I know, I know, I know. This blog is starting to get a little over-concentrated with food photos. The thing that we do most is eat, and for that I am sorry.
Now that the apology is out of the way, I can’t wait to show you what 6 hours in the kitchen looks like. We were celebrating two birthdays on Sunday, so our (my) new cake stand made its debut for a cherry chip cake with almond butter cream – all from scratch!
This cake was a nod to one of my favorite snacks as a teenager, cherry-almond baby food. I can’t believe I just put that in writing. The sad truth is that I couldn’t keep my chubby hands off the stuff.
I think I just realized why I never had a boyfriend.
I chose to modify a cake recipe I found online… Not the best idea. I ended up adding a little too much reduced cherry juice and the cake was a little dense (I think it weighed 8 pounds), but I didn’t even care because there were three sticks of butter involved.
By the time this cake was served, I didn’t even want to eat it. And this is coming from the sweets addict that once ate twelve cupcakes in a day. That’s a dozen. Even Neil hit his breaking point. Two hours into the process, he had to retire to the bedroom on account of nausea. Cause? A gallon of freshly concentrated cherry juice (my idea) and excess almond extract. It seriously smelled like someone opened a thousand taxi cab air fresheners in our one-bedroom condo. But it sure looked good!
I think I took this picture while Neil was opening every last window for fresh air, despite being 13 degrees outside.
Later this week I’ll teach you how to make these fun little bumbles that you see on the top of the cake (sorry Mom, not THE Bumble. Didn’t mean to get you excited).
Now the part you have been waiting for – pictures with people!
If I do say so myself, the birthday boy and birthday girl had themselves a great time.
Someone just opened a gift full of birthday giggles! 
I do believe this is the happiest bunch of Helspers I have ever seen.
Until the next birthday,
Cake Baking Caili
N + C 
March 1st. I expect you to out-do this cake. I don’t know how…that is your job to figure out.