Four and a Half

I will try to get better pictures when the light is better in the morning.

This is not the best looking cake I've ever baked, but judging by the scraps from trimming and the extra frosting, it might be one of the best tasting. I just couldn't get the butter cookie dough to handle well in the humidity, so they came out thick and puffy and far too soft. You can't see the patches I did with frosting, but they're there. My decorating skills seem to have taken a dive of late-maybe I need to start doing Baking With Counterpunch again for the sake of improving my technique.

I needed to do four layers to accommodate the height of the frosted cookies. That's quite a bit of cake. I need to go pick up my eyeglasses tomorrow-I think we'll bring them some cake...actually a lot of cake. I'll give the recipe for two layers because most people aren't insane enough to make something like this.

Other Birthday Cakes:

Fourth
Three and a Half
Three
Two and a Half
Two

From The Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook, 1950 (with a few modifications)

You Will Need:

1/3 cup softened butter
1/3 cup solid shortening
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Grease and flour pans. Line bottoms with parchment then grease and flour that as well. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rack in centre.

In a bowl, cream together butter, shortening and sugar until light. Add the eggs and beat well. In another bowl, whisk the water into the cocoa (do a bit at a time and use a whisk-a spoon will just swirl it around without wetting the cocoa). Add vanilla.Set aside.

Sift dry ingredients.

Add dry ingredients alternating with the cocoa mixture. Mix well, without over-mixing and pour into pans. Bake 3-35 minutes until they test done. Cool in pans on rack ten minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks before frosting.