Happy Birthday Mom!

When I started this blog 6 weeks ago, I tried to think of things I could do in order to challenge myself - to raise the bar beyond what I've been doing in the kitchen regularly.  I came up with a few ideas, although there was one I was a little scared particularly excited about starting.

For a while now, my family has been buying birthday cakes rather than bake them ourselves...so, being that baking has never been my strongpoint, I thought, why not bake everyone's cakes this year?  Let the birthday boy/girl choose whatever they want, and I would deliver.

The first birthday of the year is Mom's.  We gathered today to celebrate (along with mine, but I'm waiting until the actual day to make my cake - check back in a few days), and I started My Personal Baking Challenge off with a bang - German Chocolate Cake.

Everyone was patiently waiting for "happy cake time"...including the oldest and youngest grandsons...

Finally!!  Happy Birthday Mom! (I made a wish, too)

Dad was watching over it carefully...

...and Bella had a cookie appetizer before eating some of Daddy's piece.

Now, what to make for mine on Wednesday?  Any suggestions?  Considering we're supposed to be snowed in (AGAIN), it may just be the three of us eating it.  Better bust out the sweats.

I used the recipe on the Original Baker's German's Chocolate Box and it didn't disappoint.  Soooo good. I will say, though, that the prep was longer than 30 minutes.  More like 45...maybe a bit more.  Still, it was easy to follow.

And, if you're anything like my family, you know that there can never be too much chocolate.  EVER.  So, I had to frost the sides with this AMAZING chocolate icing.  I highly recommend doing the same.

Kittencal's Chocolate Frosting
from Food.com
1/2 cup butter, softened 
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 cup half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Cream the butter in a small bowl.  Blend in the cocoa powder, vanilla, confectioners sugar, alternately with the cream.  Beat with an electric mixer, until the desired texture is achieved.

Linked to: Sweets for a Saturday, hosted by Sweet As Sugar Cookies