Happy Birthday Lilly Grace!

My niece just turned 4 and I didn't get to make her cake this year. sad face. It reminded me to share her 2nd birthday cake with you. I made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, chocolate espresso filling, and chocolate ganache using Ina Garten's recipe (my favorite chocolate cake recipe, it comes out perfectly every time). In hindsight it probably wasn't most peoples idea of a toddler's birthday cake but she was only allowed to have a few bites anyway (which she loved) and all of the other attendees were adults. Now when I make this cake I leave out the espresso frosting/filling that Ina used because everyone found it to be a bit strong even if it was only between the layers rather than all over the cake, but the recipe works great sans the espresso powder.

this is me again, makeup free and exhausted from trying to balance baking this cake for the first time and babysitting a very curious toddler.

 

I try to bake with her every time she comes to our house. She even has her own apron.

 I think whipped cream might be her favorite thing to make.especially since I got one of the clear glass bowls for my kitchen aid mixer.