I started a new job a couple of weeks ago, and I think it’s safe to say that baking has kept me (somewhat) sane.  When I come home from work and get messy in the kitchen, I forget about all the spreadsheets and systems and answers I’ve yet to learn.  Intent on creating something delicious and beautiful, I get lost in the wondrous, refreshing process of making a little something sweet, with the dream that my small act makes the world sweeter yet.

In addition to the wedding cupcakes I mentioned previously, this summer has brought a few birthdays of beloveds.  Embracing the season, my husband requested a fresh peach cake for his day, and I was happy to oblige.  I started with three pounds of peaches — some pureed, some diced, some sliced — and made a towering cinnamon peach cake with fruit segments both in the batter and between the layers.  It was truly decadent and yummy, but since I made it up as I went along, I’ve decided to give it another few test rounds before perfecting the texture and sharing the recipe here.  (I’m also thinking about a cinnamon peach whoopie pie cookie inspired by the cake — stay tuned!) Instead of splitting the birthday cake in two, we decided to invite our dear friends over, including their 23 month old.  Here, you can see a blurry side view of the cake’s peachy layers, and one very happy sweet peach behind it…

That very boy had a birthday this past weekend, and his enthusiastic moon obsession had determined the theme of his second birthday party.  I was honored and excited to make the cake for him, and his mom and I agreed on the tried and true hazelnut cake.  I split the batter into three layers (plus a dozen and a half cupcakes which I failed to photograph, but thankfully someone with an amazing camera and great talent took one shown here). As for the nutty cake layers, I filled them with vanilla bean cream cheese icing and decorated the top with a moon I made out of marzipan.  I’d reserved the crescent moon sprinkles for the cupcakes, so the cake would bear just one moon — and a few hundred pastel stars.

Baking for celebrations brings me so much joy, and I hope I get to continue doing it for many years to come.  I have to say, though, that a few tips I’ve learned along the way have made the process even more enjoyable.  These are nothing more than some notions I remind myself of when I’m making a dessert to share — I realize they are well-practiced, well-known, and even fiercely declined by many.  But they work well for me, and I thought this would be a fine time to share them.  Here are my top three baking tips, with photos of various birthday cakes I’ve made over time in between (why not?).

Sweet almond birthday cake

1.) Never break your eggs directly into your batter.  When I bit into a piece of crunchy eggshell in a dessert at a trendy restaurant a few years ago, I wondered how many times I’d done that to others.  I quickly decided I’d break my eggs into a clear container before adding them to whatever I was making.  Sure enough, I’ve found little pieces of shell in my glass bowl time and again — fragments I wouldn’t have seen had the eggs gone directly into the batter or dough.  Needless to say, it’s worth dirtying the extra dish.

Pistachio birthday cake

2.) Know when to simplify, and when not to.  I am a fan of minimalism and I love the idea of keeping things uncomplicated, especially in the kitchen.  So I use my mini grater for citrus peel and don’t own a zester.  I scoop cookies with a spoon or my hands instead of a cookie scoop.  I use a sieve as both a sifter and a strainer — I like having one item instead of three. But on the other hand, I’m an advocate of having at least two sets of measuring spoons and cups for baking.  It’s simply frustrating to reach for 1/3 cup of flour when you just used your only 1/3 cup measure for oil.  Having two sets doesn’t take up too much space, and it just makes baking easier.  Likewise, two words: parchment paper!

Chocolate raspberry birthday cake

3.) Give yourself plenty of time.  When baking almost anything iced, I consider making it a two-day creation, or at least two half-days.  This practice not only multiplies the luscious fun of baking; it also makes for a smoother, less-tiring, frustration-free ritual. Sure, I can make desserts in one day or in a few hours, but I have too many memories of digging for a clean frosting bowl in a mountain of batter-dripped dishes, frustrated by my throbbing feet, and worn out for whatever obligations I have later that day.  So when time allows, I tend to start the night before.  I make cake layers and let them cool while the first set of dishes get washed and ready.  I rest.  Then I start fresh, making icing that has no chance of melting into cake or sliding off hot cookies.  Similarly, I try to set out all my ingredients — not just the butter — and let them come to room temperature before I start to bake.  (I’ve seen chilled eggs turn melted coconut oil into chunks, and cold cream cheese that won’t beat smoothly into butter.)  I don’t mean to sound uptight or privileged; time is a luxury, and planning ahead isn’t always realistic.  But when it’s do-able, a little extra time can make baking even more enjoyable than it already is, often with more delicious results.

Double chocolate birthday cake

Mini mango birthday cake

Multicolored birthday cake