Home Cooking Chronicles: Nothing fancy birthday cake
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
My brother Craig and I have always
had two things in common, the same
mom and dad. We lived in the same
house, ate the same food, used the same
brand of toothpaste and still drove each
other insane. It’s what brothers do: fi ght
and bicker, and pretend to be hurt when
they’re not. Essentially, brothers are pro-
fessional male soccer players.
Craig and I have birthdays just a few
days apart. Growing up we had a com-
bined birthday party in our backyard. I
barely remember the celebration but I
remember the cake.
Our mother is not an “I love bak-
ing” kind of person but she produced
two birthday cakes every year. They
were nothing fancy; no multiple layers or
inventive fi llings. They were sheet cakes
with simple frosting. I distinctly remem-
ber them still in the 9 by 13 inch pans.
These were not boring cakes though;
they were personalized theme cakes. I
once had a cake decorated with chocolate
covered cherries (with the liquid center,
thank you). Craig’s cake was decorated
with plastic brontosauruses and a T-rex.
These birthday cakes are another thing
that unites Craig and me: thoughts of
younger days, playing with our friends,
blowing out our candles and celebrating
with our brother. This is the true splen-
dor of home cooking. We don’t care if the
cakes were four layers or if each compo-
nent was made from scratch. We care that
we can relive, for a brief moment, that
childhood celebration.
One day when we’re old, Craig and
I will reminisce of our birthday cakes
made by mom. It’s something we’ll
always share. It’s a common memory
with the longest friend I’ll ever have.
Nothing fancy birthday cake
A homemade cake isn’t fussy or com-
plex. The butter, eggs and dairy should be
at room temperature to incorporate eas-
ily in the batter. Dinosaur decorations are
optional.
Yellow cake ingredients
• 2 ¼ cups cake fl our
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, plus 2 table-
spoons for the pan, room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• Two large eggs, room temperature
Brian Medford
Brian Medford’s ‘Nothing fancy birthday cake’ is inspired by his mother and brother.
ORIGINAL FINE ART
on the waterfront
port of ilwaco, wa
marie-powell.com
360-244-0800
6 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
• Two large egg yolks, room
temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sour cream, room temperature
• ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
Chocolate frosting ingredients
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room
temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ¾ cup cocoa powder, sifted
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Set
aside.
Make the cake: Whisk the cake fl our,
baking powder, baking soda and salt
together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In stand mixer fi tted with a paddle
attachment, beat the butter and sugar
together on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes,
until light and fl uff y. Add the eggs one at
a time and mix each until combined. Add
the vanilla and the sour cream and mix
until combined. Scrape down the bowl as
needed.
Add one-third of the fl our mixture into
the butter mixture and mix until com-
bined. Mix in half of the milk. Add the
next one-third of the fl our mixture, then
the second half of the milk. Finally, mix
in the last one-third of the fl our mixture
until just combined and smooth. Remove
the bowl from the mixer and use a spat-
ula to ensure there is no dry fl our at the
bottom.
Evenly spread the batter into the pre-
pared pan. Bake for 36 to 40 minutes or
until the top is golden brown and a tooth-
pick inserted in the center comes out
clean.
Let the cake cool completely.
Make the frosting: In a stand mixer fi t-
ted with the paddle attachment, beat the
butter on medium speed until pale and
creamy. Gently add the sifted powdered
sugar and sifted cocoa powder to the but-
ter. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds.
Add the milk, vanilla and salt. Beat on
medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes
until the frosting is smooth and velvety.
If the frosting is too thick, add a splash of
milk and beat.
Frost the cooled cake and serve.
Brian Medford is the owner of Idlewild
Biscuits and Bakes in Astoria. He teaches
cooking classes at The Pantry in Seattle.
Contact him at blmedford@gmail.com.