Cake, cake, cake everyone likes cake, with the lovely birthday cake being the oldest traditional one, which dates back at to at least Roman times, when they would serve up sweet flat breads at birthday parties and other events.
The modern type of cakes we see weren’t really around until the 15th century, when various confectionery was seen amongst the higher classes of Europe. And, even then, it wasn’t until way later that such treats became affordable for the average person, and thus the modern type of birthday cake didn’t really show up until the 19th century.
New Levels of Cake Design
- Any kind of cake really can be a birthday cake, as it is the occasion itself more than the cake, and not what is in it.
- However, nowadays there is a whole new generation of designs for a whole range of occasions from birthday to christening cakes which have taken modern cake art to another level.
Good Old Chocolate!
- Not surprisingly, the most popular flavour of birthday cake (and probably all cakes!) is chocolate and can come in many different varieties.
- There’s the simple flour, chocolate cake, covered with a chocolate, buttercream frosting.
- Or slightly more on the intricate side of cake things, the German chocolate cake, (extremely popular).
- This one is a layered chocolate cake, with a frosting and filling of coconut and pecan, combined with caramel.
- Chocolate birthday cake is quite rich, and so feels like a real treat for most people.
Chiffon
- Chiffon cake is another popular kind of birthday cake you must have seen somewhere.
- This is a light cake, made from vegetable oil rather than butter.
- Due to the cake making use of no butter, it uses lots of egg whites, to help make it light and fluffy.
- Chiffon cake has a moist texture due to all the oil and egg in it, and unlike normal butter cakes, this one doesn’t dry up so quickly.
- Quite often, you will see chiffon cake being served with a rich frosting, and frequently with a fruit topping or filling, to add a little extra flavour to fill in for the absence of butter.
Attention Healthy People!
- There are healthier alternatives such as the famous carrot cake, which is made with (surprise, surprise!) carrots grounded down into butter or margarine.
- This makes it into a much denser cake than lighter butter or chiffon cakes.
- Carrots will naturally sweeten the cake, so that only a tiny amount of sugar if required to be added to the recipe.
- The carrot cake is often frosted with a cream cheese icing, and garnished with some healthy chopped nuts.
Ultimately, any type of cake can traditionally serve as a birthday cake, and with regard to adults celebrating their birthdays or any other anniversary, the sky is ultimately the limit.
Take a little time to research on the internet a whole range of alternative cake designs that will take yours and the cake receivers breath away! YUMMY!