Make a December Birthday Cake

By SHEILA ANNE JARGOWSKI
A Birthday in December, how fun would that be?
Or even better a Birthday on the 24th Christmas Eve or December 25th the BIG day. Joy to the world!!! Or not.
Well at least you would probably get a nice dinner, (at home) then a very full, sleeping family would watch you open more gifts. Yawn.
Then there are special memories of your friends asking to postpone the birthday party till January when there is more time and funds to celebrate….but a month later.
That does not seem fair, but does work out better for the rest of us who can get your birthday gift at the after Christmas sale!
Even better is the half birthday held in June or July so the guests can swim and cookout and make you feel half a year younger. But it is still not a party on your Christmas birthday day.
Birthdays are a time of celebrations. It is the one day of the year that each person is special unto themselves. Christmas birthdays are shared with the holiday commemorating the birth of Christ. That’s nice but, that’s no reason not to give those Christmas babies their due.
I know lots of people who have a December Birthday and I have been taught the rules;
1. NO! Christmas gift wrap on the B-day gift…not even red ribbon
2. NO! Happy Birthday Christmas card combo.
3. NO! NO! NO! B-day/xmas GIFT combo (unless it is a car) still must have birthday bow!
4. NO, Leftover holiday pie or dessert with a birthday candle in it.
5. NO! Merry Birthday, Happy Christmas ha-ha joke not funny.
6. Just HAPPY BIRTHDAY would be great.
7. NO, “I am too busy to come to your Christmas eve/Dec. 25th, Dec, 26th/birthday party cause I am/wrapping/late/busy/tired/poor etc.” (cause you would come to the July ½ b-day pool party right)
8. NO, “Here’s your birthday gift and your Christmas gift will be something bigger.”
All of you December birthday celebrators can add to that list I am sure!
Here is a special recipe to bake for the December and especially the Christmas Birthday Party People. It is known as Elvis Cake, so you know it is sweet and also Jackie O Cake, so you know it is rich.
Goes great with strawberries {can you get them is December?} and whipped cream…..or dreamy chocolate pan frosting on top (see recipe)…
.
And don’t forget the sprinkles, but please use birthday sprinkles, not red or green!!! And add some candles too.
This writing is dedicated to my friend Trisha who has a birthday on Dec. 24th and will be 40 this year. She loves this cake heavily dusted with powdered sugar…..try it. Happy birthday Trisha!
Pound cake for a birthday in December
16 to 20 servings
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs [at room tempature 30 mins]
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond flavoring
Directions: Do not preheat oven
Generously coat 10-inch bundt pan or tube pan with non stick spray [3 qt capacity]
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and heavy cream to butter-sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in flavorings. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Then beat at medium speed five minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny. Pour batter into prepared pan. Drop filled pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Put into a cold oven and set the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for one hour 15 minutes without opening the oven door. Bake for an additional 15 minutes if necessary. Remove from the oven and cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inner and outer edges of the cake. Invert cake onto cake plate. Cool completely and frost if you wish.
Chocolate pan frosting
Ingredients:
8 TBSP. (1 stick) Butter
4 TBSP. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/3 Cup Whole Milk
4 Cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
Directions:
Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cocoa powder and milk. Let the mixture come just to a boil, stirring, and then remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the powdered sugar until the frosting is thickened and smooth. Pour the warm frosting over the top of a cooled cake, spreading it with a spatula so that it reaches all sides of the cake. Work quickly because this frosting goes on best while still warm.
Jargowski writes from South Dennis