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Today is Kim Bee’s birthday. You probably know Kim from her blog, Cravings of a Lunatic. That cowgirl has jockeyed her way right into my heart. I was worried that she’d be feeling pasture prime today, so I made her a cake. Try to rein in your excitement.
When making a cake for someone, you should always consider their likes and dislikes, and Kim is one picky filly. She doesn’t like pickles, seafood, or gravy – so I avoided those ingredients. (I’m just horsin’ around, of course. Most cakes don’t contain haddock! Unless you count fish cakes.) Now, Kim chomps at the bit when you mention Taco Bell, but a Tex-Mex themed cake? That ain’t gunna be winning no gallop poll anytime soon. So, I moved on to something that was bound to stirrup Kim’s emotions: horses.
Here’s Kim with her horse, Ginger:
I know. The horse isn’t ginger coloured, but neigh-sayers be darned, Kim stuck with the name. That horse, as it turns out, is one of Kim’s besties. She loves her Arabian princess, and dreams of having a wee farm where Ginger could have couple of new horse friends to play with. I actually considered buying Kim a couple of palomino pals, but it turns out that real, live horses are way expensive and fairly hard to wrap. So, I made Kim this pony-inspired cake instead.
Ginger and two new friends sit atop my most favourite cake – it seemed perfect for the occasion. I’ve written about it before – it’s an old-fashioned white cake with the perfect crumb. It tastes of vanilla and almond, butter and sugar. The ponies sit atop a floofy yard of seven-minute frosting, surrounded by a salty pretzel fence. Seven-minute frosting is the kind of icing that is best consumed on the day it is made – perfect for birthdays, as everyone should graze upon an entire cake on their special day. (Seven-minute frosting is also dairy free – I think Kim’s tummy would thank me.)
Hay, I’ve gotta bale, but I’d like to wish Kim the happiest of birthdays. A day topped with sugary stars and a light dusting of snow. I hope this year brings her balance, some dreams come true, and a whole lot of giddy-up and go…
Kim is hosting a giveaway for her birthday! Head on over to send her some birthday wishes and enter to win a sa-weet treat! (That’s a $30 Amazon gift card – open to Canadian and American residents!)
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Old Fashioned White Cake - print and bake
Yields two 9-inch round baking pans.
- 3 cups cake flour, divided into 1 cup measures
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round pans and line with parchment paper. (To line with parchment paper, trace the pans on parchment paper, cut out and trim to fit in the bottom of the pan.)
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the flour, the salt and the baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Add the milk, hot water, 1 cup of the flour and 1 egg, and mix on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and around the bottom to make sure everything is combined. Then add 1 cup of flour and 1 egg, and again, mix on medium speed until well combined. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
Finally, add the flour/salt/baking powder mixture and the one remaining egg, and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add in the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well to combine.
Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared baking pans. Rap the pans on the counter a few times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
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Notes: I found the recipe for seven-minute frosting on the Joy of Baking website - I didn’t change it a bit, save for the few drops of green gel paste food colouring I added for tinting. Seven-minute frosting should be used immediately and is best consumed on the day it is made. The pretzel fence is held together with royal icing, and the horses were found at my local craft store and then spray painted white. The bottle brush trees were also found at my local craft store, and the silver tree was found at Hey Yo Yo - a wonderful place to find baking treats. The surface of the cake was dusted with icing sugar, edible white sparkles and edible silver stars.
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Okay this had me all teary which you know I freaking hate. Thank you so much, you went above and beyond. This is spectacular. I mean you made a fence for the horses, it’s adorable. And Ginger gets friends which I love. I can’t thank you enough lady. No one has ever made me such a personal cake before. It blew my mind. I loves ya woman!
Whelp, I love ya right back! I hope you had a wonderful birthday week – and that you’ll spend all of next week recovering…
What a beautiful, thoughtful cake. Movita Beaucoup, you’re the best! And I especially like ‘flouffy’ as a descriptor for the frosting
Floofy frosting is the best! I always think a birthday cake should be dive-in worthy – no fondant here! If it isn’t gunna make you sticky, why bother?
What a gorgeous cake and what a gorgeous friend you are.. c
Thanks, Cecilia!!
What a beautiful, and perfect, cake for Kim! She’s lucky to have such a great friend!
The best part is: 2.0 and I got to eat the cake!
My mane point in posting this comment is to tail you that this cake looks delicious. I almost jumped out of my saddle when I saw it. I also like that it doesn’t have 2 lbs of expensive nuts in it or anything. I hate ponying up so much cash for one cake.
Happy Birthday, Kim!
You are so, so wise, Katherine. And also, cheap.
Holy crap balls that is freaking ahhhhmazing !!!!!! You rocked that cake sista. Kim ~ you have become such a beautiful blogging pal to me too….and you deserve a gorgeous cake like that -foooshur ! Oh movita. Ooooohhh oh movita. Is it too early to request a birthday cake for my birfday too ? Oct 21st. Get it on your calendar. I am turning 21.
I’m on it. I’m assuming you’ll want some sort of Justin Bieber tribute cake…
I like the winter scene…looks a little like the view from my window right now, except you’d have to substitute sheep. Impressive, as always, Movita. Happy B-Day, Kim.
One question – where’s the horse droppings?
Once I figured out that our horses-playing-poker idea was gunna be harder than I thought? I dropped the poop idea. (Get it? DROPPED it? Like horse droppings?)
Beautiiful cake! Your puns are great, too, and I’m neigh horsing around.
Thanks, Bonnie! People who like horse puns tend to be very stable…
You have outdone yourself with that fabulous personal, personalized cake! My birthday’s on the 23rd. How about just a little piece of that fence?
You should really eat the entire fence.
Oh holy crap I may have fell off my chair laughing at Eggton’s reply. Thanks everyone for the nice and freaking hilarious comments. This is the best birthday evah!
I love horses, and I love birthday cake. And since you apparently forgot the 12th anniversary of my 29th bithday this year, I’m gonna pretend this cake is for me. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE!!!!! And Kim, of course.
Yes, happy birthday to you! (But I got to eat the cake…)
One of your most beautiful creations.
Thanks, Rosie!!
What a cool cake! When are you opening “Movita Takes The Cake”….your new bakery?
Well, my business plan is dependent on winning the lottery, so if you could all stop buying tickets, it would really help out…
Gorgeous cake, hilarious post!
Thanks, Melissa! I loves yah.
Happy birthday to Kim! Loved all the horsey terms trotting through your description, Movita. Gorgeous cake. We’re gonna read all about you baking the cake for Justin Bieber’s wedding a couple of years from now, right?
Yes, I will be making Justin’s cake. I figure he won’t be ready to settle down until he’s old enough to develop some muscles, so that should give me plenty of time to create something for him. It will probably involve bling and marijuana…
Beautiful cake! I thoroughly enjoyed both your posts! I need to start baking more often…
Yes, Anne, you must bake as often as possible. Butter and sugar are way better for you than, say, kale.
I love it when my favourite bloggers turn out to actually really, really like each other. It’s kind of like when that couple you’ve been rooting for on that show that everyone watches finally get their act together and admit they’re all head over heels for each other. That kind of stuff gets me all verklempt.
I think this wins as the bestest birthday cake ever. Seriously. EVER.
Kim and I are basically the Chandler and Monica of the blogging world.
True story.
I love this cake creation, Movita! Kim must have been just to the moon with joy when she saw the extra time, creativity and effort you put into her cake.. Those horses are so pretty dancing on a star filled snowy landscape.. it’s truly magical!! xx
Thanks, lady! A horse once tried to eat one of my most favourite mittens, but I hold no grudges…
GAH this is just too sweet! That seven minute frosting looks perfectly flouffy, those are some lucky horses.
Yah, I’d sleep in that stuff if I could…
Not only were you genius enough to make a pretzel fence, you put a light dusting of snow on it. My word, you are truly something to behold from afar!
Sharon, this attention to detail stems from my firm belief that icing sugar makes EVERYTHING better.
You crack me up. Who but you could pack so many lame jokes in one post and still have us all rolling in the aisles? Love that classic cake recipe too…. “Pasture prime”…very clever.
Just so you know – I’m that lame in person as well.
i have never seen a prettier farm-animal themed cake. and i have had some experience with farm-animal themed cakes, i’ll say. it’s STUNNING.
i love it even more that you made Kim cry, because i KNOW she frigging hates that! Happy birthday, Kim!
What’s a birthday without a few tears? Tee hee!
Don’t get your chaps in a bunch, pardner. Just munch on some of this here old-timey cake.
Mmm, floofy pony yard. I LOVE HORSIES SO MUCH!!
Emma, when I do something that pleases thee, I know I’m on to something. So, I guess I’ll have to work horses into more posts…
I have to say you are seriously at the top of the birthday cake maker list. You are like the queen! Very sweet- your cake and your friendship. cheers to you and happy birthday to Kim from out here in the blogsphere. x wt
Thanks, Wendy! You’re like my culinary/life idol, so that means a lot coming from awesome you!
My birthday is May 21st. I love orangutans and birds, elephants and dogs (and horses too, but that’s been done. And in the most adorable, un-top-able way!) You are, as Wendy says, Queen of Cakes and Cakelets! And a friend as sweet and dear as they come!
Thanks, Spree!! I wonder if I can find some pretty orangutans for cake decorating? You know, we could start a new trend…
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That is a pretty. pretty cake and I’m freaking jealous right now. Both of the aforementioned pretty cake and Kim for being internet-blessed with aforementioned pretty cake but also of your Mad Skillz. (My birthday is next Sunday and I totally dig kittens and vikings).
Happy birthday Kim!! And what a lovely cake, just gorgeous and so thoughtful
The cake is just over the top lovely and cute!
I really hope you Pinterested this to high heavens, it’s amazingly beautiful and looks like something out of a magazine!
What a beautiful cake. It represents Kim perfectly. You’re such a good foodie friend, Movita.