Some things are just tradition like the birthday table cloth, the birthday sign, the star streamers in the kitchen. Year after year these things have been present on family birthdays and although they are inanimate objects, they definitely raise my serotonin levels. I used to think that birthdays were all about getting presents! (I mean who doesn’t love a nice gift here or there) After this birthday though, I realized that it’s not about what you get but about the memories that you make. My list of good birthday memories grows and grows every year. (Does this mean I really am getting old?) I really appreciate everyone who made an effort to make me feel special for a day.
Since I started this blog, I wanted to write about a cake. So I specifically told my parents that I would like a cake from a good bakery. A birthday is not a birthday without cake! However, it’s really sad that “good bakeries” seem to be disappearing left and right and I honestly never want to just pick up a cake from Shop Rite to celebrate my birthday. (No judgement if that’s what you like, it’s just not my family tradition).
Typically, my family would get a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting and lemon filling. Even though I did want the cake, I knew in the back of my brain that most of it would go to waste because cake is high in calories, sugar, and fat and I can’t really afford to be eating a heaping slice every night for the next week. At least, I don’t want to afford it.
That’s why my mom is the best. Moms just know exactly what you want and they never have to ask. Sometimes I believe that my mom knows me better than I even know myself. Like she has all the secret codes to my life and I’m still trying to figure them all out. Why do I believe my mom has this super power? Instead of getting me the typical birthday cake, she went to a bakery and took the time to pick out four cupcakes from La Bonbonniere Bake Shoppe in Edison, NJ, so that I could just have a bite of each to try a few different flavors. Also, I wouldn’t feel like it was all going to waste. What a doll she is.
Well, what do you know, my wish came true right away. By “good things”, I mean I’m going to unwrap each of these, cut a quarter piece out and put them on a plate to indulge.
Starting from the left and going clockwise, we have red velvet with cream cheese frosting, a chocolate covered strawberry cupcake, a chocolate caramel pecan flavor, and finally a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Life, man. Can it get any better?
Who says you can’t have it all? I did. After carefully cutting into each of the cup sized cakes, I realized that more good things were already happening! Some of the cakes were actually filled!
The chocolate caramel pecan cupcake is their cupcake of the month at the bake shoppe. What a fabulous month to be born in, I must say. It was made with fluffy, light chocolate cake, filled with rich, buttery caramel, topped with caramel frosting which was then topped with pecans, and drizzled with chocolate and more caramel. So decadent, so good.
The chocolate covered strawberry cupcake was made with the same light and fluffy chocolate cake but was filled with strawberries. I love strawberries and chocolate. They always complement each other. I had never tasted strawberry frosting before and I think it’s my new favorite. It was a little lighter than traditional buttercream and had the perfect strawberry flavor. I will never understand people who don’t like strawberry flavored things-they’re SO good. The frosting was rolled in chocolate shavings and then an actual chocolate covered strawberry was delicately placed on top. It was the perfect topping to the already frosted cake.
The carrot cake had a really great spice flavor with a nice crunch of walnuts and you could actually see the pieces of carrot throughout the cake. The frosting had a good cream cheese flavor and was very sweet. It complemented the savoriness of the cake.
Insert picture here>IMAGE<here
No that’s not an error you see, I just ate the last two cupcakes before I took a picture. Oops. I have a strong belief that it is better to enjoy life in the moment than miss the moment because you were documenting it. Yeah, I’ll go with that.
The red velvet cake had a slight chocolate flavor but not over powering. It definitely reminded me of when my family would go to Lancaster, PA and eat their red velvet cake. It was fresh, sweet, and a tasty bite.
Although the plate is now empty, the feelings of happiness have not yet left my mind and I don’t think that they ever will.
Special thanks to my mom and dad for being there on my birthday since my very first one. You guys are the real MVPs.
For more information about the bake shoppe visit: La Bonbonniere Bake Shoppe
shut up and eat with me 