Do you ever get the sudden urge to bake?

I sure do! But most of the time when I get that sudden burst of energy to do so, I'm almost always out of one or two ingredients.  So whatever recipe I already had in mind, I end up choosing another.  Something where the ingredient list meets whatever contents are in our pantry and fridge.

Banana Chocolate Cake

Have you ever paid attention to recipes on boxes of flour and sugar?  On the containers of cocoa powder?   On the cartons of cream?  No?  Yes?  My answer?  I usually don't.  I usually just throw the box and not even glance on whatever was printed on the back.

I can be such a real recipe snob.

But it's never too late to change all that!

Chocolate Cherry Cake

The original plan was to make mini cakes.  Mini Black Forest cakes, that is.  I looked for recipes on the Web and there are a lot.  Some range from doable to 'oh dear maybe next time' complicated.  Some use store-bought cherry pie filling while some cook up their own.  Some use liquors while others leave it out.  Some use only this kind of cherries while some use that kind of cherries...and so on!

It seems everyone has their own way of making Black Forest cake and whatever works for them, great!  Right?

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate Cupcakes for two!

I have a scenario for you:  Your best friend of more than a decade (and counting) subtly hinted that she'd like for you to make her birthday cake on her birthday (of course).  And you, being the wonderful friend that you are, may have said yes or pretended not to hear but really, you're already planning what flavor and design you'll be doing with the upcoming birthday girl's request.

Let's skip to a couple of weeks and into the day.  The birthday.  The day you'll be 'surprising' your best pal with cake.

Cookies and Cream Cake

There's a wall in my bedroom that is filled with sticky notes.  In those notes I have written down the recipes I want to try, what ingredients are needed and when I plan to make them.

I enjoy looking at that wall because it serves as a reminder that I can try to be organized.

Not that I follow what's on that wall strictly.  I don't.  I can't.

Ahh!!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

Do you love chocolate?

How about salted caramel?

What if you put those two together in cake form?

Chocolate Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream

Have you ever thought about baking a cake?

How many cake recipes do you have bookmarked?  How often do you ogle at such beautiful creations (hello, Linda Lomelino) and wonder when you'll be able to produce anything just as great?

Does the idea of making a cake starting with the layers to the frosting and then assembling/decorating daunt you?

If you're a pro, I'll understand that it doesn't.  Or maybe it still does.  But the point is there's just something about making your own cake that is intimidating but oh so satisfying altogether!