birthday season

My husband and my niece have birthdays that are five days apart. Since today is smack dab in the middle of those birthdays I have cakes on the brain.

This past weekend we discovered a local grocery/bakery store with incredible cakes like this one. Looking at them was enough to convince me to buy a cake rather than make one this year for my husband's birthday. They look too good.

My sister, on the other hand, make a strawberry cake. Completely from scratch. I have never heard of a strawberry cake made with real strawberries. Not surprisingly, it got rave reviews. I found a recipe for a strawberry cake that uses real strawberries on A Dash of Sass. My sister used the recipe for Pink Lady Cake from Smitten Kitchen with a couple of alterations she saw recommended in the comments section

photos via a dash of sass and google images

in case brownies weren't enough

via Our life in the kitchen

I know what I am making for my husband's birthday cake this year. This looks so good it almost gives me chills thinking about it.

flourless chocolate cake

via Bakerella
My husband's birthday is on Friday and on Sunday we are going to have a dinner to celebrate. For his cake he requested the usual chocolate. This year I am going to try Bakerella's flourless chocolate cake. I think I might bake two and invite friends over for the party, I am excited.