happy, happy birthday, baby!

Cassidy turned 28 on Friday. I spent the week fussing over cake ideas and cake-decorating schemes - that is, until he shut me down! "Don't worry about it," he said, "they'll have a cake for me at work. They always have cake for people on their birthday." And re: a party? "Eh, let's just have a quiet year this year," he said.

Well, thought I, a reprieve! And I laid the matter to rest.

You know how the story goes: the gal who usually arranges the cakes wasn't there. No one knew it was his birthday. No cake. And Friday night was quiet, and I think he was surprised to find himself missing the usual celebration. "I think I'm starting to understand what it was like for you," he reflected - referencing my constant loneliness my first few years in Seattle, when putting myself through school left me bereft of any sort of social life.

Poor guy! So Saturday night (had to wait for the day's heat to pass), I whipped up his favorite cake. I have made this cake for his birthday something like 4 or 5 years running now, and I have to say, this is the best chocolate cake recipe I've ever found. I'm not actually very particular to cake at all - but this one, this one is the exception. This is actually a very pared-down version: just one layer, no fancy decorating. But I frosted it - per his request - with Irish Cream buttercream frosting, and sang him a happy birthday as I brought it out.

"You're the first one to sing it!" he smiled. We each had a very thin slice - then he had two more! - and dang, if it wasn't every bit as good as I remember. =)

happy, happy birthday Cassidy! I wish you many more - cakes, that is.

The Perfect Chocolate Cake

Irish Cream Buttercream (note: I found this a little TOO buttery, so I nearly doubled the Irish Cream and added extra confectioner's sugar until the consistency was right)