband and daughter are chocolate junkies, so our go to birthday cake is "vinegar cake".

Tartan

My favourite birthday cake was one that my Mom used to make. She did just 2 round plain white cakes but sliced them into layers after cooling. She then used frozen raspberries in a saucepan and cooked them with sugar and thickened them. Once the raspberries cooled, she put them between the layers. The whole cake was then iced with whipped cream. It was wonderful and I am drooling a bit just remembering.🎂

Onebyone

I made a trifle in a clear glass ice bucket. Sure was convenient to carry to the potluck.