There is no shame when it comes to birthdays. They are meant to be celebrated. Even if it is your own birthday you are subjecting others to indulge in. It is a requirement. It’s in the Birthday Law Book. And so is making a gluten free Happy Birthday Cake, even if it is for you.
It’s especially difficult as you get older though. You are raised to believe (or at least I was) that you are special and your birthday is your most special day.
You are rare.
You are spectacular.
You are celebrated.
Then you get older and realize the real world doesn’t exist like this anymore. People forget more often than not. (Hey, I get it–with age, goes your memory. I’m a victim too!) No birthday parties planned months in advanced. No, you are just lucky if you make it through the day without exhaustion hitting before 8pm! (I mean, “Wheel of Fortune” is on at 7:30pm anyway. What a shame to pass out on that show…) No slumber parties with silly games that start the moment someone falls asleep and ends when she wakes, finding out that either: A). Her bra was subjected to the freezer OR B). Water accidentally was spilled all over her in attempt to get her to pee inside her sleeping bag*.
*Both true stories
No midnight playings of “Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board,” Toilet Papering so-and-so’s house because “They deserve it!” or 3. Dusting off the Ouija board and scaring the bejesus out of me everyone else.
No, as you get older, the celebrations get quieter and less filled with the cackles of boy-crazed, pre-pubescent, braces-wearing girls who are awkward and terribly dressed. Was that just me? This morning as I wake up to another year alive, 33 years to be exact, I sit here in silence and darkness before the sun even wakes up and rises. And I truly feel grateful for my life. I’m definitely not where I thought I would be by now but I am realizing more as I age that I am where I should be.
Print
Gluten Free Happy Birthday Cake
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Ingredients
- 1 recipe of chocolate cupcakes (use 2 8″ round pans instead of muffin tin)
- 1 recipe chocolate pudding for filling (optional, or just use frosting)
- “Buttercream” Frosting (recipe at bottom of post)
- allergen-friendly sprinkles
Instructions
- Bake the round pans in the oven as directed in the chocolate cupcakes for 15-20 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back. Allow to cool fully.
- Level out one of the cake tops. Spread the chocolate pudding or frosting over the cake. Place the other cake on top.
- Coat with the frosting and sprinkles.
I couldn’t be more thankful for that. So here’s to another year. Here’s to celebrating all of our unique and special attributes that make us US. And most of all: Here’s to a Happy Birthday to ME!
Happy belated Birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day! I enjoy the silence too! It is nice to have the memories of the fun child and teenage b-days, isn’t it? Wishing you a wonderful year ahead!
Thank you Amanda (said in british accent) 🙂
Happy Cake day sweet sweet sweeeeeeet lady.
🙂
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Jeni!!! So good to see your face. Thank you for the birthday wishes! xo
Happy Birthday Cara! have an amazing day!! the cake looks awesome and the cake stand idea is so cool! i turned 33 too this year just about a month back!! 🙂
hugs and lots of good wishes! -Richa
Happy Belated to you, Richa!! Thank you so much 🙂 xo
Made me laugh too :-0 Love you guys! Happy (it’s almost over on the east coast) Birthday Cara!
Hey, I still have a good solid 3 hours and 45 min left! So short-change me, mother!
As I sit here vomiting at the comments that were exchanged between you and Mom (all lies, mind you), I am reflecting on the 33 sometimes-wonderful years I have had with you. I am truly lucky that I was at (almost) all of your birthday parties, played almost every game of Light-As-A-Feather (nearly peeing myself from fear), probably instigated one too many put-her-hand-in-water tricks, and made most of the toilet papering rounds … And you know what? I think Mom would be happy to know that, yes, while we had more downs thanups as ore-pubescent, bad-hair-decade- having teens, we ended up being pretty good sisters and pretty darn awesome friends! I am thankful for you for sooooo many things that I cannot even begin to list them. You are amazing. And I hope this birthday joy you are feeling from around the glove remains with you all year long (or at least until you see ME next)!
Xoxo,
Your older sister
P.S. – not a cake fan at all, but I would probably stick my face right in this one! Yum!
Holy crap, I can’t spell! Stupid iPad. So many mistakes, I can’t count. But it should say gloBe not gloVe, lol. And pre-pubescent not Ore-pubescent. Ha. That one made me laugh!
Meh. I’m drunk so I wouldn’t have known the difference 🙂 Drunk off of love… haha
Let us not forget who is to blame for the more downs than ups… HAHAHA! Just kidding my sister. This was such a sweet comment to read through–are you trying to make me cry this entire day??? Because it is working! I love you so much and wouldn’t trade you in for another sister. If had given the choice, I would have chosen you all over again. I’m so lucky to have a best friend in you. I love you!! xoxo
P.S. This, however, does not change mom’s deepest feelings for me as her favorite 🙂
Oh you are evil heeheeheehee! and yes, it’s all about the cake 🙂 Oh happy day. XOXOXOX
You are evil and you must be destroyed.
Okay, I know. So I wasn’t the first to sing you happy birthday today. And I probably won’t be the last to spend you special birthday wishes (wow how many wonderful greetings you have here – and that video…I really enjoyed that one!) but, just remember who was THE VERY FIRST PERSON TO SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL 33 years ago (about 9:30 ish pm) 🙂 Love You! Happy Birthday! Would really like some of that cake 🙂
I get it, the only reason you are stopping by is for the cake. You are transparent, Carol 🙂 Thanks mommy, for the birthday phone call, the song and the comment (*and the $1200 check you gave me as a gift–it’s just a bummer the rest of the siblings don’t get that much for their birthdays*) hehehehe <–evil snickering. Okay, okay. I'm exaggerating. It was only a mere $1000. A side note that says, "To my favorite… "HAHA. I love you.
Happy Birthday, what a yummy yummy cake!
Thank you! And yes, the cake is (well, was now) delicious. It has been destroyed completely by my mouth 🙂 haha
Am I already to late? I’m not that sure about time difference…
Happy happy birthday Cara! I hope you enjoyed your special day (how could you not having such a great cake – I’m jealous 😉 but as I follow your blog you are used to eating the greatest and cutest stuff)
Repdigit birthdays are best anyway 🙂
All the best from Germany!
xo
Cara!!! You are not too late at all! HA–Repdigit birthdays. I like that 🙂 I’m getting used to it after all. I dislike odd numbers usually but this, I guess, is a bit special isn’t it? 🙂 Thank you for the birthday wishes. xo
Aww, happy birthday Cara! I hope you have a good one 🙂
The cake looks absolutely wonderful. I wouldn’t mind making myself a cake like that for my birthday. I take it this is gluten-free, so that’s a plus!
November baby. I’m a spring baby.
I remember those birthday sleepovers too. My two best friends and I used to make slides off of the beds out of sofa pillows that we stole from the living room while our parents were asleep. I didn’t have many sleepovers at my house, mainly because I had two younger brothers and a younger sister who never left us alone and my friends were either only child’s or had much older siblings, so I was away at their house a lot. Man, you’ve brought back good memories right now! haha
Anyway, have an awesome day! many wishes
Did you guys ever play crazy games like I mentioned or, because were you much more refined as a kid than I was? 🙂
Dude, it took me like three minutes to scroll to the bottom of this page. 😉 You sure are a loved woman! I just had to add my “Happy 33” to the mix … thinking about you today! LOVE to you!
Oh, and the cake looks awesome! YUM.
The love has been tremendous. You were right. I *was* delightfully surprised today after all. No more negative nancy here 🙂 ha. I love you my friend. Thank you for stopping by and joining the online party 🙂
Happy Happy Birthday day! One piece out looks so sad! You need to call up all your friends to join you eating that cake and celebrating your day!
I think I just downed the entire cake today, Bea 🙂 haha
Happy Birthday — I love following your blog. Yes, it’s funny how we may not be where we thought we would be but we are happy where we are, it’s a good fit. The cake looks awesome. Have a FANTASTIC birthday!
Thank you so much Gloria! You have no idea how those words are seriously like a gift to me! xoxo
AWWWW! That is so beautiful. The writing AND that cake!
It’s so true – our birthdays are so different these days, aren’t they? They’re more about where we’ve been, and where we are – our thanks for family and friends, and good health…
It sucks that we have to make our own cakes, but at least we get what we want, right?!
I hope you had a great birthday… sounds like it was really yummy! 🙂
So far, this has been such a special birthday–thanks Angela! Much love to you xo
Happy birthday, lady! Here’s to another fabulous year of being alive!
I’m not big on chocolate cake, but I so wanna eat that outside layer of frosting and strawberries.
We make the perfect pair Lizzie! I love cake and not so much icing so you can have mine 🙂 I might have to fight you for a strawberry though…
Oh, and “not where I thought I’d be, but where I should be.” Feel exactly the same.
It’s funny how that happens in life, isn’t it? Thank God that sometimes the things we want/expect from life don’t work out. Truly. xo
Happy Happy birthday, my friend. A cake as spectacular as you!!! 33? 33! It’s a young person’s game this blog thingy. zzzzz. Sorry, what time is it? Did I miss the early vegan bird special? Am I retired and living in Miami? Wanna play some shuffleboard, Cara? Great blog as usual!
Hey grandma! Wake up and turn your hearing aid up 🙂 Thanks for the birthday wishes! I will bring the denture cream, you bring the Alka Seltzer. This is going to be one bitchin’ party 🙂
Ha!!! I still have most of my teeth, what are you saying. This is the cat’s meow.Fizz fizz. Party in the bingo room!
Make sure to get me home by 7pm. I know, I know. I’m out late tonight! What the heck, it’s a special occasion *doing the jitterbug*
IT’S YOUR SPECIAL DAY! Happy Birthday!
I miss slumber parties. I’d love to have an adult slumber party and gab about food, crafts, and bad tv instead of how much i hate my body or liking a boy who is really a jerk. I’m convinced adult slumber parties would be 100 times more awesome the more I think about it.
Ohmygosh, how fun would a slumber party be these days??? Let’s figure one out (I’m serious!) We can do a food swap/slumber party 🙂 A room full of happy women is much better than insecure teenagers, indeed. We can talk about co-workers we don’t like, bowel movements, and how there isn’t enough time in the day…
happy birthday to one of my newest friends! 😀 and um, you are definitely welcome here with cakes like that! we can celebrate every birthday we can think of, out here in the pseudo country, and then take a trip to Anthropologie! 😉
Cheers to you, happiest of birthdays and best wishes for an amazing upcoming year!
Yay for new friends! I’ll eat to that! Oh heck, I will eat to anything 🙂 Thank you so much for the birthday wishes, Kris. I’m packing up the cakes, Anthro catalogs, Dandies marshmallows and karaoke sing along CDs and heading out to Oregon right now! xoxo
Happy birthday! Thank you for sharing your joy with us. I, too, believe in celebrating each and every birthday to the fullest. Enjoy!
Thank you for celebrating with me! 🙂 xo
Ditto what everyone else has wrote. Have an awesome birthday! The cake looks amazing. Gotta love strawberries and chocolate.
Hi Shelley!! Thank you so much. I will bring a piece over for you 🙂
Happy Birthday!!! What a great post…you got us a present too! That cake looks amazing too!
Thank you so much, Kelly! xoxo
Truly AWESOME cakeness there. Looks like the PERFECT cake – all chocolate and strawberries, almonds and marshmallow? filling. I would have taken a fork to it with a cup of coffee at 6:30 am too. But I would have been listening to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1qpmTncBk&feature=related
Happy Birthday to a woman who makes all our lives better, for caring and for sharing.
Now P A R T E E!!!
This comment and video clip made me smile so BIG!!! Much love to you, Laurel. You are a blessing! xoxo P.S. Just a typical buttercream frosting. No more marshmallows yet–I’m expecting the first shipment today, I hope! ha
Happy Birthday, Cara! If you want, I’ll throw you a party. I’m no longer a boy-crazed, pre-pubescent, braces-wearing girl, but I am still awkward and terribly dressed. Two out of five ain’t bad…
HAHAHA!!! I like my friends awkward! Now throw me a party 🙂
Go Cara! It’s your birthday! HOhoho! HEYheyhey!
Who are you calling a ho???
Happy happy birthday my dear!!! You deserve an awesome day, a ginormous slice of cake (or 2 or 3) and a huge hug!!! YOU definitely deserve to be celebrated, feel special (bc you freakin’ rock my world and others too) and I hope Greg treats you like a princess today 🙂
My parents always made a giant deal out of birthdays, and I have fond memories of parties and bdays growing up like it sounds you do too!!
That cake looks fantastic and beautiful, just like you!!!! I hope you will post the recipe for us! 🙂
Here’s to a fantastic day! Xoxo
See, this is why I call you my little chocolate-covered Nora! I just heart you so. Thank you so much for always be a source of encouragement to me. I am just so grateful to have met you through this blogging world, truly! xo
I completely agree Cara, I couldn’t be more grateful for our blogging friendship – you are one of a kind! LOVE YOU!
Ps come visit me in MT next month…. 🙂
I just might have to do that! Seriously. I was thinking about it while driving today. But what if you are an axe murderer? Or what if I am???! hahaha!!!
Even without the cups of water and Ouija boards, birthdays are the best! I’m glad you’re taking time to celebrate yours. I hope you have a wonderful 33rd!
I agree, Cadry! Thank you so much for the birthday wishes. xo
Happy birthday, Cara! You ARE spectacular, special and meant to be celebrated <3
And you, my friend, are so sweet to say that. Thank you! xo
Oh…by the Way!!! Wow!!! What a Cake!!!!! <3 <3 <3 Viv
Taking a birthday cake-making bow 🙂
Happy Birthday Cara!!! Have a Wonderful Day!!!! You bring so much Happiness, Laughter, Joy and Light into Our Lives!!! You are the BEST!!! You are such a Blessing!!!
ENJOY YOUR DAY!!! Tons of Love and Hugs….Viv
As always, the truth really is that YOU are the best! Thank you for the consistent words of encouragement. xo
Happy birthday!!!! What a sweet post. And you’re right… we should definitely keep celebrating as we get older, even as our celebrations change and evolve.
PS you know you could put wings on that cake and then… it might look a little like a turkey…
HAHA! It’s all you see now, isn’t it? That is too funny!! Much love to you, my friend! Thank you for the the birthday wishes. xo
Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day… and your awesome cake!
Is it bad that I already have been enjoying that cake? hehe (it’s only 6:30am!)
happy birthday, cara! i hope it’s a great one <3
Thank you Caitlin! I hope so too 🙂
Happy Birthday “MJ”
Your cake looks soooo amazing and YUM.
We have to get you to open a small shop in the village 🙂
Sorry Again that I can’t be there to share your special day with you…and that cake. Mmmmm
Hope you have a WONDERFUL DAY.
Thanks BB! I love you mucho and cannot wait to see what comes in the mail for me today!!!
Happy Birthday! Gorgeous cake!
Thank you and thank you! 🙂 xo
Happiest birthday wishes to someone who gives so much of her time and creativity to keep us consistently entertained …You do realize, however, that now we will all be clammering to obtain 1) How to’s for amazing-looking cake stand, and 2) How to’s for the equally amazing-looking chocolate/strawberry cake!!!…Enjoy, celebrate your day!!
Hi Donna! I was thinking about you the other day! 🙂 Thank you for the birthday wishes and kind words!! You are so sweet. And here are some answers for you: 1). I hate to be a buzz-kill but that cake stand is really just a plate with a cup on the bottom 🙂 haha. The illusions of life! and 2). That one took a lot of time and effort. In fact, it originally wasn’t supposed to look like that but I got so frustrated with the chocolate cake seeping into the frosting so covering it up with strawberries was my only choice 🙂 I will do a tutorial soon, how about that? 🙂 xo
I would love a “tutorial” on that cake….Thanks again for all the “WOW” provoking offerings to lance upon my unsuspecting, yet always grateful family…Everyone commenting here today is spot on…you truly do rock!
Man, I need to have my birthday more often! You all are improving my self-esteem by like 500% 🙂 Thanks Donna! And yes, I will get on that tutorial soon…
Happy birthday!
For YOUR birthday will you make ME that cake? 🙂
HAHA! Of course. I ended up making 2 cakes so I have an extra one. Are you near California? 🙂