Birthday Cakes

So far I haven't repeated any birthday cake recipes. Each one has been different in some way. This one was no exception. I saw it online and instantly knew I had to make it for W's birthday cake. Oh, yum. It was just like a warm moist Cinnabon that melted in your mouth. This was the first of two cakes for our little man.

Brown sugar and cinnamon swirled in the middle.

Warm icing drizzled...or should I say poured on top.

Saucy Chocolate, what do you think?

For the second birthday gathering, I saw these and I wanted to try them. They're Cake Pops and she has a million variations. I was a little hesitant to do them. I don't have a great reputation of successfully dipping things in chocolate and having it look neat. Plus, it would be hard to get the pops perfectly round. I decided to go for it.

Made about 50. Some more round than others.

Dipped in white chocolate. This takes forrr-evv-err! I was going to have several colors, but it was just taking too long.

Here are all the balls for W's birthday: tennis, softball, basketball,soccer, baseball, bowling, golf. I was going to have a football, but I was afraid the shape wouldn't hold.

Overall, they were good. Fast and easy to eat. Everyone can throw away their own stick. Kids could eat them as they played outside. Super cute to put a candle in one and sing. It was the perfect size for W to eat. However, they took way too long to complete and I'm just not sure it was worth it. Birthdays...I'm always experimenting with something.


Here's the recipe for the Cinnamon Cake, which is called Honey Bun Cake.

Honey Bun Cake

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow or white
cake mix
4 egg whites
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

For Filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I may have used more)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ( I think I used more on this too)

For Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, egg whites, sour cream and applesauce. Beat on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
2. Pour half into a greased 9 x 13 or bundt pan. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Cover with remaining batter; cut through with a knife to swirl. Bake at 325 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If using bundt pan, bake for 40-45 minutes). Cool on a wire rack. Flip over onto serving dish.
3. For glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth; drizzle over warm cake. Store at room temperature.