Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man

Tomorrow is my birthday. In our family we have a tradition where the birthday person chooses the place for their birthday dinner, their birthday dessert, and after eating both of these, it’s then time for presents.

Over the years we’ve eaten at Route 66 Diner, Garcia’s, Red Lobster, County Line Restaurant, and Tucano’s (those are all in Albuquerque). The desserts also evolved from a cake from Smith’s, to things such as a Bundt cake, ice cream cake, cup cakes, a fruit tart, and something homemade.

This morning I decided I wanted to make my own, even after my husband offered to both go buy one for me or even to make one for me. I just felt I needed to make my own for some reason.

I recently finished reading the Bake from Scratch Vol 4 cookbook. There were several (actually many) recipes I’ve been wanting to try. Being on vacation, I took the cookbook out on the patio this morning to relax a bit and find the cake I wanted. It came down to a choice between a Golden Peanut Butter Cake, a Grasshopper Drip Cake, or a Boston Cream Pie Bundt Cake. The winner ended up being the Golden Peanut Butter Cake, in some ways mainly because I had all of the ingredients (or their substitutes), and I really wanted to make caramel for the first time.

A quick plug for, and to, my Pampered Chef Party friends. In making the cake, I used the cake turntable while doing the icing, a couple of the glass prep bowls, the instant read thermometer, the cake tester, and the stackable measuring cups. They’ve asked me to let them know how I use my new, and veteran, Pampered Chef “toys.”

The hardest part about making the cake today has been not eating it immediately. It has been placed in the refrigerator, and I so wanted to cut a piece after dinner this evening.

Maybe I’ll have a slice for breakfast!

It will be my birthday after all—birthday boy prerogative?