With lights dimmed, a cake is presented ablaze with candles. A couple, surrounded by onlookers, eagerly clutch a knife that is towering over a cake. A dessert table is spread end to end with elegantly decorated cupcakes. These are celebration moments. Birthdays, anniversaries and weddings.
Often my first recollection of a celebration is the cake. (Somehow effortlessly), I remember what cake I created over the years for different birthdays and other occasions. In my head, I can see the cake and ‘play back’ all the surrounding detail. What was the event. Who was there. Where we were. What we were doing. For me, a celebration memory starts and ends with the cake.
This month has been quite a month of celebrations. To commemorate these birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries, I have decided to put together some of my favourite celebration cakes. There is nothing quite like a homemade cake to honour a special day. What ever your flavour of choice – vanilla, chocolate, coffee, lemon, strawberry, caramel – hopefully there is something here for your next celebration.
:: Lemon Meringue Cake ::
Simple yet striking. I have made this cake numerous times. If the lucky recipient adores zesty, tart sweets, this is for you. Make sure you demonstrate the final blowtorching in front of a crowd for added effect!
:: French Vanilla Cupcakes ::
Understated yet complex. Using the intense flavour of real vanilla bean, coupled with shiny Swiss meringue buttercream, this simple cupcake is revamped from everyday to special.
:: Flourless Chocolate Cake ::
Chic and rich. A more-ish cake to serve with the best thickened cream or homemade ice-cream. Just the thing for any true chocolate lover.
:: Devil’s Food Cupcakes ::
Light and chocolately. Ideal as a single serve cupcake or create a multi-layer cake – sandwiched together with lashings of Swiss meringue buttercream or chocolate ganache – for a more impressive presentation. A true chocolate-on-chocolate experience.
:: Caramel Cheesecake ::
Stylish and sweet. A foolproof recipe for baked cheesecake. Use lashings of gooey caramel to fill the cake or your own flavour combination to make it your own.
:: Wedding Cake ::
Impressive and inspiring. A basic rich chocolate mud cake with seven minute frosting is transformed from an ordinary cake to a show stopper with simple tiering and an uncomplicated floral decoration.
:: Rainbow Cake ::
Delicate and colourful. Children will love the multi-coloured layers of surprise inside. Chocolate. Strawberry. Vanilla. It is like Neapolitan ice-cream, but better. Light and dainty flavoured sponge cakes are encased in rich chocolate ganache. Caution – there will be no leftovers.
:: Coffee Cupcakes ::
Velvety and robust. Any coffee lover will be mad for these cupcakes. Create a layered cake with the same cake batter and frosting recipes. Top with golden, roasted hazelnuts for an extra treat.
:: Chocolate and Lemon Layer Cake ::
Zesty and creamy. Lemon and chocolate are a refreshingly complementary union of flavours. The multiple layers is impressive enough for impact, but not so overly sized to be out of place at an intimate gathering.
July 31, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Lovely cakes to celebrate special day. It’s simply hard to choose one, all of them are so scrumptious!
July 31, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Lovely collection you have here, Julia! I think the Devil’s Food takes the “cake” for me 🙂
July 31, 2009 at 3:06 pm
What gorgeous recipes! Everything looks so good!
Cheers,
Rosa
July 31, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Everything looks good but flourless chocolate cake is my favorite.
July 31, 2009 at 5:18 pm
What a beautiful array of cakes! I’m really raring to try that Lemon and Chocolate one.
July 31, 2009 at 9:43 pm
That’s a lovely collection of cakes. 🙂
August 1, 2009 at 11:52 am
oh what a great collection you have! I’m bookmarking this page…I’m gonna be having some celebrations ahead of me, and this is such a great roundup of brilliant recipes!
August 1, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Love the top left and the bottom left pics. The bottom left reminds me of a childhood birthday cake that I’m sure I’ve had at least once!
August 1, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Dang, those all look wonderful! Although I’m partial to the coffee cupcakes myself; coffee is a wonderful thing and makes the world go ’round 🙂
August 2, 2009 at 4:55 am
Cake is perfect for ANY occassion – you know; birthdays, Christmas, tuesdays…
Gorgeous roundup; I’m very tempted by the caramel cheesecake especially.
August 2, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Thanks for putting together such an inspiring round-up.
Someone just asked me today to put on a brief cake decorating demo. I’m racking my brain trying to think of what I could demonstrate in 15 minutes that looks impressive but easy. And that will allow for class participation (without my having to get a lot of tools for everyone).
Any ideas?
August 2, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Oooh, here’s another fantastic page to bookmark for sure. I’ll definitely be checking back when the next celebration hits ! And the summer is chock-full of birthdays and anniversaries for us – perfect to try lots of the cakes above. And just for the record, I LOVE (love love) birthdays ! And a birthday is never complete without a cake and candles. Just like you (duh), I remember the cakes we slice into each year — but even more so, I have this weird capacity to remember desserts we ate – for special occasions and at restaurants… like of all time !! That’s a big sweet memory bank ! 😉
August 4, 2009 at 12:12 am
OMG!!!! that caramel cheesecake looks absolutely gorgeous!!! I want to give it a try…..hmmm!!! yum yum!
Do you bake everyday? :o) xx
August 4, 2009 at 2:29 pm
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August 5, 2009 at 12:44 am
Julia, talk about an array of beautiful and delicious looking cakes! You have such a talent for baking, decorating and presentation! I’m in LUST with the caramel cheesecake, and you know I adore those french vanilla cupcakes! 🙂
August 9, 2009 at 9:31 am
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August 10, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Elra – lucky you don’t have to choose one. You can try them all??!! 🙂
Manggy – thank you….yes, the Devil’s Food cake is such a great standby!
Rosa – thank you lovely!
Divina – flourless chocolate? Even more rich without flour. Delicious. It will be gone in a shot. Promise.
Shaz – thank you. You must let me know if you make the chocolate and lemon?
Anita – thank you! What will you have for your upcoming birthday?
Sophia – ohhhhhh, so glad you are. Please tell me what you make!
Lorraine – the lemon meringue and rainbow cakes? Good choice. Good choice!
Caitlyn – I hear you on the coffee. So delicious!
Indigo – I’m not a huge fan of cheesecake, but that caramel one is pretty damn good!
Laura – I think I replied to you on this. How did it go??????????????
Kerrin – I love the sound of your chocolate and meringue cake. So wish I was there to share a slice with you and hubby. But what about your birthday cake? For your birthday TODAY! Aujourd’hui!!!
Karin – I wish I could bake every day. My day job keeps me busy weekdays. I mostly bake on a weekend!
Lisa – thank you so much for your compliments. Please try the caramel and vanilla ones! 🙂
August 14, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Hello Julia
Its been a while since I visited your blog and seems lots of yummy stuff is getting baked without me knowing… very nice cakes and pastries, they all look delicious and beautiful in the photos and tempting to put between the teeth….
How can you do this and tease us like this..
they all look delicious…