Chocolate Cake for Papa’s Birthday
It’s been a busy weekend–church retreat in Port Orchard, racing home across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to be home in time for my dad’s birthday picnic at Seward Park. A lot of sunshine and memories packed into 48 hours. Last night, crossing the field with the kids to the sing-a-long, it occurred to me (for once, I was being reflective. Ha!) what a countercultural thing it was for all these busy people to break away from their lives and be together. As we got closer to the lodge, I could hear the guitars, everyone singing Edelweiss, and it felt like we were warming ourselves in the middle of a cold world. I love the people at my church–lawyers, teachers, retirees, single moms, kids with two moms or two dads, lonely people, passionate ones. We need each other like crazy and I’m glad we didn’t stay home and do whatever it was we would have done.
But then this cake. Oh my Lord. I don’t post an awful lot of desserts on here. I’ll leave the baking blogs to people with more patience than me. And I didn’t make this one–my sister did. It so happens I’ve made it before, though, and always meant to come back to it when an occasion arose. My mom brought an amazing portable feast down from Bellingham–tomatillo pulled pork with grilled Hatch chiles on rolls, guacamole, corn and rice salad, slaw. That’s a whole other posting. Then my sister unveiled this cake, and we must have barraged her with compliments for a good 20 minutes. I could tell, slicing it up for the panting grandchildren, that it was going to be perfect. The knife slid through with just the right amount of resistance, a bit of bittersweet buttercream sticking to the blade. And its crumb was so moist and firm, I could eat it with a spoon. This is what chocolate cake is meant to be–two layers that have reached their fullest potential.
All my dad ever wants for his birthday is to be with us, and sometimes the stars don’t align. This year they did, and he seemed so happy to have us all there, Loretta following him around like he was Brad Pitt. She adores him and thinks everything he does is perfect. Can’t say I disagree with her. Happy Birthday, Papa.
Double Chocolate Layer Cake
My sister followed this recipe EXCEPT she used bittersweet chocolate for the frosting instead of semisweet, which I think was a wise move. And she shaved a bit of white chocolate on top and added some raspberries in her beautiful, designerly way.
You can find the recipe here
Two chocolate recipes in a row. Oh dear.
Thanks Sarah. I always like getting fan mail. You’re right - I was happy just to have you all there. Wish Yancey could have joined us, but he was probably out lifting up a rolled over car with his bare hands. As for me, I was enjoying two sets of chubby chocolate cousins’ cheeks and twenty gooey little fingers eagerly helping me open my presents. Little do they know that they and their kin are by far the best presents of all. Oh - and I certainly add my accolades for Naomi’s stupendous cake.
Sarah–I’m in the mood to reread some of your old posts & comments. I don’t know if it’s hormones or tough day or what–but reading what your papa said, “Little do they know that they and their kin are by far the best presents of all”–got me all teary eyed.
Beautiful pictures. How I delight in homemade birthday cakes! There is something soulful about them, something that the supermarket cake can never replicate.
i can just picture you all at seward. love it. happy belated bday ‘brad’ (you know you’ll never live that one down, right? :)).
I loved the line about how you all need each other like crazy. That is so real. Also, I love the looks and sounds of this cake, so I am bookmarking it for sometime very soon!
Thanks Sarah…for the compliments and for putting up with my baked-item-of-the-moment obsessions (well, I guess I should be thanking Michael for that!)! Had a great time celebrating Papa with you at the Park. The only other thing I didn’t do was refrigerate the cake. The recipe in Barefoot Contessa At Home didn’t say too, so I made a point not to refrigerate it because I thought it would ruin it. Anyway, it was delicious. All I had hoped for…and the best part was sharing it with everyone after those amazing sandwiches & salads.
What a great birthday cake you made. This is so nice of you.
The vibrant pictures you paint with your words are only enhanced by the seemingly effortless snapshots which allow us a voyeuristic glimpse of moments and personalities we, the reader, feel we know. Thank you for allowing us this glimpse, and for sharing you with all of us.
PS the recipes are also wonderful
Sarah, It was great to spend time with you this weekend. What a remarkable community that has chosen to be together (and love one another) despite so many differences. I’m glad we didn’t stay home, too!
On another note, this blog is another place I see community sweetening the experience of cooking and nourishing. So thank you for a place - virtual though it may be - to be with others.
Sarah, you were SUCH a huge part of the success of the wonderful weekend, and we knew what a special occasion you were blowing away from camp for! We actually could feel ourselves hesitating to drive away, it was so wonderful!
I see the baking of this special birthday cake in our family’s future—-thank you! It’s a good thing you’ve successfully established such a warm and varied basic nutritional framework, with two overwhelming chocolate concoctions in a row! (But thanks for those!)
Love and thanks!
Looks delicious! Obviously this was a killer cake from the last picture!
I happened to be a recipient of this absolutely perfect chocolate cake. This time Sarah is not exaggerating, trust me, it was as delish as she said it was. My only regret of the evening, is that I only cut one piece to bring home for Jim to savor his bday for another day,and wished I had grabbed a second piece for me.
It was picture perfect!
I believe I made this same one for my hubby two years back, gotta love that Ina & her recipes.
My sister-in-law has made this cake and now we always request it!!! Delicious! I too, love that Ina!