Poppy Seed Cake

Birthday cakes are very important in our family. When we were young, we had to make two big choices on our birthday: what to have for dinner and what kind of cake to have. For years I always had a banana cake with vanilla icing; Ellen often had strawberry shortcake (see the revised version here); … Continue reading

Maple Vanilla Cupcakes

Whenever I make frosting I think of my grandmother and her unparalleled cake frosting skills. The frosting always hugs the perimeter and top of my grandmother’s layer cakes. No dripping along the sides, no shifting layers. A beautifully simple layer cake, straight out of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. No Food Network theatricks, just … Continue reading